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Renewed: Wrap Up of Colossians 3:1-17 Bible Study

November 26, 2020 by Ali Shaw 1 Comment

This post is the wrap up for our monthlong, online Bible study focusing on Colossians 3:1-17 called, Renewed: Putting on the New Self.

Have you enjoyed our Bible study this month? We’ve focused on what is some have called the “guidelines for holy living” found in Colossians 3:1-17. Like I mentioned in the introductory post to this series, “This passage is a rich description of what the ‘risen life’ looks like— a life of union with Christ. This sort of Christian living is the kind that puts away earthly things in favor of heavenly ones.”

Posts in This Study:

Introduction and Verses 1-2:

In our first post, I looked at verses 1 and 2 and what it means to seek Christ and set our minds on things above, “not on the things of the earth. This type of shift in our mindset will most certainly renew us. Our Savior is so very worthy of being the center of our attention!” Let’s seek (actively look for and pursue) knowing Christ more intimately.

Verses 3-4:

How can you live a renewed life today? What does it mean to put away earthly things to live for Christ, your life? In this post, I closely examine verses 3-4 and look at what it means to put on the new self and look to the Savior as the example of how to live, serve, and love others. Instead of following any teaching that goes against what Jesus taught, we follow Christ and exalt Him as our living Teacher of truth.

Verses 5-7:

Jaime says, “These three verses sum up exactly how much we need a savior! We cannot master the sin nature on our own. But Jesus did conquer it. He put to death the earthly desires freeing us from their grip. And because Jesus was put to death, we can live in freedom, reconciled to God. Because He conquered the grave, we live renewed.”

Verses 8-10:

Lisa tells us that verses 8-9 remind us not to “dress” in the outdated “clothes” of who we were before Christ. Instead, we should “put on the new self.” (Colossians 3:10) This wardrobe works because these new clothes are Christ Himself. And He’s already perfect. We are renewed because of who Jesus is, not because of who we are. We’ve been given a wardrobe update. Let’s put it on and wear it well. It fits us perfectly.

Verses 11-13:

Cheli shows us how these verses give a detailed description of what being clothed in Christ looks like. “Regular rhythms of prayer, scripture study, and Bible memorization direct our hearts and minds to conform to Christ. With our new clothes we can “be Christ” to the world. Being clothed in Christ renews our identity, character, and action. We can set our hearts on Christ by seeking unity in the body of Christ, putting on His righteousness, and forgiving others as He has graciously forgiven us.”

Verses 14-15:

Jennifer shares, “I am amazed to see what is packed into these two little verses: Put on love. Be ruled by peace. By contentedly thankful. Wow. That can certainly transform our home. But how? Our hearts grow in love, peace, and gratitude when our eyes lift from our present circumstances up to worship our Lord and delight in the things of God.”

Verses 16-17:

Kelli reminds us that we can’t live a “renewed life” in our own power; it must a result of the Holy Spirit! If we try to be good on our own “our goodness will run out. We’d find our old ways creeping back in — anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language (v 8) just to name a few. As we live our renewed lives may we never forget to hold fast to Christ! How does this look? 1) by letting the word of Christ dwell in us and 2) doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

We are so glad that you came along with us on our study of Colossians 3:1-17. We pray that it blessed you.

Don’t miss the wrap up of our monthlong, online Bible study focusing on Colossians 3:1-17. #Renewed

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Happy Thanksgiving!

We also want to take a minute to let you know that when we’re counting our blessings this Thanksgiving, we count you among them. We appreciate our readers, and are blessed when you comment, message us, share our materials, and exalt the Savior along side us. To God be all the glory!

May you and yours have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! May you rejoice in gratitude that you can live life Renewed in Christ.

In Him,
Ali

Let the Word Dwell

November 24, 2020 by Kelli LaFram Leave a Comment

We were all, at one point, dead in our sin — dead, lost, eternally doomed, spiritually separated from God the Father. But then, when we put our faith in Christ for salvation, we were made alive together with Him. Our sins were forgiven and the requirement for us to fulfill the law was erased (Colossians 2:13-14). We were made new! And as we walk with Christ, we continue to be renewed by His Spirit.

This month we have been studying Colossians 3:1-17 and what it means to be renewed — what it means to put on the new self. Today we will look closely at verses 16 and 17. We will think about what it means to let the word of Christ dwell in us. We will also discuss what it means to do all in the name of the Lord, but before we do that we need to look at what Christianity is not.

Following Christ, Not Rules

In Colossians 2:11-23, Paul writes that following Christ is not about legalism. Following Christ is not the same as following rules and laws.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:13-14

He goes on to say that when you worry about the food you eat, the drinks you consume, and holidays you celebrate, you are robbed of your true reward, which is Christ (vv 16-18). In other words, when your mind is consumed with how well you do or do not keep religious laws you miss out on true and intimate fellowship with Jesus.

Instead we are to seek Christ and set our mind on Him, hide ourselves in Him, and refuse to walk in sin (Colossians 3:1-9). We are to walk like the renewed creations that we are, displaying mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love (vv 12-14).

But let’s be honest. We can’t do these things, not on our own anyway. For a time we may be able to, but there is a limit to our goodness. And when our goodness runs out? Well, we find our old ways creeping back in — anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language (v 8) just to name a few.

So what do we do? We hold fast to Christ, who is “the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Colossians 2:19) and we can do this in two ways: 1) by letting the word of Christ dwell in us and 2) doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ~ Colossians 3:16

Paul writes “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” The word dwell is also used when he reminds the Corinthians that they are the temple of God,

For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’ ~2 Corinthians 6:16

In order to be renewed by God we must be indwelled by God. His words, His will, His power must inhabit our thoughts and influence our actions. And not just a little bit, but “richly in all wisdom.” This rich wisdom comes from spending dedicated time in prayer, reading and studying the Bible, and hiding His word in our hearts (aka memorizing Scripture). All of these things will lead to acts of worship and adoration — “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. ~Colossians 3:17

One question that we need to continually ask ourselves as Christians is why? Why am I doing this? Why am I choosing this? Why do I believe this? The answer should be I am doing it for the name of the Lord. One of my favorite commentators, David Guzik says that a renewed person “lives his life, all his life, for Jesus. He will only seek to do the things that he may do in the name of the Lord Jesus, and he will persevere in the difficulty of doing such things, knowing that he is doing them in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Doing all in the name of Jesus may seem overwhelming or impossible. On our own it is, but we are not on our own. We have been renewed so that Jesus can dwell inside us. He is with us. He makes it possible for us to live for Him. Jesus is the one whom we receive nourishment and strength from — no one or nothing else.

As we live our renewed lives may we never forget to hold fast to Christ.

Lord, I thank you that you have made us alive with you — that you have renewed us. I ask that your word would continue to dwell richly in us and that by your Spirit we would be able to do all things in your name. I praise you for who you are and all that you have done. In your name. Amen.

Bound with Love, Ruled by Peace

November 19, 2020 by Jennifer Hong Leave a Comment

This month we’re studying Colossians 3:1-17 in a series called Renewed: Putting on the New Self. Today we’re looking at verses 14 and 15, with hearts bound with love and ruled by peace.

On Tuesday, Cheli talked about what God calls us to “put on” as we adorn ourselves in Christ’s character. After addressing compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness, verse 14 now tells us to put love on over, covering, all of the rest.

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14

Agape love is described here as the bond that joins everything together into mature perfection, producing harmony.

Mmmmmm, Chili

It may be the little drop in temperature that’s finally hit Houston, or simply that I’m hungry, but this verse leaves me thinking, “just like a bowl of good chili.” Chili is one of those dishes that takes on more flavor the longer it cooks and is even better served the second day. It needs time to really meld flavors from various ingredients (yes, even the pulsed vegetables I hide in there) into one tomato-and-chili-powder-infused bowl of goodness.

Like a good bowl of chili, love is comprised of a multitude of elements that can exist apart from it but don’t have the same harmony of flavor until they are unified in love. In seeking the best for another, agape love adds a new overtone to each virtue such that they work harmoniously together.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 tells us that without love, other virtues holds no value, and verses 4-7 expound on the many facets of love:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

With patience, kindness, humility, grace, and hope melded together in love, the body of Christ is brought into mature unity and harmony.

Ruled by Peace

Next, we are to add in peace, which holds power to direct our hearts and our ways.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

What does it look like to be ruled by peace? It is following Jesus with the deep assurance that nothing lost compares to that gained by following Him. It is resting in God’s grace, no longer striving to keep up appearances of perfection or legalism. It is trusting God’s justice to prevail when present injustice stings. What does a heart ruled by peace mean to you?

And Be Thankful

The word for “thankful” here connotes a mindfulness of the grace extended to us by God. It is more than thankful for the things we are given; it’s an awareness of what has been bestowed on us, leaving us both humble and content.

Love, Peace, and Gratitude… but How?

I am amazed to see what is packed into these two little verses: Put on love. Be ruled by peace. By contentedly thankful. Wow. That can certainly transform our home. But how? We’re certainly trying.

Here, we look not to the next verse but back to the introduction. Colossians 1:1-2 tell us to seek and set our hearts on that which is above — heavenly, eternal. Our hearts grow in love, peace, and gratitude when our eyes lift from our present circumstances up to worship our Lord and delight in the things of God.

Before taking on the rest of the day, let’s take a moment to fix our eyes on Jesus. Great Is Thy Faithfulness is one of my favorite hymns for focusing my heart.

Clothed in Christ: Colossians 3:11-13

November 17, 2020 by Cheli Sigler 1 Comment

Last week in her post titled, When Your Old Clothes Don’t Fit, Lisa Burgess likened Colossians 3: 8-10 to a wardrobe makeover. When we commit our lives to Jesus, we are clothed anew in Christ, in His righteousness. I love what she shared,

We are renewed because of who Jesus is, not because of who we are. –Lisa Burgess

Today, we take a closer look at what being “clothed in Christ” means as we study Colossians 3: 11-13.

Colossians 3:11

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,

barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Identity

First, Paul draws attention to our new identity in Christ. We are no longer divided by nationality, socio-economic status, or culture, rather, we are one people united by faith. Focused on Christ, differences cease to divide us because He “is all.” In Christ, our diversity is not diluted but made more alive as we use our unique qualities, backgrounds, and gifts to edify each other for Christ’s glory.

Colossians 3:12

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,

kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….

Character

Secondly, along with our identity in Christ we adorn ourselves with His character. He sacrificed himself and bore our sin so we might wear His righteousness. The attributes Paul lists in verse twelve are attributes of Christ, and the verb phrase, “Put on then,” is a directive. The preacher, Charles Spurgeon, exhorted:

This is what you have got to wear, even on the outside — to put it on; not to have a latent kindness in your heart, and a degree of humbleness deep down in your soul if you could get at it; but you are to put it on. – Charles Spurgeon

Of course, renewal does not happen all at once. Transformation occurs over time and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Regular rhythms of prayer, scripture study, and Bible memorization direct our hearts and minds to conform to Christ. With our new clothes we can “be Christ” to the world.

Colossians 3:13

…bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other;

as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Action

Thirdly, dressed in Christ’s righteousness, because of who He is and what He has done for us, we forgive those who wrong us. “Bearing with” means to endure. We do this when we continue to engage despite a person or circumstances being difficult. “Forgive” means to give graciously. Forgiveness is our action to cancel the debt owed. How far do we go to forgive? We follow Jesus all the way to the cross. Underscoring this, Charles Spurgeon said,

Just as readily, just as freely, just as heartily, just as completely. — Charles Spurgeon

Final Thoughts

Finally, being clothed in Christ renews our identity, character, and action. No longer focused on the world, we set our hearts on Christ by seeking unity in the body of Christ, putting on His righteousness, and forgiving others as He has graciously forgiven us.

“…being clothed in Christ renews our identity, character, and action.” Colossians 3:11-13 #Renewed

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Watch Where You Step {Matthew 7:14}

November 16, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 3 Comments

When You Need to Be Careful

This has been a dirty season in our backyard. Flocks of geese have been flying through, landing in the lake behind our home. And using our grass as their personal restroom.

We have to be careful where we step.

While I’m free to wander outside barefooted, not watching where I step, I’d rather not. I don’t want to follow in the popular path where the geese have walked.

Sometimes it feels tight and restrictive to be so intentional about where I step.

Walk with Jesus

In our memory verse this week (our final verse!), Jesus said to His followers on the mountain:

“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Matthew 7:14

Jesus was telling them to watch where they put their feet. Be mindful of their steps. Watch where they put their minds, who they walk with, how they take their steps.

Sometimes the gate feels very narrow. Remember Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22) on the road to Moab? The donkey became hemmed in on all sides. There was no way to turn, either to the right or to the left. Balaam was angry at her. Balaam couldn’t see the angel of the Lord standing in the narrow place between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

But God’s narrow path saved Balaam’s life. Had the donkey not turned aside from the angel, Balaam would have been killed.

Boundaries are beneficial.

When our own narrow paths feel burdensome, we can trust that God is guiding us as well. We never walk alone. God is always with us. Jesus is the Way itself that we travel.

Walking with Jesus not only leads to life eternal, but is life-giving, each step along the way.

“How blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!”
Psalm 84:5-7 (The Message)

Are you watching where you step? It makes a difference. #Matthew7

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Thanks for walking with us through Matthew 7:1-14 these past 10 weeks. We hope you’ve benefited from our time together in these words of Jesus. May His truths continue to guide all our steps.

When Your Old Clothes Don’t Fit: Colossians 3:8-10

November 12, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 20 Comments

“What Old Women Need to Stop Wearing”

I try not to be enticed by clickbait. But the title of this internet article lured me in.

Keeping up with the latest fashions isn’t important to me. But I also don’t want to dress terribly outdated.

What if I’m wearing something that is all wrong?

I clicked to see.

Outdated Wadrobes

We’re looking this month at Colossians 3, to see what it really means to live “renewed” lives.

Here’s Colossians 3:8-10.

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (v8)
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (v9)
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (v10)

We often see ourselves still dressed in our outdated wardrobe of verses 8-9.

We have clothes in our closet, and behaviors in our lifestyles, that:

Are uncomfortable (anybody else feeling the extra 5 pounds since ‘Rona?)
Are unflattering
Are holey (and not the good kind of holy)

We don’t have to dress out of this closet. These clothes are ugly to ourselves and to others: bad tempers, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk, lying to one another.

They no longer fit us. We have permission to bag them up and get them out of the house.

Wardrobe Makeover

Instead, we can receive our wardrobe makeover.

We’ve been given a new closet to dress from. And the clothes fit our new selves perfectly, right now (Colossians 3:10).

We don’t have to lose a few pounds before they’ll fit.
We don’t have to wait for a special occasion to put them on.
We don’t have to be good enough or skinny enough or perfect enough in our OWN abilities to wear them.

This wardrobe works because these new clothes are Christ Himself. And He’s already perfect.

We are renewed because of who Jesus is, not because of who we are.

In our new closet, we look in the mirror and see Jesus. We’re made over in His image (Colossians 3:10). Our new outfits spark joy (Marie Kondo would be proud).

Clothed in Christ

The internet article turned out to be unhelpful about telling me what not to wear. (No surprise there.) When I clicked through, the real title showed up as “Fashion and Beauty Trends that We Hope Never Come Back in Style.” It said to lose the beehive hairdo (never had one). Stop wearing tube tops (never did). Don’t keep an orange fake tan (no problem).

We don’t need the internet to tell us how to dress anyway.

We’ve been clothed in Christ and our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

We’ve been given a wardrobe update. Let’s put it on and wear it well. It fits us perfectly.

Are you still wearing clothes that don’t fit? Put on a new self instead. #Renewed #Colossians 3

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How’s your closet these days? Share in the comments.

We Can Because He Did

November 10, 2020 by Jaime Hilton Leave a Comment

All this month we’re studying Colossians 3:1-17 in a series called Renewed: Putting on the New Self. Today we continue by looking at verses 5 – 7:

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.”

At first glance, this looks like a pretty straightforward checklist for Christian living. “Put to death” is strong language. It means not simply suppressing or controlling but to wipe out, completely. If you’ve ever dealt with sin in your life, tried to eradicate a bad habit, kick an addiction, or live up to the law (James 2:10), you know these three verses sum up exactly how much we need a savior!

From the Beginning

Earlier in Colossians 1, Paul wrote that everything was created through and for Jesus (Col 1:15-16), and it was good (Genesis 1:31). Sin came into the world, marring that goodness, and the earthly desires of humanity took precedence in the heart of humankind, separating us from God (Romans 5:14 and 6:23).

Sin’s desires are the opposite of the abundant life we long for and sin leads to death (Romans 6:21).

the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

We cannot master the sin nature on our own. But Jesus did conquer it. He put to death the earthly desires freeing us from their grip.

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” (Romans 6:10-12)

Jesus Paid It All…

“On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”

The Greek word for “wrath” is “orge” which means “anger expressed in punishment.” Romans says the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and when Jesus died on the cross, he paid that debt.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36

Like what Ali said in her post, A Life Hidden in Christ, “when God looks at me, He sees Jesus in my heart.” Our sin is covered by his blood and the wrath of God is satisfied.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:4-6

We can because He did…

“In these you too once walked, when you were living in them”

As believers, we are no longer slaves to sin but free to live according to the Spirit, the way Jesus did. We can choose life because Jesus chose death. He didn’t wait until our act was cleaned up.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)

Bible scholars Jameson, Fausset & Brown wrote, “Truth in word and act, love in manner and spirit, are the Christian’s rule” Because Jesus was put to death, we can live in freedom, reconciled to God. Because He conquered the grave, we live renewed.

Jesus’s Advice About the Road Well Traveled {Matthew 7:13}

November 9, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 1 Comment

I know the roads by heart. Although it’s a 3-hour drive to see my grandkids, there are only a handful of turns.

So two weeks ago when GPS was advising me to take an unusual exit off the interstate, I wasn’t sure whether or not to follow it. I already knew the best route, the easiest path, the quickest roads.

And this unusual exit wasn’t it.

The Road Well Traveled

The 6-lane interstate is wide and quick. We naturally want to take the proven path, the one everyone else advises, the one that’s worked for us in the past.

But in our memory verse this week, Jesus was advising us again the road well traveled.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Matthew 7:13

Read how The Message puts it:

Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.
Matthew 7:13

We’ve been learning already in Matthew 7 about that narrow gate and the roads it has us travel:

Don’t be judgmental
Deal with your flaws first
Ask for what you need
Trust God’s gifts
Do to others as you’d want done to you

Those can be some backwoods country roads. God sometimes takes us off-roading on dirt paths and up gravel driveways. He’s less concerned about the quickest route and more concerned about growing us along the journey and getting us to the proper destination.

Following our spiritual GPS may seem mysterious at times. And sometimes harder. And maybe even lonely now and again.

The way of faith is often a narrow way.

But the rewards? They’re always worth it! (We’ll see that in next week’s memory verse, Matthew 7:14, and the last memory verse of our Fall memory challenge).

God’s Direction

On my trip to see my granddaughters, I decided to follow the GPS instructions and get off I-65 earlier than I normally do.

And it paid off. I learned later that a bridge had gone out on I-65. Traffic had backed up for miles. If I had stayed on my regular path of following the crowd, my delay could have been hours.

Entering by the narrow gate may not always feel comfortable, but if God is the one pointing us to it, let’s take it.

Does your spiritual GPS take you on some country backroads instead of the road well traveled? That’s good. #Matthew7

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Do you use GPS or are you an old-school paper map driver? How is your spiritual GPS? Share your thoughts in the comments.

A Life Hidden in Christ: Colossians 3:3-4

November 5, 2020 by Ali Shaw 2 Comments

In today’s post, the second part of our study Renewed: Putting on the New Self, we look at Colossians 3:3-4 and discuss A Life Hidden in Christ.

Let’s look together at the verses we’ll be studying in this post.

3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

For You Have Died…

When we become Believers in Jesus Christ, something amazing happens! Our dead spirits are quickened to new life in Him, and our sinful old flesh dies as it is crucified with Christ.

It’s pretty amazing when you think about it; it almost makes my head spin. People without Jesus walk around feeling so alive, but they are dead of spirit. And people with Jesus feel so alive and renewed spiritually (and rightly so, because we are!), but they “have died.” (Colossians 3:3)

What does it mean that we “have died?” This section of Colossians connects to some previous verses where Paul was explaining things to the Believers in Colossae. In Colossians 2:20 we read,

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you… [do these things…]” (Colossians 2:20)

Going back a bit further, we see this,

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human traditions, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

When we look at all of this together, we see that Paul was explaining to the church at Colossae that when they became Christians, they died to “elemental spirits of the world,” who are spirits whose teaching goes against Christ. Their teaching is empty and deceitful and is passed down through humans, but ultimately comes from Satan.

We have died to that teaching! We’ve also died to following ourselves. (See below.) We follow Christ and exalt Him as our living Teacher of truth.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Your Life Is Hidden With Christ

I love the reminder that when God looks at me, He sees Jesus in my heart. It’s such an elementary principle that even young children can understand. And it’s so precious!

It’s simple to understand, but it’s a theologically deep truth. Because Christ is in me, and I am in His hands, my life is “hidden” in Him.

It reminds me of when my daughters were little. Outside on a bright sunny day, they would hide their shadows in mine. They all but disappeared, but of course, we both knew they were still standing their on the sidewalk with me; they were just hidden.

This is a bit how it is with Christ. Of course, as His saved children, we are always “in Him.” But we also know that we should seek to stay right there in His shadow! That is a beautiful and wise place to be! When we step outside of His will, it never fares well for us.

As we study this entire passage (vv. 1-17) God will show us some specifics of what being hidden with Christ looks like on a practical level. As I stated in the introduction to this series,

“This particular portion of Scripture has been called “guidelines for holy living.” But we must be careful not to read it as simply a list of rules to follow. There are directives to obey, yes, but the focus is Christ! We tend to want to make passages like this about us, don’t we? It’s good to remember that the aim of a holy life is to glorify Jesus.”

Christ, Who Is Your Life

What does Paul mean when he says, “When Christ, who is your life…?” I think the Book of John gives us insight.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…’” (John 11:25)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)

Yes, Christ is our life! Whether we live and act like it, or we don’t, it remains true. This truth should result in the worshipful obedience of holy living (as we’ll see farther along in the passage.)

When He Appears…

Christ is coming back! He will return and rule His kingdom for 1,000 years (see Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelations 19 and 20). The doctrine of future things is very complex and I feel like I know so little. But this I know for certain: He will return.

And when He does, it will be a powerful and glorious event!

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)

And what a privilege and honor for us to be allowed to appear with Him in glory! Wow!

What a process of renewal it is and will be, isn’t it? From death to life to glory? God is incredible and He loves us so much.

He is worth living for. Let’s live renewed today!

What do you need to do or what do you need to pray in response to today’s Bible study? What is God laying on your heart?

Jesus is worth living for! What can we learn from Colossians 3:3-4 about a godly life and living #Renewed ?

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Be blessed as you put away earthly things to live for Christ, your life, today. Put on the new self and look to the Savior as the example of how to live, serve, and love others.

Hidden in Christ,
Ali

Renewed: Putting on the New Self (A Study on Colossians 3:1-17)

November 3, 2020 by Ali Shaw 4 Comments

All this month on the blog, we’ll be doing an online Bible study focusing on Colossians 3:1-17 called, Renewed: Putting on the New Self. In this post we’ll discuss Colossians 3, verses 1 and 2.

Why Study Colossians 3:1-17?

This passage is a rich description of what the “risen life” looks like— a life of union with Christ. This sort of Christian living is the kind that puts away earthly things in favor of heavenly ones. Rather than seeking and pursuing the old way of life (before a saving faith in Jesus), its goal is to live as someone renewed. That is, putting on the new self and looking to the Savior as the example of how to live, serve, and love others.

This particular portion of Scripture has been called “guidelines for holy living.” But we must be careful not to read it as simply a list of rules to follow. There are directives to obey, yes, but the focus is Christ! We tend to want to make passages like this about us, don’t we? It’s good to remember that the aim of a holy life is to glorify Jesus.

As we study, let’s remember to invite the Holy Spirit in to do His work of guiding, counseling, and pruning us for the glory of Christ. May we draw near God and be filled with the fruit of His Spirit!

Now let’s start the study by looking closely at verses 1 and 2.

Seek the Things…

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite games was Hide and Seek. I didn’t really like to be “it,” though. I always preferred hiding! I loved finding a tiny little space, wedging myself in, and staying as still as I could be. I was the kind of kid that hid so well I often couldn’t be found.

But I didn’t like seeking very much. It was harder work and less exciting. It seemed like a chore. And you earned being “it” by losing– by being found when you were the one hiding. What fun is that? And for me, matters only got worse when I couldn’t find the people I sought. That was always a bummer of defeat.

But not all seeking is a boring, defeating chore!

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

What we seek matters! In the verse above, we are told to seek heavenly things, where Christ Himself is. Paul wrote these words to the church at Colossae to remind them that as children of God, as Believers in Jesus Christ, they are to seek (actively look for and pursue) knowing Christ more intimately. (Wow!)

These words are for us, too. What a beautiful and rewarding thing to seek!

Set Your Minds…

Not only are we told to seek the things above, but we’re told to set our minds on the things above.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

I love how this verse has a contrast. I know it’s for greater emphasis. We’re told to set our minds on heavenly, spiritual things not on something else. I’m sure you see what it is.

Exactly. We are not to set our minds on the things of the earth.

I may be the only one, but it seems easy to read the first part of that verse and say, “Ok! Got it! ‘Set my mind on things above.’ I’ll work on that!” But without hearing the last part of the verse I might not stop and analyze (you know, do a heart check), “Wait, not on earthly things? Uh-oh, am I doing that? Oh, boy… I sure am.”

Reminders

It’s that reminder of what not to do that makes the passage hit home for me. It helps me see and remember a few things:

I need Christ’s help to seek Him and set my mind on Him.
The things of this world really try to catch my attention. (Sometimes the world – and what’s happening in it – seems like the most important thing, but it isn’t!)
This world is only temporary. I shouldn’t put my faith or hope in it!
I am a citizen of heaven, therefore Christ is my ultimate focus.
I am told to seek Him and set my mind on Him because He knows this is best. He promises He can be found when I pursue Him. (Matthew 7:7)

This world will disappoint us. There will be strife, pain, suffering, turmoil— you name it. That sounds so depressing, doesn’t it? But Jesus is the good news!

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

What a promise! Let’s seek Him and set our minds on things above, not on the things of the earth. This type of shift in our mindset will most certainly renew us. Our Savior is so very worthy of being the center of our attention!

We hope you’ll join us the rest of the month as we focus on what it means to be Renewed. We’ll set our minds on Christ and look to Him as our example for Christian living, allowing our hearts to overflow with gratitude because of who He is and all He has done.

Join us for #Renewed – a study of Colossians 3:1-17. Let’s set our minds on Christ and look to Him as our example for Christian living.

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How are you setting your mind on Him today?

In Him,
Ali