Read Colossians 3:1-17
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:4 that Christ is our life. He becomes what we live for. His life, the way He lived it, becomes the motivation for how we choose to live our lives. Giving Him freedom to move in and through our lives becomes the goal.
It is an Intentional DECISION.
If the life of Jesus is to be manifested in our lives, we will have to make a decision to put some things behind us, to put some things to death. Before Jesus’ Resurrected Life can fully take hold in our lives, we have to make a decision to bury some things. Paul lists them for us here in Colossians 3. He tells us to “put to death” and to “rid ourselves” of the actions that aren’t consistent with the life of Christ that has deposited into our life.
It is also a visible DEMONSTRATION.
Verses 13-14 tells us to cloth ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. In addition, we are to forgive as God has forgiven us. These are actions that can be seen, and when we display them, people can more clearly see Jesus. Humility makes us approachable. It is a visible quality that invites people to come closer and to engage in relationship with us. Gentleness tells people they can trust us to be vulnerable with us and patience confirms that people can count on us to be there for the long haul. Forgiveness is more than an attitude. It is an action. Number one, we are way too easily offended. Number two, we throw relationships away way too quickly. We are so quick to be done with people. To delete people. To block people. To avoid people. To discard people. That isn’t the essence of Christ’s forgiveness. The way we demonstrate forgiveness should represent the kind of forgiveness that Christ has extended to us. It isn’t a “Just go on and get out of my sight” kind of forgiveness, but it’s a “Come with Me to a better place” kind of forgiveness. When we demonstrate the forgiveness of Christ, we take relationships from broken to whole. Christ’s forgiveness brought healing to us. We get into the healing ministry of Jesus when we choose to forgive those who hurt us.
The Life of Christ is also a life of Spiritual DEFERENCE.
Spiritual deference means that you don’t live to make a name for yourself, but you live to make Christ known. That is what having the life of Christ is all about. I love it when I see one of our church members posting about how good God is, how God worked something out, how God arranged circumstances to make a way where there had not been a way, how Jesus stepped in and took control of something or brought the healing or answers that were needed. We ought to be doing that every chance we get. We ought to live in such a way to put Jesus in the spotlight every day. One thing about the life of Jesus, it wasn’t a quiet life, was it?
Walking with Christ, being His disciple, is about more than a conversion moment. It is about a daily life with Him that allows His life to be lived out through yours. As you reflect on Colossians 3, can you say, “The life I am living is the life of Christ?” If not, today you can receive His power to change and allow Him to become your life, to lead your life, and to possess your life so that others see Him.
