Your salvation doesn't just secure your eternal future, it changes what and how you work today.
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Colossians 3 Summary
If...
These are two of the most powerful letters in our lives. This little word conditions your life. If things go well, then you will get good things, but if things go poorly, then it will be a disaster.
Recognizing the power of these words, Paul brings his short letter to the Colossians to a crescendo:
If you have been raised with Christ... (v1)
Since you have experienced this powerful spiritual change in reality, this particular if isn't followed by a bunch of hypotheticals which may or may not happen, rather the if sets the conditions you must live by:
Seek the things that are above (v1)
Set your minds on things above (v2)
Put your indwelling sin to death (v5, 8)
Put on a lifestyle that reflects God (v12)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your life (v15)
Be thankful (v15)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you (v16)
Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (v17)
Mutually submit to those you're in relationship with (v18-22)
Dig Deeper
It becomes way too easy for us to tolerate little sins. In fact, we still hang on to the old latin word for 'little sins' - peccadillos. You may not be engaging in the major sins mentioned in v5, but don't be too quick to give yourself a pass on all of the peccadillos in your life. It says to PUT TO DEATH (harsh language!) whatever belongs to your earthly nature... both big sins and little ones.
The primary weapon you've been given for this lethal battle is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).
You're not told to just to have little bits and pieces of God's Word in your life. Verse 16 calls you to let the Word of Christ live richly in you. The richer your intake of God's Word is, the richer you will experience the peace of Christ (v15). So don't be cheap with your Bible intake!
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father, the one in whom our life is hidden (v3)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to strengthen you to set your heart and mind on things above (v1-2)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
