I greet thee who my sure redeemer art
Christ whose glory fills the skies
All yet hat fear God's holy name
Lead me Lord, in thy righteousness
We praise the o God, our redeemer
Blest be the tie that binds
From all that dwell below the skies
Scripture : Colossians 3:1-17
[5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
[12] Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [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. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:1-17 ESV)
Just as people fail to see the practice that goes into making a God professional athlete, people fail to realize that acts of faith take deliberate cultivation as well.
So a person with easy hospitality has cultivated that skills.... Just as Tiger Woods cultivated his golfing skills.
As you come to know Jesus you come to know your sin more and more. You see things more clearly within yourself.
Just as we take off the old we must strive to put on what is new. We need to do some replacement work and it's a daily activity.
We mustn't look at things the world does, seeing all those external things but instead seeing the things that Christ would have us see. Not nationality, colour or background.
God constantly works in us and through us to make us more like Christ.
So put on then
- Compassionate hearts
- Kindness
- Humility
- Meekness
- Patience
- Forbearance with each other
- Forgiveness as Christ forgives
- Love
- Letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
- Be thankful
- Teaching
- Admonishing
- Singing
- Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus
See the example of the disciples how often Jesus taught the the same stuff and they just didn't get but Jesus never gave up on them. He doesn't give up on us either. He teaches us over and over. He patiently helps us and teaches us.
All this is done within a community.... It can't be done separately. We work out our salvation. We grow into God's knowledge within his community. We must forebear with each other, we must forgive each other. Just as Christ forgives you.
All this is bound up in love. God loves me. So I can love others.
Loving as God loves will bring us peace. God gives us that peace because now I am no longer an enemy. He gives me peace so now I must live in that peace.
The more as a people of God we live this way, the more people will see Christ in us. The more Jesus will be seen.