Living the New Life

Colossians 3: 1- 17

Paul's letter to the Colossians was written to the church at Colossae, a town in Asia Minor east of Ephesus. Paul wrote to emphasize that through Christ, God created the world and through him he is bringing it back to himself and that only in union with Christ is their hope of salvation for the world.

What does living a new life mean to a believer? It means you have been raised to a new life with Christ, you should set your sights on the realities of heaven, and not let your thoughts be only about things on earth but let heaven fill your thoughts.

What did Paul mean when he said you have been raised to a new life with Christ?

When Jesus died on the cross, he made himself to be sin for us so that we could be made right with God. Christ died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them (2 Corinthians 5:15).

When we accept Jesus into our hearts as our lord and personal saviour, we become new persons. We are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.'' 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. The best way to live this new life is to abstain from worldly vices which Paul listed in Colossians 3: 5-9, they are;

Fornication: Voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.
Uncleanness: Morally impure, evil; vile: unclean thoughts
Inordinate affection: An unhealthy and obsessive attachment to a person or thing that manifests through uncontrollable “love”.
Evil concupiscence: Lust, evil desire
Covetousness: Having a very strong desire to have something that someone else has.
Anger: Is a strong feeling of wanting to hurt or criticize someone because they have done something bad to you or been unkind to you.
Wrath: Extreme anger
Malice: A desire to harm someone because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness.
Blasphemy: Something you say or do that is insulting to God or people's religious beliefs.
Filthy communication: Profanity and cussing, abusive and disrespectful language.
Lies: To deliberately tell someone something that is not true.

How Do You Abstain From These Vices?

You can strip off the old nature; the flesh which naturally is inclined to sin, and in its place you clothe yourself with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more about Christ who created this new nature within you (Colossians 3: 9-10)

"...seeing that you ye have put off the old man with his deeds. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Colossians 3: 9-10 (KJV)

In this new life, it doesn't matter where you come from, your race, colour, or background does not matter. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

You clothe yourself with a brand new nature when you clothe yourself with the following;

Bowels of mercies: Tenderhearted mercy, compassionate or kindly forbearance towards an offender, an enemy, or another person in one's power. Choosing to forgive or to be kind to someone who you have power to hurt or punish.
Kindness: Saying or doing things that show that you care about other people and want to help them or make them happy.
Humbleness of mind: Not proud or arrogant. Not considering yourself or your ideas to be as important as other people's.
Meekness: Very quiet in nature and gentle and unwilling to argue with people. A teachable spirit.
Long-suffering: Enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently.
Charity: This is the most important piece of clothing you must wear, and that is love. Love is what binds us in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14. It is Christian love; agape. Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return.

How do You live This New Life?

The new life in Christ s full of peace and grace. It is living a life of victory, being confident in the knowledge that heaven is the goal, that you are saved through faith and you are loved by God.

But be reminded that temptation will come, some vices will seem almost impossible to abstain from. You may find yourself drifting to old habits. But do not be discouraged. Paul listed a few things you need in order to secure this new nature in Christ (Colossians 3: 15-17).

The Peace from Christ: Let the peace from Christ rule in your heart. You have been called to live in peace, always be thankful.
The Word of Christ: Let the words of Christ, in all their richness live in your heart and make you wise. Use the teachings of Jesus to teach and counsel each other.
A lifestyle of Praise & Worship: Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Let whatever you do or say be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please help me put off the old man and his deeds and put on the new nature within me. Let my thoughts be centered on heaven and help me to live a life of praise as your representative in Jesus Name.