SCRIPTURE: COLOSSIANS 3
MEMORY VERSES:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14)
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3:25)
RULES FOR HOLY LIVING (vs. 1-17)
- Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (v. 2)
- Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed and idolatry. (v. 5)
- Rid yourselves of all these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. (v. 8)
- Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self and put on the new self. (v. 9)
- There is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian Scythian, slave or free but Christ is all, and is in all. (v. 11)
- Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (v. 12)
- Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (v. 13)
- Put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. (v. 14)
- Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful. (v. 15)
- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. (v. 16a)
- Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (v. 16b)
- Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (v. 17)
RULES FOR CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLDS (vs. 18-25)
- Wife must submit to her husband. (v. 18)
- Husband must love his wife and not be harsh with her.
- Children must obey their parents in everything. (v. 20)
- Father must not embitter his children. (v. 21)
- Slaves must obey his earthly master in everything; He must do things with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. (v. 22)
- Do everything with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men. (v. 23)
- Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong. (v. 25)
THOUGHTS:
Paul explained that true Christian behavior involves putting on the new self by accepting Christ, putting aside earthly matters and letting him live within us so that He can shape us into what we should be. We should fill our thoughts with heaven so that we can concentrate on the eternal instead of the temporal. We will be looking at our life from God’s perspective and seeking what he desires. As we live for Christ now, he will give us hope for the future.
To clothe yourself with a brand new nature means that your conduct should match your faith. To be a Christian means to act like Christ. This is a lifelong continuing process which we should continue to learn and obey. It takes patience, concentration and practice to find the rich treasure of growing in Him.
The key to forgive others is to remember how much God has forgiven you. Realizing God’s infinite love and forgiveness can help you to forgive and love others. All the virtues that Paul encourages us to develop are bound together by love. Love is the fundamental key to lead us live in peace and joy.
As a Christian, you represent Christ in every aspect and activity of daily living. So whatever you do or say, you must bring honor to Christ. Are you giving a good impression to the people in association with you?
Paul gave 3 sets of household rules: (1)-Husband and wife; (2)-Parents and children, and (3)-Slave and master. Each has a mutual responsibility to submit and love, to obey and encourage, to work hard and be fair. Let us examine ourselves so that we can improve our family and work relationship.