Category Archives: Christian Life

THREE LET’S FOR LIFE – 3

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 3:16-17 NLT
[16] “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. [17] And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

Paul doesn’t state the third” let” in so many words but it’s there in essence. Let what comes out of our mouths be a true reflection of what’s inside.

Jesus made this principle clear to His disciples. It’s not what goes in but what comes out that reveals the condition of the heart.

Luke 6:45 NLT
[45] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

A heart made new by God’s grace will overflow with words of praise and gratitude. We must learn to regulate what comes out of our mouths by what we put in. It’s up to us to practise and make a habit of overflowing with words and attitudes that reflect our new nature. Our hearts are like computers. What we put in will come out.

There’s a joy inside of us, there’s new life in our hearts. Let it flow out in expressions of praise and gratitude. Let the message of Jesus first fill our hearts and then flow out of our mouths wherever we are, from the core of our being.

James questions the habit of some who overflow with good and evil words from one fountain. Is this possible? How can this be?

James 3:7-11 NLT
[7] “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, [8] but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. [9] Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [10] And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [11] Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?”

Does this mean that some who claim to be Christians are lying because of what flows from their lips?

God’s salvation does such a radical work on the inside, circumsising our hearts, cutting out the old desires and replacing them with God’s nature, that what is inside us must come out in new words. If there is little or no change, we must question the reality of such a claim. Did salvation really happen? Where is the evidence?

If God’s grace has really changed us on the inside, there will be clear evidence of that change in our lives. Christ’s peace, His message enshrined in His person and entwined in our behaviour, and our response of joyful praise and gratitude from our lips, all tell the story…otherwise, it’s all just plastic fruit we have used to decorate our “tree”. We must let these new habits happen, that is, deliberately and consciously put them into practice to cement the truth of what is in our hearts.

How beautifully Isaiah predicted that one day this great salvation would come to God’s people…and now it’s here!

Isaiah 12:1-6 NLT
[1] “In that day you will sing: “I will praise you, O Lord! You were angry with me, but not anymore. Now you comfort me. [2] See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” [3] With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! [4] In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! [5] Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. [6] Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

THREE LET’s FOR LIFE – 2

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 3:16 NIV
[16] “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

The second “let” is as fundamental as the first. You see, our entire lives, past, present, and future, rest on the message of Christ in all it’s richness. “Dwelling” means living, being at home, being comfortable in the environment of all the details of what Jesus did and how they affect us.

This is about letting Jesus be sovereign in every minute detail of our lives. If He is Lord, then He IS Lord.

There are many ways in which we express His sovereignty and live it out day by day. One way is to obey Him in everything. Another way is to encourage others to obey Him in everything. Yet another way is to be perpetually and unconditionally grateful to Him in every circumstance and situation, no matter what.

This is the message of Jesus
He is qualified to be Lord. The Father gave Him that honour because He did what He did.

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
[5] “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. [6] Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7] Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8] he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [9] Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This is the message of Jesus in all its richness that must live in us like the fuel that drives an emgine.

How do we “Let the message of Christ dwell among you?” I notice with interest that this translation says “dwell among you” rather than “dwell in you.” The Greek preposition “en” denotes a fixed position, “in”. Christ’s presence in us is fixed position. “En” can be translated “among” but it seems that a more accurate rendering is “in”.

What does this mean for us? It means that His message has become fixed in us. This message influences all our thoughts and behaviour so that His message also becomes fixed among us, teaching us how to treat one another.

As we internalise the life of Jesus by reading and believing, His life in us enables us to think and act increasingly like Him.

Jeremiah predicted that the new covenant with which God was to replace the old, had this provision in it.

Jeremiah 31:33 NLT
[33] “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

No longer would God’s Word just be laws and regulations written in a book. Now His Word would be woven into their lives because of their new nature, written on the pages of their hearts.

So, Paul says, let this new nature, so clearly portrayed in Jesus, and made real in us by His Spirit, be the controlling factor in our lives. Let’s allow our new nature to do it’s work just as we allow Christ’s peace to monitor and guide us along His path.

To be continued…

THREE LET’s FOR LIFE – 1

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 3:15-17 NLT
[15] “And LET the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace…”

When we look out at the world and what’ happening there, we see chaos, confusion, misery, and unhappiness as everyone, ruled by selfishness, clashes with everyone else in their world. Family members collide, communities collide, nations coliide, leaving a trail of brokenness and suffering.

Not so in God’s family!

Look what happens when we choose God’s perspective and fall in line with His thoughts and ways.

LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST

God has given us the reason and the ground rules of a new life in His family that works through love, humility, and mutual submission. His foundation is Jesus, the cornerstone of this “building” that holds everything together. He lives in us by His Spirit to make it happen.

When we play by the rules, God’s peace is the atmosphere of this family. So, not only is it His peace that monitors and referees the game of life we are in but is also the nature of the government of Jesus under which we live.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
[6] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE . [7] Of the greatness of HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

There it is! Jesus’ reign on earth will be a reign of eternal peace. Imagine that! He wants that for us all the time, even now in this unpredictable life.

So, we are encouraged, no, commanded to let…allow…the peace Jesus has provided for us in His salvation to govern our lives. How do we do that?

Paul said that this peace that gives us balance and enables us to stand firm in His truth, has two feet…

Ephesians 6:15 NIV
[15] “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

One foot is “peace with God” through faith in what Jesus did on the cross.

Romans 5:1-2 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

This “foot” of peace with God settles the issue of our sin. God has forever dealt with our sin which is, therefore, no longer an issue as long as we keep living by His Word.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
[6] “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And THE PEACE OF GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The other “foot” that provides stability and balance in our day-to-day lives is the peace of God. This peace is the outcome of a stubborn, resilient, unassailable trust in God no matter what happens. This peace settles the issue of life’s uncertainties.

How can we handle every blow that comes our way? How can we deal with the anxieties that plague us because of life’s unexpected troubles? Paul says that we must trade our anxieties for His peace. We do this by maintaining a transparent relationship with God. Be honest with Him. Tell Him how you feel. I call this “spilling your guts to God.”

Your honesty will never change His attitude towards you. He knows you before you said a word. So, tell Him the truth about everything, no matter how bad you feel.

Jesus left us the legacy of His peace before He died.

John 14:27 NIV
[27] “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Peace in our hearts spills over into peace in Christ’s body.

So, LET Jesus’s peace rule in your heart and in His family of which we are all a part.

After all it’s all about “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

To be continued…

A NEW WARDROBE

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
[12] “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. [13] Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. [14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Let’s go back, for a moment, into Israel’s history. Moses was in trouble or should I say, Israel was in trouble. They had hardly been in a covenant with God when they had slipped back into their old idolatrous ways. The first condition, in this covenant was “no other gods”. However, they persuaded Aaron to make them a god they could see and feel as a kind of representative of God, so they thought. God thought otherwise.

Exodus 32:9-10 NLT
[9] “Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. [10] Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

God was furious! They had very short memories! If this was the way they were going to treat His sacred pact with them, He was done! He was no longer obliged to keep His side of the covenant. Now they were on their own.

Moses was devastated! “You can’t do that, God. What about your promise to our ancestors?”

Exodus 32:13 NLT
[13] “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

Moses thought of a plan…

Not only did he persuade the Lord to continue leading His people to the Promised Land but he also requested something even greater…a personal revelation of God Himself. That was a bold and risky move but…he had a purpose.

Exodus 33:18 NLT
[18] “Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”

So God responded.

Exodus 34:5-7 NLT
[5]Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. [6] The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. [7] I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Moses got what he wanted, a revelation of God’s nature from His own mouth. Now he could appeal to God’s mercy to forgive Israel’s sin and continue to treat them as His own nation in covenant with Him.

Exodus 34:8-11 NLT
[8]”Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. [9] And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.” [10] The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. [11] But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”

David, in his matchless Psalm 103, revelled in this revelation of God’s glory in his own experience.

Psalms 103:2, 7-11 NLT
[2]”Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me…
[7] He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. [8] The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. [9] He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. [10] He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. [11] For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”

This revelation of God’s glory, who He is, so graciously given to Moses in the face of Israel’s dismal failure, forms the foundation of all our dealings with one another in the New Covenant. It was this God, gracious and compassionate, who sent His Son to be our substitute and to take His wrath against sin for us.

God’s plan was to recreate a species of people, redeemed from their old sinful lives, to be a family of sons and daughters just like His own Son. He did everything necessary to achieve His purpose. “Now,” He says, “you have all the equipment you need to become like my Son.”

Paul takes the attributes of God, revealed to Moses and experienced by David, and weaves them into His requirements for us as the foundation and reason for the way we treat one another in our new identity as His sons and daughters. If God is like this to us, then we must treat each other in the same way.

God forgave…we must forgive. God is compassionate and merciful to us…we must be the same to one another.

“Humble, gentle, kind, and patient” is the way Jesus lived His life on earth. Love is the outer garment that covers all the little issues that can spoil our fellowship with the Father and with one another. Now we can be the same as Jesus because He is in us by his Spirit. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

So, Paul says, “Go ahead! Put them on and wear them every day.” We have a clear picture of our new set of clothing when we look at Jesus.

To complete this outfit, Paul adds another two dimensions to our new lives…peace and gratitude.

God’s peace, the tranquility of heart unaffected by circumstances or by the devil’s efforts to accuse and condemn us as we live by God’s truth, holds us steady on course. His peace in our hearts, a legacy from Jesus, acts like a referee in a sports game. Break the rules and the ref blows the whistle. Stop the game; correct the problem; then continue.

So it is in life. When we wander off the path, we lose our peace. Stop! Find the place where we left the path. Put it right. God’s peace returns. We have a reliable monitor that helps us stay on track.

The second ingredient, gratitude! A thankful, praising heart is the other powerful way to guide us as we navigate life with its hardships and challenges. A sure way to get God’s disapproval is to grumble and complain. God does not condone ingratitude because it reveals our distrust of His goodness. By contrast, gratitude says, “I don’t care what happens. I believe that God is good, all the time.”

Paul’s teaching about who Jesus is and what He has done for us and in us, is the solid foundation on which to build the structure of our lives. It’s the building material that won’t burn in the flames of God’s judgment.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NLT
[11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ… [12] Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13] But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. [14] If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. [15] But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”

So, dear brothers and sisters, armed with the truth, let’s build lives of love by putting on the clothes provided in the gospel. When we do that, we are assured of a place in God’s kingdom, not because of any good works but because of our faith in and obedience to Jesus as Lord.

CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 3:5, 7, 10 NLT
[5] “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world….
[7] You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world…
[10] Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

Change your clothes! You used to wear selfishness as your garment of choice. You used to pander to every desire of your evil nature. Now you have a new nature. Christ lives in you, and He has a change of clothing for you…righteousness, His gift to those who believe in Him.

Your old clothing reflected who you were, self-aware and self-absorbed.

Colossians 3:7-9 NLT
[7] “You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. [8] But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. [9] Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.”

You have a new nature now. Wear the garments of righteousness that show who you are.

“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

What does it mean to “put off” and “put on”?

The theory of salvation, all that God has done through Jesus before the beginning of time, must have a counterpart, actively responding by faith to the promise of transformatiom. The Bible says, God has done everything to bring you back into fellowship with Him. Your part is to believe and live out what God has done.

David understood the process.

Psalms 116:12-13 NIV
[12] “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? [13] I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”

Living out means refusing to do, saying no to what our old nature demanded. “Putting off” means choosing not to lie, steal, or act in any way that reflects who you used to be. It’s deliberately discarding the old “clothes” of sin.

Jesus made this possible by forgiving our sin and putting His own nature in us.

“Putting on”, means choosing to live out His nature in us. Love is the wrapping in which this gift of righteousness comes to us. Every thought and action that expresses His love is the “clothing” we now wear.

Why is it imperative that we change our clothes? We must live out the righteousness Jesus gave us as a witness to the transformation the Holy Spirit is working in us. This is the only evidence that we have that we have been supernaturally born into God’s kingdom.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Not to put to death, not to put off the old clothes of the flesh is to deny that we are God’s children. The evidence that we are members of His family is real only as we are being recreated in the image of our Creator.

Colossians 3:10 NLT
[10]”Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

The tragedy is that many people think that answering an altar call or praying the “sinner’s prayer” is evidence of their salvation. It doesn’t work that way. The real evidence is a transformed life through the work of the Holy Spirit in them.

Remember, Paul is writing to ex-pagans who were right up there with the best of them when it came to living out their old nature.

Colossians 3:7 NLT
[7] “You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.”

Paul urges them to understand that they are now part of a new species, not just participants in another religion. They are a new creation in Christ Jesus, citizens of a new realm, members of a new family made up of transformed people from every group on earth.

Galatians 3:27-28 NLT
[27] “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. [28] There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:11 NLT
[11] “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

This union with Jesus cut us loose from living the old way. Jesus gave us the power to say “No,” and make “no” happen.

1 John 3:9-10 NIV
[9] “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. [10] This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

So, let’s live out who we are, in the power of the who is in us by His Spirit, Christ in us, the hope of glory.