Disciplined Living in Christ

Faith in Action

The Early Church Proclaims Faith in Christ

Faith to Unite

Colossians 3:1-11 The Message

He Is Your Life

3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

For Reflection

How disciplined are you about your Christian faith?  Do you believe in God? Do you trust God?  Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Have you studied the Scriptures? Do you look for signs of God in your everyday activity? Do you participate in your faith?  Have you taken a stand on the side of your faith when confronted by a dilemma? Have your actions expressed the love of God and God's universe? Do you forgive as God has forgiven you? Have you supported the equitable distribution of God's resources? Have you treated others justly and stood on the side of Justice?  Have you been a peacemaker? Have you found rest in your faith?

Have I? Well, let's just say I work to do better and I am comforted by the knowledge that God understands and does not hold my imperfections against me.
  

Pray

Thank God for the freedom to become what God has intended you to become.  Thank God for showing all of us what it means to act out of love and not out of self-interest alone. Thank God for the opportunities to serve God and each other.  Thank God for showing us the way through the sacrifice of God's son.  THANK GOD!


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