1.21 blog

This week in the life of 1.21church, we are asking the God of Colossians 3:12-17 to teach us and help us “put on” then new man that we are in Jesus. Paul has just given a list of what we are to “kill” or “put off” because of the gospel. Now he is showing us the characteristics that we can now “put on” because we are God’s chosen people. Paul goes through a small list, explains how each of the characteristics comes from Jesus, and also how each should be natural effects from what Jesus has accomplished in his gospel. We can now be holy, compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, forgiving, and full of love (the one that holds all together.) This is an extremely difficult text for most because we do not make the cut when it comes to these characteristics. A lot of time our actions do not back what we say or even show how good we think we are. The good news that Paul gives us is for us to look to and trust in the One person that had all of these characteristics, Jesus. We can now allow that Jesus to change us. In the text we see Jesus as…

-the true Holy one whose life was always consecrated to God and His will. Even to the point of death, he refused to compromise his calling from God or the standards God had laid down for his life.

-Jesus is the true Compassionate one who not only looked past the ways people had wronged him, but instead helped them and prayed for them even as he was nailed to the cross.

-Jesus is the true Kind one who always took the time to help people with their problems and needs, whether they were great or small.

-Jesus is the true Humble one who, though he existed as God, rather than holding on to his privilege, took on the form of a servant and came to earth, where he gave up his life in shame for prideful people like you and me.

-Jesus is the true Patient one who dealt with his foolish, bickering disciples day and night for three years. And he is so patient with us daily.

-Jesus is the true Forgiver who wipes our slate clean at great cost to himself and then casts our sin behind his back, never thinking of it again.

-Jesus is the one that Displays Love, Is love, and Gives love. At the cross, we see love in its purest form: sacrifice and service. And because he has first loved us, now we too are able to love. We can only be this kind of person when we dwell deep on who he is and what he’s done, and then let that transform us. We can’t force it. We can’t try to accomplish it. Instead, it happens through us as we come to know Jesus. Paul is not telling us to be a better person. He is saying look to Jesus. Jesus personifies all of these qualities and his obedience is imputed in place of our failure. We are to put on these characteristics. We put on the new man, Jesus. It’s credited to us in justification, now we become it in progressive sanctification. He is our model, our motive, our source, and our security in all of this. Now as Christians we are allowed and commanded to go around and encourage our brothers and sisters by reminding them often of the gospel.

How has the Gospel changed your life?

Which characteristic that Paul listed do you struggle with the most and how does the gospel speak into your struggle?

post by: Pastor Stephen