Live Your New Life IN Christ (Colossians 3:1-11)
Gary McManus, 04/26/2015Part of the New Life series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
The Third Sunday After Easter
OUR new life in Christ. . .
Jesus' resurrection is about life in ABUNDANCE.
We don't know how to live a new life.
Why? Because it IS new.
We don't live our new life like our old life.
Why would we?
The Greek (Turkey/ Phrygian) town of Colossae
has Colossians in it!
[The book of Acts mentions Paul's activity in
Phrygia; Acts 16:6, 18:23.]
Colossians were also pagans: pagan Gods,
probably Greek, Roman, and local Gods.
[Check your own references on Timothy and
Epaphras with Paul and and in Colossae.]
Confusion in the church! But what kind?
It was probably a pagan (old life) influence.
(Colossians 2:8) So Paul reminds them (Col. 2:6-7)
(Col 2:9-15) Paul says plainly and clearly-new life
in Christ is NOT about what you eat and drink or
when you celebrate a festival or a Sabbath or angels.
Paul asks directly (vs 21): why do you submit to
[its] rules?
Paul re-emphasizes for the church people. . .
you died with Christ, . .live in Christ (2:6-7).
Rules? Alcohol is a good example.
Take finances. . .
Tithing may grow out of your relationship
with Jesus; tithing doesn't make you related
to Jesus.
New life flows from Jesus.
Doing the right thing flows from being
a new creation in Jesus Christ.
[Col. 1:15-20, 2:6-7]
[Philippians 2:12. Paul will tell the Phillipians
they are UNITED in Christ. . .that they can be
like minded with Christ and that is how they
can have compassion. Compassion is not a goal;
compassion is a by-product of our relationship with Jesus.]
Another reminder with regard to rules and living by the rules:
"Legalism says God will love us if we change.
The gospel says God will change us because He loves us."
-Billy Graham's grandson― Tullian Tchividjian
God's love through Jesus. . .was so radical
that those who heard it were changed and transformed;
tax collectors, zealots, prostitutes, the demon possessed.
It isn't any different today. WE can have a new life in
Christ if we will LIVE in Christ.
One more way to talk about it:
membership is NOT enrollment or enlistement.
--not in the New Testament.
Members are living things, living parts of a bigger whole.
Paul means like your arm, your leg, your hair.
Jesus used the terms branch and vine.
We are growing out of Jesus. . the church is growing together.
Better words may be EMBEDDED or ENCODED.
Since we are in Christ, then we are to live in Christ (2:6-7)
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