Living in the Reality of Who We are in Christ

Sometimes I struggle with staying focused – wandering thoughts, distracted thinking, things that go on in life that cause a measure of trouble keeping me on track with the Lord.  I think, and I guess hope, that I’m not alone in this struggle against the flesh and the world around me.

Recently the Lord spoke to me out of Colossians chapter 3, and verses 1-11 (from the Christian Standard Bible)…

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.  But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

This is such a powerful passage for me, and for most of us that belong to Christ!  It speaks loudly to the things of the flesh we struggle with, and that the enemy uses to tempt us.

On the fleshly side we still struggle with impurities and evil desires that are contrary to God’s will and design for us, and who we are now in Christ.  It may vary in severity from believer to believer, but we all have some level of struggle with the old nature.  All of this is rooted in us not living out the truth of who we really are – in Christ.

By faith in Christ I have, believers in Christ have, died and been raised to a life that is now hidden with Christ in the Lord.  THAT is who we are, who I really am.  It is a spiritual reality that comes from the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ that we share with Him.

So now, we should seek things that are above, from the Lord, not of this world that is passing away.  By my choice, our choices, we must decide to put to death all those ungodly and impure thoughts, and put away those attitudes and ask God to cleanse our hearts and minds and mouths.  And while I am not capable of making that happen, I can and do yield myself to the Lord – who is capable.

I really do want to come to the place that Christ really is all, and in all, in me!  I would hope that is the desire of all who really know Christ.  But there is more from this passage and message to us about the “how” of all this.  While my spiritual freedom is from Christ and absolute because of Him, not me – there are still things I/we must choose in order to experience all of this in our living.  There are action words here for me/us to choose…

  • Set my mind – the intentional act of making things above my focus and to guide my living;
  • Put to death – the decision to not gratify the things of the flesh, to make them dead to me;
  • Put away – the choice of responding to life, and anything that does’t happen like I want, with faith, hope and joy, rather than carnal despair or anger;
  • Put off – to consciously get rid of those things that belong to the flesh and the world;
  • Put on – to consciously clothe myself with the newness of Christ, to put Him on – His character, integrity and purity.

 

Lord, help us to “get” what you have already done as Your part, what You have already done in us by our faith in Christ, and given us by placing Your Spirit within us – the freedom that is ours in Him.  And then, help us by Your Spirit to choose the actions and attitudes that cause us to experience Your work through us day by day!  Give us strength and wisdom to do what only we can choose to do – choose to allow You to have complete control!

By the Word and Your Spirit keep us focused on You and Your plan for our lives!