We’re going through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In my last post, we saw that we needed to clothe ourselves in the new man. In today’s, I want to show what these new “clothes” look like. But it will take me a couple of posts to get there.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12 NIV
But, before he shows us what these clothes look like, Paul tells us who we are. That’s important, because it explains who these clothes are fitted to. Paul explains three aspects of who we are in Christ.
First, he calls us God’s chosen people. I think that too often we overlook what this means. This says that I’m God’s special selection.
Sometimes, the problem is our church language. We say, “I accepted Christ.” or “When did you accept Christ?” While there’s nothing wrong with saying these things, there’s a chance that we miss the point.
Yes, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. But, at the same time, He accepted – selected – me for His own, treasured possession. Never lose sight of that. God wants you to be a part of His family.
Next, he says that we’re holy. We need to constantly be reminded of this. Holiness has a two-part meaning with us. At the start, it means that God has set us apart for His use. He has taken me out of the world and placed me in His kingdom.
My purpose has been transformed. I used to live for myself. Now, I’m set apart for the Lord’s will to be accomplished in me.
Then there’s the second part of this holiness. God took me out of the world, but some of that junk is still clinging to me. So, the Holy Spirit has an ongoing work of cleaning me to make me ready to fulfill the purpose for which God has chosen me.
So, I am holy, but I’m also being made holy. You will find both of those descriptions throughout Scripture. It’s up to us to participate with this process.
Finally, we’re called dearly loved. God loves us. We say that all the time, but do we really understand it?
This word for love is the Greek word, agape. I’ve talked about it before, but it bears repeating. This type of love has no emotion associated with it. It’s not about God feeling good about us.
This is a choice that God made. If you look at the Scriptures that use this word, you come to a conclusion. This type of love is a choice that’s made to actively participate in someone’s life for their good.
When I bowed my knee to Christ, God took it upon Himself to begin actively participating in my life. Whether I see it or not, God is working things out for my good.
From my perspective, I question it sometimes. Of course, I don’t see the whole picture the way the Lord does. However, when I look back, I can only say that God is faithful. His way is the best way.
This is who we are in Christ. It’s a work God has done and is doing in us. That’s the only reason I can fit in His new clothes for me. In my next post I’ll begin talking about these clothes in detail.
Question: How do you see yourself in Christ?
© 2024 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 