The New You: Live Who You Are

One of our ministers: Kurtis Massey preached on the following scripture a couple weeks ago. It tells us who we are and how we should be acting because of who we are.

Colossians 3:12 – 17 ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Believers are chosen by God! Deuteronomy 7: 6 says, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” And Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

He chose us for holiness. He sees us through the lens of His Son: Jesus Christ. We are His beloved. Ephesians 1:5 says, “In love He predestined us.”

So if we are going to be new in Christ we need to act like we are new. Keep putting on a heart of compassion. Compassion which causes you to act to help someone. When Jesus had compassion on us He became a man and died for us! We must also be kind, meek, patient and put other’s needs before our own.  We must forgive (whether they ask us to or not) and above all love.

Verses 15 – 17 tell us to let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts. He already gave it to us when we became believers, but we need to let it rule. And then let the Word of Christ richly dwell in us: forming us and overflowing in our life. Don’t hoard what you learn. Show it, share it and live it.

And lastly do everything in the name of Christ. In such a way that it will bring glory to Jesus.