In Christ, but Lived Out

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Since we have Jesus now living in us, we can live out our relationship with Him in ways that reflect His goodness, love, holiness, and grace.

That is what it means to walk with Jesus.

Instead of continuing to live like we did before we knew God, we can now live a changed life—like taking off old clothes and putting on the new. We live to reflect that we have become new creations in Jesus and shine as image bearers of our Creator.

What an amazing thought. If we have Jesus, we have everything. That’s the message of Colossians.

Remember: Apart from the mercy and kindness of Jesus, you are hopelessly lost. Only He can save you and make you right with God. If you trust Christ for salvation, it does not make any difference about your skin color. It does not matter what your status or bank account's balance. These things don’t mean anything when it comes to pleasing God.

And you will not find spiritual freedom in legalism or any other brand of man-made religion. It just will not add up. In Jesus, you will find all you need.

Think of it this way: God’s peace flows into our minds and acts as sort of an “umpire” of our competing thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, God’s Spirit rules in favor of those thoughts and emotions that are from the Lord and most honoring to Him.

By the way, none of this would be possible in our lives apart from the Word of God. The Word is living, powerful, and able to speak to us in the deepest and most life-changing ways (Hebrews 4:12).

The Word of God provides all the direction and wisdom we need to live and is a reliable source of encouragement to one another in our worship.

Everything we do should point to Jesus and bring about a desire in those we encounter to offer their praise to Him, too. And all we do should reflect a profound thankfulness to the Lord.

And when we do, guess who benefits the most? Our families. God has provided a way for us to relate to one another in our family relationships. God’s plan emphasizes the order of creation and promises a satisfying fulfillment in all relationships resulting from living in submission to Him.

Wives are to live in submission (or showing honor and respect) for their husbands, and husbands are to show a love for their wives that reflects the same depth and character of the love Christ showed for His church (Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:22-26).

As for children, they are to live in obedience to their parents while they are young. All the while, children should be able to count on their father and mother not to act harshly in ways that only cause frustration and confusion.

In short, everyone who follows Jesus, whatever their situation, ought to live in a way that honors Him.

1. How does the image of taking off dirty clothes help you think about the right ways to deal with sin?

2. What does it mean to have freedom from sin in your life?

3. How should holiness in your life show itself in your relationships with other people?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee's complete teachings on Colossians 3:6-12 and Colossians 3:12-25.