The Book of Colossians: Is Jesus Enough?Sample

Is Jesus enough for your character?

I’ve heard the story of an art collector who purchased a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. He pretty much rearranged his life around that painting because of its value and the importance it held for him. We’re not very different from that art collector. We tend to reorder our lives around whatever is at the center of them, and if Jesus is at the center of our lives, our lives begin to look very different.

In Colossae, in Paul’s day, the Greek, Roman, and Eastern religions said little or nothing about personal transformation or holiness. It was expected and acceptable for people to bring their sacrifices, say their temple prayers, and then go away and live debauched lives. It seems no one thought this was hypocritical. There was no life-change response necessary to religious belief. Paul challenges this, saying, “Not so in Christ!” New life inwardly compels a new life outwardly. In Colossians 3:1–10, Paul explains that when Jesus becomes the center of your life, your life simply can’t stay the same. Everything you are and do changes and begins to align with God’s Kingdom. Your earthly practice becomes worthy of your heavenly position.

As we saw yesterday, the gospel is not primarily transactional, but relational. Professor Darrel Bock explains that our response to the good news of Jesus isn’t momentary. Rather, it’s a lifelong response, and our response is threefold: repent (rethink the way you relate to God, because of what Jesus has done), believe (embrace and put your full trust in Jesus and all He’s done), and turn (orient the direction of your life toward Jesus). Paul describes this kind of character transformation as a “putting off” of the old self, and a “putting on” of the new self (Colossians 3:9–10). This is not clench-your-teeth moralism. This is a long-haul, Spirit-empowered, mind-renewing response to the grace of God in Jesus. Our lives begin to be characterized by humility and joy because focusing on Jesus makes us less hung up on ourselves.

Take a moment to remind yourself that this lifelong response to the gospel means a change in the trajectory of your hopes, desires, finances, sexuality, convictions, relationships, and vocation. You’re not managing your outward image. Rather, you’re responding daily, and over the decades of your life, to the grace and truth of Jesus, the be-all and end-all. Jesus truly is enough for your character.