"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
What you think about is what you become in a sense. We are to purposely set our minds on Jesus.
Who are we?
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:1-2
By living for Christ we will stand out from the crowd. We are not to live like others. We should look like children of God.
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[a] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived." Colossians 3:5-7
We aren't told to ignore it or dismiss it. We are to Kill it. If we have a problem with something on this list, the Holy Spirit will convict us. And we need to obey. Jesus said if our eye causes to sin gouge it out -- better to enter heaven with one eye than go to hell fully intact. The world advertises and sells these things: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. The world celebrates this stuff.
Get rid of the old.
"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:8-10
Don't keep these traits: anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language hidden away to be used later. Get rid of them.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!"
2 Corinthians 5:17
We can't call ourselves Christians and just cover up problems.
Every day we have to make the choice to deny self.
"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Luke 9:23-24
Don't go along with the crowd. Refuse -- say 'But not me."
Do not open any door or allow any crack in your life where sin can come in. If we give part of our lives to sin and not Jesus we are not committed to Christ.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:11-14
Let this be who we are:
"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." Colossians 3:15-17
If you aren't doing it for Christ, you're doing it wrong. If you aren't doing it for Christ, why bother?
What you think about is what you become in a sense. We are to purposely set our minds on Jesus.
Who are we?
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:1-2
By living for Christ we will stand out from the crowd. We are not to live like others. We should look like children of God.
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[a] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived." Colossians 3:5-7
We aren't told to ignore it or dismiss it. We are to Kill it. If we have a problem with something on this list, the Holy Spirit will convict us. And we need to obey. Jesus said if our eye causes to sin gouge it out -- better to enter heaven with one eye than go to hell fully intact. The world advertises and sells these things: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. The world celebrates this stuff.
Get rid of the old.
"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:8-10
Don't keep these traits: anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language hidden away to be used later. Get rid of them.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!"
2 Corinthians 5:17
We can't call ourselves Christians and just cover up problems.
Every day we have to make the choice to deny self.
"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Luke 9:23-24
Don't go along with the crowd. Refuse -- say 'But not me."
Do not open any door or allow any crack in your life where sin can come in. If we give part of our lives to sin and not Jesus we are not committed to Christ.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:11-14
Let this be who we are:
"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." Colossians 3:15-17
If you aren't doing it for Christ, you're doing it wrong. If you aren't doing it for Christ, why bother?
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