Be Careful Church, The World Is Watching You

How much do we really care about what the world sees in God's people?

Colossians 4:5-6  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

6  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

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The world is hungry and thirsty for something, they look all around and try different avenues to find peace and a reason for life, it doesn't know what the answer is. As they try and figure out what is missing from their life and how they can get it most of them will consider the church as an option, that sounds like a good idea but the problem is that they have a lot of options and some of the options can look a lot better than God's people do.

Living with integrity is so important for the Christ follower, the world is watching us to see what we believe, they know that if we really believe the teachings of Jesus then we will live the way that he told us to live. They judge Jesus and decide if he is valuable for them by looking at the life of his people, the world judges religion and it's worth, not from preaching, or from books, but from what they see in the daily walk and conversation of the people that say that they believe. They understand enough about our religion that they can tell when we are not living it out.

Honesty and integrity are more important than your churches mission statement and your devout church attendance and strict observance of religious ceremonies, your daily prayer time and the amount of knowledge that you have of the Bible have no value unless you have an upright life.

I am an ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!"

If you are going to talk to somebody about the value of Christ in your life then you better represent him well. If you want to talk about Christ forgiveness then you better forgive the people that have wronged you. If you want to talk about the awesome love that God has for you then you better be loving like Jesus did.

With the modern conveniences that we have available, the size of the world has shrunk down and we can easily see people from around the world, the idea of an ambassador isn't as meaningful to us as it was in the past. When an ambassador went to a foreign country he was probably one of a few that those people had ever seen from that country and as their official representative he was expected to accurately depict what kind of people that they were back in his country and what they believed.

The world is looking at me to see what kind of kingdom Jesus has and what his people believe, I am the only Jesus that the world can put their eyes on, I need to be an ambassador that truly represents my Lord.

Christ Gave Us A New Nature

Putting on your new nature is like putting on new clothes.

Colossians 3:10-17  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.  11  In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.   

12  Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  13  Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  14  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  15  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  17  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

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It is difficult to imagine what life would be like as a slave and to live without freedom to make your own decisions. God didn't create man to live that way, he had every right to, he could have created us so that we had no choice but to do things exactly the way that he says that they should be done, after-all his way is the right way.

The Bible tells us to become like him, we are told to clothe ourselves with the character traits that will help us do that, which outfit will you put on? Will you wear your old clothes of selfishness, envy and greed or will you put on the bright new clothes that Jesus put in your closet?

You get to decide what to wear, it is your choice to do things God's way and to take on the characteristics that please him, God doesn't force himself on us. God and Jesus have given us instructions on how to live a rewarding and fulfilling life, they have told us what the best way is but we don't have to live that way, we get to make our own decisions.

It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what your past looks like or where you come from or who your parents are, we all have the same opportunity to make the choice to live to please him. We all get to decide whether Christ is all that matters or if we are going to continue to live to please ourselves.

Jesus is our example

1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

Have you every wondered why Jesus spent thirty-three years on this planet if he really only came so that he could be crucified for our sins? Couldn't he have come down and been killed a lot faster and paid the price for my freedom?

Jesus didn't only come to save me from my sins but he also came so that he could show me a new lifestyle. Jesus was the perfect example , he showed me what it looks like to live with mercy, humility, gentleness, and patience. Jesus showed me how to suffer and how to forgive those that are responsible for your suffering.

Stop Playing With Sin

We need to kill off the lusts of the flesh and the love of the world.

Colossians 3:5-9  So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6  Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.  7  You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.   

8  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.  9  Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

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It is time to take action, those old ways of living need to go, if you are a Christ follower then you should realize that you can't follow him very far unless you agree with him about which direction that you are going in. Too often we try to keep one foot in the mud on the old path of sin and try to reach the straight and narrow path with the other foot.

We have to decide that our old sinful ways are holding us down and they are not worth carrying around anymore. It takes a deliberate act of obedience to combat our old sin nature, too many times we don't make up our minds about sin, we need to agree with what God says about our sin and get rid of them. My will and my desires for my lifestyle should come into alignment with what God says about my desires and my lifestyle.

Nail your old sin nature to the cross

Galatians 5:16, 24-25 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

It is sad that so many people that claim to be Christ followers don't seem to be following, instead of behaving like he would, they are holding on to the lusts of the flesh and the love of the world. God wants us to get serious with about the way that we behave and the things that we think.

God knows that we can't do it on our own, we have been living in the way that comes natural to us, we will need to have help from the Holy Spirit to overcome our natural tendencies. That is the work that the Holy Spirit does if we submit to him and give him control, with his help you can take on a new way of life successfully.

When the Holy Spirit is in control I can be sure that I am on the way down the right path, he will help me to overcome my natural human tendencies, my walk with God will not be complete without my submission to his guidance. 

Thank you Lord for the assistance from the Holy Spirit that helps me to live to please you.

I Am Dying To Have A New Life

Death is a beautiful thing in God's eyes.

Colossians 2:12  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 3:1-4  Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.  2  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  

3  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  4  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.

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Most of us like babies, seeing a new life is exciting, it doesn't matter if it is a new addition to the human race or if it is a new addition to the animal kingdom, we all like a new life. We usually get anxious as the due date gets closer and we try and see the baby as soon as possible.

There is so much potential with new life but as the years go by the new wears off and we see how imperfect the new creation turned out to be, this could make us wish for a do over so that we could change some things. You may feel like you are stuck with a life that isn't much to celebrate. There is a solution to the problem, it is so simple, the Bible tells us that all we have to do is die.

We see death as such an ugly thing, it brings sadness and heartbreak, but God sees death from a different point of view. God asked his Son to die and he also wants us to die. The biggest game changer ever came about because of death, God used something so ugly to make something so beautiful for our benefit.

Jesus died to give me a new life

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17  Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.  15  He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

I can start a new life with God in control, Jesus death provides the do over that many of us have longed for, we have the chance to start again. I can no longer live for myself, I must live my life with my sights set on the things of heaven, I must allow God to have control.

If I have my world view shaped by what the Bible teaches me is important then I will live a life that matters and I will live the most beautiful life possible. Striving for holiness and running from wicked worldly pleasures should be my standard operating procedure. The Bible makes it clear that if you are a child of God then your life will be a new creation that has been transformed through Christ. If your life still looks like the rest of the world then maybe you have never become a child of God.

I am so thankful that I have a new life in Christ, I am not perfect but thanks to Christ and the new life that he gives, I can never be the same again. I have a new way of thinking, a new world view and a Savior that did so much for me that I can never go back to living by the worlds philosophy.

Christ + Nothing = Everything

God doesn't need me to do anything else to earn grace.

Colossians 2:11-15 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Colossians 2:20-23 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. 

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Could anything be added to Christ work in the new believer? What else could I do that would make me more worthy of God's saving grace?

My achievements and following of the rules are no good, I am already in the family through Christ work and I cannot add anything of value to the work that Jesus has done. What a relief! My old life and the pressure of trying to be good enough are over, I couldn't possibly be good enough or worthy of Jesus sacrifice, I have been set free.

The Jews and the Gentiles that were converted in the church of Colossae were being told that they needed to follow the law or some other set of religious rules. Other religions had these rules and the Jews had strict rules in the Old Testament so it was easy to think that this teaching was correct.

Not so after Jesus came, he made a way to God that wasn't based on performance, Jesus went against the logic of man that said that you have to do something to be forgiven and you must be a certain way in order to have a pleasant after-life. I have been liberated from worldly rules and I don't have to worry about judgement.

A rigorous devotion to Christ can be seen as a means to obtain God's grace, while spiritual discipline is a good thing, we must keep our focus on the reason that we are motivated to the disciplines. Are we trying to become more like Christ because his is the best way of living or are we still trying to obtain what has already been given to us for free?

Rule keeping is usually an illusion

Matthew 23:27-28  "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity.  28  Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Spiritual disciple was a way of life for the religious leaders of Jesus day, few people could claim to be as disciplined as they were and yet they totally missed the point, all of their rule keeping was just an illusion. They believed that they were better off than the common people and that they deserved to be in heaven someday because of their own good deeds but Jesus told them that they could never do enough to earn salvation.

I must live in a manner that pleases my Savior, his way of life is far superior to the way of this world, but I can't allow myself to think that successfully adhering to spiritual discipline makes me any better or more worthy of grace.

Related articles

• Faith + Nothing = Salvation (christianitymatters.com)

Grow In Christ

Putting your roots down deep in Jesus.

Colossians 2:6-8  And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.

7  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8  Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

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Difficult times are guaranteed for any Christ follower. After you have become a Child of God the devil knows that he cannot have you, but he does know that he needs to keep you from realizing your full potential in Christ and he wants to stop you from being an effective disciple maker. You made a decision to follow Christ and if you are like so many other Christ followers then you too will be tempted to do something that he just can't stand; you just might help create another Christ follower. The devil can't let that possibility go unchallenged.

There will be "new" teachings that will try and trick you and uproot your faith. The best way to safeguard against the winds of the latest philosophies that blow in is to have a deep root system that will keep you anchored. (John 15:4, Ephesians 4:14-15)

Psalms 1:1-4  Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

The advantages of being a Godly man are seen in the beginning of the book of Psalms. The Godly man is to be different in his thoughts and his behavior.

The Godly man's life finds strength and nourishment in the Bible, he puts his roots down deep into the word and enjoys a stability and fruitful life that the wicked can only dream of. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Timothy 4:8)

If we realize that these false teachings come from spiritual forces that we cannot stand against on our own then we should also realize that we cannot survive without the help that comes from having our roots planted by the source of nourishment that will keep until the day of Christ return. (Ephesians 6:12)

I must spend time with God everyday so that I can live with authenticity, spending time with him is the only way to keep on track and living without compromise.

Everybody Is So Busy

Are we busy doing anything that matters?

Colossians 1:24-29  I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.

26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

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Have you ever thought about how the gospel message got out of the small geographic area that Jesus worked in to become know all across the globe? After his three years of ministry, Jesus hadn't traveled very far from home, the events of his life would have been on the local nightly news but the major networks would have never covered him.

The only reason that the gospel got away from Jerusalem and spread around the world is the result of men that could say that they were glad to work for Jesus and his church despite having to suffer a lot of hardships and physical abuse. The Apostle Paul was such a man, he went through a lot, yet he tells us that he is happy to serve and to participate in the suffering that has come his way.

We are busy people and we are probably seldom as thrilled to serve as Paul was. All of our work and our pursuits are usually focused on ourselves. Paul tells us that we have a job that is way more important, we have a responsibility to warn everyone so that they will have the opportunity to be ready for Christ return.

We are powerful people

Ephesians 1:19-20 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

We have a job to do and we have an incredible power source to help us, a source that goes virtually untapped by the average believer today. The early believers and the apostles used the power to get awesome results despite their persecution.

As a Christ follower in the United States with all of the freedoms and protection that goes along with it I must admit that I do not use the mighty power that God provides to do his work. I also must admit that I do not work as much or with the passion that the early believers did. If the early believers worked as hard as I do then the message of Jesus would have never gotten out of Jerusalem to reach the uttermost parts of the earth.

Lord, I want to be busy doing things that really matter, I am too comfortable and I need a passion to rise up in me to do your work.

Related articles

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• Be A Servant (devotionsfordisciples.com)
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Jesus Is First

I am second, hmm... no, actually maybe third.

Colossians 1:15-19  Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,  16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him.  17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything. 19 For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

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It is important to have the proper point of view of Jesus, he isn't somebody that God invented to help us out, we need to know that Jesus is God himself. Some modern day religions try to say that Jesus was an angel or that God birthed a Son through the virgin Mary but the Bible is clear that Jesus is God as part of the trinity and Jesus was always with God and even participated in creation.

Jesus is Lord of creation

Jesus told us that he is God, other people told us that Jesus is God, even the demons acknowledged that Jesus was God, but in case you didn't get it Paul tells us again about who Jesus is. The invisible God is made known to us through Jesus, the Bible is clear that Jesus is not an angelic being, he is part of the trinity.

Jesus was a part of creation, everything that we can see and even the things in the spirit world that are invisible to us, it was all made through him and for his glory. He is the source of everything and he is in control of everything seen and unseen.

Jesus is Lord of the new creation

Jesus is not only the source of the physical creation, because of his resurrection from the dead, he is also the beginning of a new creation, the church. The church is his body of believers that have peace with God through Christ payment for our sin debt. Jesus blood made our relationship with God right again and now I can live in perfect harmony with him forever.

Jesus is Lord of my life

Philippians 2:3-7  Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges.

It is amazing how we think that life is all about ourselves. Our culture tells us to look out for number one and get every good thing that you can get your hands on, after-all, you deserve it. That kind of attitude will keep us focused on ourselves which is something that the Bible doesn't allow us to do.

Since Jesus, who was God, was humble and took on the attitude of a servant, he never looked out for his rights, then how can I have a selfish attitude? How dare I say that I am too good to help somebody or how dare I say that I deserve to have this or that.

I have already been treated way better than I deserve, I need to follow God's example and put others ahead of myself, I need to love God first then others so that the spotlight isn't on me.

Help me to live by your example Lord.

Did You Hear The Good News?

This good news of God's grace is life changing.

Colossians 1:4-6  For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people,  5  which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

6  This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace.

Colossians 1:13-14  For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son,  14  who purchased our freedom [with His blood] and forgave our sins.

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Maybe you have not heard the good news, good news travels fast, but there are still plenty of people that don't know about it. The good news is that you can switch neighborhoods! When you die, you don't have to reside in the kingdom of darkness, we have access to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins so that my sins can be forgiven so that i can spend eternity with him.

Maybe you have already heard the good news but maybe you need to be reminded just how good the good news is. Do you realize the dreadful condition that you were in? Jesus put an end to the despair and he has given us "confident hope." Paul calls it a "confident hope" because we are not wishing on a star, this hope that we have is a sure thing for those that know the good news.

God's kingdom is built on grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

God's grace changes lives everywhere it goes, everybody that it touches should be a lot different than the rest of the world, the fact that the most important relationship in our life has been repaired should give us peace beyond what the world has to offer.

My life has been changed by grace, it has changed the way that I live, God's grace came at a high price and I should not live my life for my own desires and satisfaction. The way that I treat others and the way that I use my resources should be affected by my understanding of the gospel.

Related articles

• Easy Faith And Great Faith (tillhecomes.org)
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Praying Often And Praying Well

Praying in the Bible looks a lot different than how I pray.

Colossians 1:3  We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:9-12  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,  12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.

Colossians 4:2-4  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  3  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.  4  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

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The average Christ follower in America probably doesn't spend enough time in prayer and then when we finally do pray it is usually very weak or selfish. We say that prayer is important but do we really believe it? We prove how important we think it is by how often we actually pray.

The Apostle Paul told the church in Colosse that he was always praying for them. It sounds like he wants us to pray just like we breathe, we don't stop breathing for too long and it should be the same way with our praying, a breath of air here and there isn't going to get us very far in life.

I know that when I finally do slow down and pray it can look like a check list of request that are pretty lame. Do you find yourself praying for a good day or for safety or for help to get a pay raise? We usually pray for self family and a few sick people. While there isn't anything wrong with praying about all of the details of your life at the same time you will not find the types of prayers that we pray anywhere in the Bible.
 
Most of us probably would not pray for our friends the way that Paul told the church that he prayed for them; he prayed for them to have:

✔ Complete knowledge of God's will and that they will have spiritual wisdom and understanding
✔ Strength for endurance and patience
✔ Joy and a thankful spirit because of their inheritance

My prayer list needs to be focused more on others and also on what's really important for them. When Paul prayed for his friends there was a higher purpose and a greater good that he was wanting them to know.

I need to pray more and I need to pray better, Lord help me to be consistent in coming to you in prayer and help me to pray for bigger things.