Smoodock's Blog

In my previous study, I mentioned that, when Christ becomes our life, we find a need to put to death those things done through obedience to our lower nature (Colossians 3:5). In other words, we need to stop behaving like we draw our lives from the old man, Adam. What use is it to come to Christ, if we remain in our old beginning or our old creation? We had been drawing our life’s energy from Adam, since our birth, and in doing so, we were able to produce only the fruits that originate in rebellion (Genesis 3). The inherent law of creation is things are produced after their own kind (Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24-25). Once Adam became corrupt (Genesis 3:4, 6; cp. Genesis 2:17), all he could ever produce was a corrupt human race (Matthew 7:17-18; 12:33). We could never, through our own behavior, return to our original uncorrupt state (Genesis 1 & 2). What, therefore, can be done?

We need to put on our new man (Colossians 3:10). I don’t believe we are renewed and brought back to the point before Adam’s rebellion, as though we are given a new beginning that way. We aren’t simply given a clean slate, as it were. If that were true, we’d still be in the old man, like newborn babies are. The fact is the old man can’t be fixed. Instead, Christ has become our Beginning (Colossians 1:18), by trusting in him, we are in a much better position than being given a clean slate but still in our old man.

In Genesis 2 Adam had a growing relationship with God, as long as he (Adam) permitted God to teach him how to behave in the world, which he was supposed to rule or govern in his (God’s) place, thereby imaging his Creator (Genesis 1:26-27). Adam had the raw tools for a good relationship with God, and those tools needed to be exercised before he could know by experience and understand. On the other hand, in Christ, we have the mature knowledge or understanding already in Christ, who is within us. Therefore, we, being renewed by the spirit of our mind through our union with the Spirit of Christ (Ephesians 4:23; Romans 8:2, 9), have been enabled to put on our new man, ever increasing in maturity, until we are able to live out a mature image of him who created us (Colossians 3:10).

In Christ, there is no such thing as a preferred believer (Colossians 3:11). In him there is neither Jew nor gentile, circumcision nor uncircumcision; neither is there the Greek (citizen) or the foreigner, civilized or the savage, slave or free, because Christ is in all and all are in Christ. There is no such thing as a better Christ or a better Spirit of Christ that dwells within the believer. Christ, (the Body of Christ) is all, and Christ is in all (who are his Body).

Therefore, if it is true that in Christ, we are able to find all the blessings and riches that God could ever offer mankind (Ephesians 1:3), we need to draw from our supply (Christ), as the beloved and chosen ones of God, producing tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearing one another, when that is difficult, and forgiving one another, when offense is made, because these things are WWJD characteristics, which should rule our behavior. In other words, as it pertains to offenses, just as Christ has forgiven us, so should we forgive others (Colossians 3:12-13).

More than all these virtues, we need to put on love. Love is what binds us together as mature adults in the Body of Christ. Love offers a path for all the other virtues we put on in Christ (Colossians 3:14). In love there is peace, and we need to let the peace of God rule our hearts (Colossians 3:15). That is to say, the self-sacrifice of Christ on the cross abolished all that was against us, all that prevented us from coming into the presence of God.  He abolished any need for a commandment to curb our behavior, and in so doing we are at peace with God, because the new creation operates from the perspective of doing good, not refrain from evil (Ephesians 2:15).

Therefore, let the communication of Christ, vis-à-vis the witness of the Spirit of Christ within us (Romans 8:9; John 14:26; 15:25; cp. 1Peter 1:11), continue to live within each of us in all its richness, teaching and exhorting us, in all thankfulness, singing praises to him in our hearts with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). Whatever we do, by word or deed, therefore, we need to do in the name of Jesus, giving thanks through him to our God and Father (Colossians 3:17).