Living Out Our Identity in Christ's Love
Summary
In Colossians 3:12-15, Paul provides a vivid illustration of how our identity in Christ should transform our lives. As God's chosen ones, we are called to embody virtues that reflect our new identity in Christ. Just as clothing signifies identity, Paul urges us to "put on" compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These virtues are not mere moral improvements but are reflections of Christ's character. They are deeply relational, meant to be lived out in community, especially within the church.
Paul emphasizes that our identity in Christ precedes our actions. We are not called to behave a certain way to become Christians; rather, our behavior flows from our identity as Christians. This identity is rooted in being chosen, holy, and dearly loved by God. It is a humbling and strengthening truth that frees us from striving to earn our place in God's family. Instead, we are invited to live out this identity by clothing ourselves in virtues that reflect Christ's character.
The virtues Paul lists are not just personal qualities but are meant to be lived out in community. They are tested and proven in relationships, especially when we encounter frustration, disappointment, or hurt. Paul calls us to bear with one another and forgive as Christ has forgiven us. This forgiveness is not optional; it is a requirement of the gospel. It involves releasing the right to hold a grudge and entrusting justice to God.
Above all, Paul calls us to put on love, which binds all virtues together in perfect unity. Love is the thread that holds the fabric of Christian community together. Without love, virtues become hollow performances. Love is a commitment, a way of life that reflects the heart of Christ.
Finally, Paul urges us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. This peace acts as a referee, guiding our responses and interactions. It is a corporate calling for the church to pursue peace together. Gratitude is the thermostat that sets the tone for our lives and community, fostering peace and love.
Key Takeaways:
- Identity Before Action: Our identity in Christ as chosen, holy, and dearly loved is foundational. It precedes and shapes our actions, freeing us from striving to earn our place in God's family. We live a certain way not to become Christians, but because we are Christians. [48:51]
- Clothing Ourselves in Christ's Virtues: The virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not about moral improvement but about reflecting Christ's character. They are deeply relational and meant to be lived out in community. [54:20]
- Forgiveness as a Gospel Requirement: Forgiveness is not optional; it is a requirement of the gospel. We forgive as Christ has forgiven us, releasing the right to hold a grudge and entrusting justice to God. [01:17:18]
- Love as the Perfect Bond: Love is the thread that holds the fabric of Christian community together. It is not just one virtue among many but the essential covering that gives meaning and power to all other virtues. [01:24:16]
- Peace and Gratitude in Community: The peace of Christ should rule our hearts, guiding our responses and interactions. Gratitude sets the tone for our lives and community, fostering peace and love. A church filled with Christ's peace embodies the gospel it proclaims. [01:26:32]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:01:00] - Introduction to Colossians 3
- [00:03:00] - The Significance of Clothing
- [00:06:00] - Identity in Christ
- [00:09:00] - Putting on Christ's Virtues
- [00:12:00] - Compassion and Kindness
- [00:15:00] - Humility and Meekness
- [00:18:00] - Patience and Community
- [00:21:00] - Bearing with One Another
- [00:24:00] - Forgiveness in Community
- [00:27:00] - The Centrality of Love
- [00:30:00] - The Peace of Christ
- [00:33:00] - Gratitude as a Thermostat
- [00:36:00] - Living Out Our New Identity
- [00:39:00] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Colossians 3:12-15
Observation Questions:
1. What are the virtues Paul instructs believers to "put on" in Colossians 3:12-15, and how are they described in the sermon? [54:20]
2. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of clothing as a metaphor for identity in Christ? [49:33]
3. According to the sermon, what role does love play in the unity of Christian virtues? [01:24:16]
4. What does the sermon say about the relationship between our identity in Christ and our actions? [48:51]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the significance of being "chosen, holy, and dearly loved" by God, and how does this identity influence a believer's life? [48:51]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that forgiveness is a requirement of the gospel, and how should this shape our interactions with others? [01:17:18]
3. How does the sermon describe the peace of Christ as a guiding force in our hearts and community, and what implications does this have for church life? [01:26:32]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of gratitude in fostering peace and love within a community? [01:26:32]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current "spiritual wardrobe." Are there any old habits or attitudes that don't align with your identity in Christ that you need to "take off"? [01:29:20]
2. Consider a relationship in your life where forgiveness is needed. How can you take steps to forgive as Christ has forgiven you, releasing any grudges you may hold? [01:17:18]
3. Identify a situation where you can actively "put on" one of the virtues mentioned in Colossians 3:12-15. What specific actions can you take to embody this virtue in your community? [54:20]
4. Think of a time when you allowed emotions other than the peace of Christ to rule your heart. How can you let Christ's peace guide your responses in future conflicts? [01:24:16]
5. How can you cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your daily life to set a positive tone in your relationships and community? What are some practical ways to express thankfulness this week? [01:26:32]
6. Reflect on a person or group in your church community who may feel unloved or overlooked. How can you demonstrate the love of Christ to them in a tangible way? [01:24:16]
7. Consider the role of love as the "perfect bond of unity" in your life. How can you ensure that love is the foundation of your interactions with others, especially in challenging situations? [01:24:16]
Devotional
Day 1: Identity in Christ Shapes Our Actions
Our identity in Christ as chosen, holy, and dearly loved is foundational. It precedes and shapes our actions, freeing us from striving to earn our place in God's family. We live a certain way not to become Christians, but because we are Christians. This understanding liberates us from the pressure of performance and allows us to rest in the assurance of God's love. Our actions, therefore, are not about earning favor but about expressing the transformation that has already occurred within us. [48:51]
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."
Reflection: How does knowing you are chosen and loved by God change the way you approach your daily tasks and interactions today?
Day 2: Reflecting Christ's Character Through Virtues
The virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not about moral improvement but about reflecting Christ's character. These virtues are deeply relational and meant to be lived out in community. They are not just personal qualities but are tested and proven in relationships, especially when we encounter frustration, disappointment, or hurt. By embodying these virtues, we demonstrate the transformative power of Christ in our lives and contribute to the building up of the church community. [54:20]
1 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV): "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."
Reflection: Which of the virtues listed do you find most challenging to embody, and how can you intentionally practice it in your interactions today?
Day 3: Forgiveness as a Gospel Mandate
Forgiveness is not optional; it is a requirement of the gospel. We forgive as Christ has forgiven us, releasing the right to hold a grudge and entrusting justice to God. This act of forgiveness is a powerful testimony of the gospel's work in our lives and a reflection of Christ's love and mercy. It involves a conscious decision to let go of bitterness and to trust God with the outcome, allowing His peace to fill our hearts. [01:17:18]
Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV): "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?
Day 4: Love as the Binding Force
Love is the thread that holds the fabric of Christian community together. It is not just one virtue among many but the essential covering that gives meaning and power to all other virtues. Without love, virtues become hollow performances. Love is a commitment, a way of life that reflects the heart of Christ. It binds all virtues together in perfect unity, creating a harmonious and thriving community that reflects God's kingdom. [01:24:16]
1 John 4:11-12 (ESV): "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."
Reflection: How can you intentionally show love to someone in your community today, especially someone you find difficult to love?
Day 5: Pursuing Peace and Gratitude
The peace of Christ should rule our hearts, guiding our responses and interactions. Gratitude sets the tone for our lives and community, fostering peace and love. A church filled with Christ's peace embodies the gospel it proclaims. This peace acts as a referee, helping us navigate conflicts and challenges with grace and wisdom. By cultivating gratitude, we create an environment where peace and love can flourish, reflecting the heart of Christ to the world. [01:26:32]
Colossians 3:15-16 (ESV): "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Reflection: What is one thing you can be grateful for today, and how can expressing this gratitude influence your interactions with others?
Quotes
"Because we've been made new in Christ, we're called to clothe ourselves with a Christ-like character, and to live according to Christ's peace, and to reflect his love. And that should happen particularly in our community, in this church. So I want to pray, and I want to ask that God would just help us as we read this text to start living like the people that we truly are." [00:49:34] (25 seconds)
"We aren't people that behave a certain way so that we can become Christians. I know often it feels as if we need to behave a certain way to be a Christian, but that's not what we believe as followers of Jesus. The reality is that we believe Jesus has invited us to follow him despite the ways that we fall short in our behavior, right?" [00:50:13] (21 seconds)
"Or because you've earned it either. He sets his love on you before you ever did anything. Ephesians 1:4 says, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him. And so before you ever prayed or ever obeyed or even believed, God chose you." [00:53:32] (21 seconds)
"And finally, Paul then gives us a bit of encouragement in the fact that we're chosen and that we're set apart for God's purposes by saying, you're dearly loved. You're dearly loved. Romans 8 is a very powerful passage. I want to read just a couple snippets of verses 35 through 39. He says, who can separate us from the love of Christ?" [00:55:41] (23 seconds)
"Jesus is the strongest man who ever lived and yet he was gentle. And so if we want to reflect him then we need to clothe ourselves in meekness. All right one more here. It's patience. Put on patience. And patience I would say is the ability to absorb difficulty delay and frustration without giving in to anger or despair." [01:11:52] (25 seconds)
"Forgiveness is choosing not to bring something up again. Forgiveness is refusing to replay an offense over and over in your mind. Forgiveness is being okay not having every question answered because you know God has all the answers and he's going to respond rightly to those things. It's letting the cross of Christ actually be enough." [01:19:16] (24 seconds)
"Paul says, let the peace of Christ rule. And that word rule is like an athletic term, so it would be used in the ancient world during like the Olympic Games for an official who's acting like a referee or an umpire and who's making decisions or who's calling fouls or who's settling disputes. Paul is essentially saying, let the peace of Christ make the call in your life." [01:24:49] (24 seconds)
"A church without peace contradicts the gospel that it proclaims. But a church filled with Christ's peace embodies the gospel that it proclaims. And so Paul, he ends this verse with a very simple phrase. He says, and be thankful. And it might seem like a very small addition, but it's incredibly powerful for us. Gratitude is the thing that kind of keeps peace alive." [01:26:32] (29 seconds)
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