Being Christ-Like

                                                                BEING CHRIST-LIKE

In a world where you can be anything, an advertisement for Pandora Jewelry suggests what one can be: "Be the one thing that can change everything, be bold, be authentic, be brilliant, be the unexpected, be the beauty, be an open heart a first step, a comfort, a force, be true, be nurturing, be open-minded, be understanding, be connected to what matters, selfless, be Limitless, be the laughter. In a world where you can be anything, Be Love, Be Love![1]

This advertisement has a subtle message: If you buy and own Pandora Jewelry, you can embody all that, and in doing so, fulfill the longing to love and be loved. How deceptive it can be? It made me think! How about you, as a follower of Christ in a world where you can be anything, what would you like to be? In our In Him series, we will explore what the Apostle Paul wanted the Colossian believers to be and how that impacts us today. Colossians 3:10-17

I. Christ is The Firm foundation For New Life

The scriptures repeatedly express that when a sinner surrenders their life to Jesus, something new happens within them. The old is gone, and the new has come. They become a new Creation in Christ. Our old sinful life has been replaced with a new life. We are to move away from the way we used to live and rebuild our lives anew on Christ, our firm foundation.

To convey this new and transformed life, Paul uses several metaphors in his letters to various churches. To the Church in Ephesus, he uses the metaphor of clothing. Ephesians 4:22-24, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Why must we put off our old life? Because it is corrupted like a computer infected with malicious software.

Writing to the Corinthian Church, he uses a metaphor of a foundation. I Cor 3:11, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Writing to the Colossian Church, he uses a metaphor of a building. Col 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Our old life before giving our lives to Jesus was built on a shaky foundation of our family traditions, religious beliefs, and cultural norms and values. We thought those were the right ways of living. When we come to Jesus, we must recognize that ungodly systems of the World need to be torn down, and we start rebuilding our lives anew, having Jesus as our firm foundation. In our passage, the Apostle Paul breaks down how to live this New Life in Him into three categories. 

II. We Are Saved and Changed To Be A Blessing

In the scriptures, we often see God saving and changing individuals and giving them a mission to become a blessing to others. We see this in the lives of Abraham, the prophets, kings, the early disciples, and later on Saul, who became the Apostle Paul after God changed his life.

After a divine encounter on the Road to Damascus, the persecutor of the Church, Saul, 's life dramatically changed. God testified of Saul, saying, "This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:15.

Being faithful to that calling, Paul became a blessing to thousands of people, planted several churches, wrote thirteen letters to the Churches, and one of them was the letter to the believers in Colossae. God changed your life so that you can be a blessing. Christ would say to each of us, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear Fruit—Fruit that will last. Jn 15:16. Paul affirmed that high calling in Col 3:12.

III. Being Christ-Like In This World.

Colossians 3:9-12, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here, there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

Coming back to my initial question in the introduction, as a follower of Christ in a world where you can be anything, what would you like to be? I don't know about you, but I want to be Christ-like in this World. In Christ, there is no differentiation and discrimination; we are all equal. In our New Life, Christ is all that matters, and Christ is the one who lives in all of us.

For that reason, Paul addresses all of us as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Then he commands us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." In other words, "Be Christ Like! The Bible contains various types of teachings: advice, promises, clauses, doctrines, judgments, challenges, and negotiations.

What Paul urges believers to consider falls into the category of commands from God. Before we become anything for Christ, we must consider who we are in Christ. Because God chose us, made us holy, and we are dearly loved, we are to become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Generally, people lack compassion, are unkind, proud, harsh, and impatient. We, too, were like that once, but as Paul commands, we must exhibit Christ-like virtues.

In a world marked by so much hurt and brokenness, it is a breath of fresh air to meet people who embody these five Christ-like virtues: Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, and Patience. Out of five virtues, three of them: Kindness, Gentleness, and Patience, are part of the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer. Let's look at the other two virtues.

IV. Compassion and Humility.

As we yield ourselves and are led by the Holy Spirit, we become kind, gentle, and patient people. The other two virtues of Compassion and Humility are what we need to work on, as we strive to be more Christ-like. Over the years, I have met some wonderful people both in and outside the Church who exhibit these qualities of compassion and humility. I also met people who call themselves Christians but lack compassion and are very proud.

How can you find out whether you may be lacking in compassion and moving in pride? According to a web article, People who lack compassion often display these 10 behaviors (without realizing it): You struggle to feel others' pain. 2. You find it hard to show sympathy. 3. You tend to judge others. 4. You struggle to express affection. 5) You often neglect emotional needs – yours and others' 6. You find it hard to forgive and let go. 7. You struggle with patience. 8. You are often focused on the practical. 9. You struggle with vulnerability. 10. You often neglect self-compassion."[2] If you identify with these behaviors, you are lacking in compassion.

Remember, compassion is not something we are born with. It is a skill that must be cultivated. We grow in compassion by studying the life of Jesus, who moved out of compassion for others. By doing so slowly, we can start expressing care for others, showing interest in what they are going through, and stop being judgmental. We will also see people as precious souls rather than objects to achieve our selfish goals. We become humble by imitating Jesus, the Son of God, who humbled himself by taking the very nature of a servant (Phil 2:1-11). When all Christian aspire to be more Christ-like, the World will be a better place to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQbxiyGxoQ

[2] https://geediting.com/people-who-lack-compassion-often-display-these-behaviors-without-realizing it/#:~:text=1)%20You%20struggle%20to%20feel,of%20their%20suffering%20or%20distress.

 

New Life In Him

                                            NEW LIFE IN HIM  Colossians 3:1-11

 

Here is a turnaround story of a Lesbian who despised Christians, then she became one of them. "Professor Rosaria Butterfield hated and pitied Christians. She thought Christians and their God, Jesus, were stupid and pointless. As a professor of English and women's studies, she used her post to advance the allegiances of a leftist lesbian professor. She and her partner shared many interests: AIDS activism, children's health and literacy, and the Unitarian Universalist church.

She began researching the Religious Right and their politics of hatred against queers like her. To do this, she would need to read the Bible. She began her attack by writing an article in the local newspaper about Promise Keepers. The article generated many rejoinders, including some hate mail and others that were fan mail. But one letter I received defied this filing system.

It was from the pastor of the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church. It was a kind and inquiring letter. Pastor Ken Smith encouraged me to explore questions such as, "How did you arrive at your interpretations?" How do you know you are right? Do you believe in God? Ken didn't argue; instead, he asked me to defend the presuppositions that undergirded it. I didn't know how to respond, so I threw it away.

Later that night, I retrieved it from the recycling bin and placed it on my desk. With the letter, Ken initiated two years of bringing the Church to a heathen. Oh, I had seen my share of Bible verses on placards at Gay Pride marches and Christians who mocked me on Gay Pride Day. That is not what Ken did. He did not mock. He engaged. So, when his letter invited me to get together for dinner, I accepted. This will surely be beneficial for my research. Ken and his wife, Floy, and I became friends. They entered my World. They met my friends. We talked openly about sexuality and politics. They did not act as if such conversations were polluting them. When we ate together, Ken prayed in a way I had never heard before.

I started reading the Bible, the way a glutton devours. At a dinner gathering, my transgender friend J cornered me in the kitchen. She warned, "This Bible reading is changing you, Rosaria." With tremors, I whispered, "J, what if it is true? What if Jesus is a real and risen Lord? What if we are all in trouble?" One Sunday morning, I sat in a pew at Church. Conspicuous with my butch haircut, I reminded myself that I came to meet God, not fit in.

The image that came in like waves, of me and everyone I loved suffering in hell. Then, one ordinary day, I came to Jesus. Jesus triumphed. And I was a broken mess. Conversion was a train wreck. I did not want to lose everything that I loved. I weakly believed that if Jesus could conquer death, he could make right my World. I rested in private peace, then community, and today in the shelter of a covenant family, where one calls me "wife" and many call me "mother."[1] Rosaria Butterfield resides with her family in Durham, North Carolina, where her husband serves as pastor of the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham.

What a powerful testimony from a former lesbian whose life was transformed by Christ's love and the love shown by a pastor couple and the church community. Her New Life in Christ is now touching and changing many lives around the World, especially those who are struggling with sexual sins. In our "In Him" series, we will explore how the Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossian believers to stop returning to their former sinful lifestyle and instead live out their New Life in Christ boldly and unashamedly to the fullest. Colossians 3:1-11

The twin experiences of being born again and getting baptized by immersion are unique and precious personal spiritual encounters. Only those who have experienced it can explain the unlimited joy and enormous freedom that come from knowing the Savior of their lives. At that moment of conversion, God forgives all our sins and makes us Holy.

At that very moment, if we had died, we would straight away go into His presence to live with Him forever. However, that is not always the case; we continue to live and face the challenges of navigating our New Life in Christ in this broken World. The Apostle Paul offered some guidance for seasoned and newly baptized believers in the Church of Colossae. 

I. Our old life has died and was buried with Christ in Baptism.

            This is how Paul reminded the Colossian believers, in Col 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." (NLT). In Vs 20, we read that they also died with Christ and were set free from the spiritual forces and rules of this World.

            What do these scriptures mean to us today? When we went under the water in baptism, our old life with its sinful nature was dead and buried. Coming up out of the water was a resurrection; God raised us from the dead, just as He raised Christ from the dead, into new life with Him. Our sinful, fleshly self, with all its lustful passions and desires, has died and been buried with Christ. Now our old life cannot dictate to us how we should live our New Life.

I recall how my life was gradually, yet radically, changed after I was baptized. It is not to say that I have never sinned since then or will never sin again. However, I do say this: Jesus lives in me, and He will forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness each time I confess my sins (I John 1:9). Knowing that our old life is dead and buried is crucial for us to move forward. To do that, we will have to cut ties with sinful friendships and cultivate God-honoring relationships.

II. The Impact Of Our New Life In Him

The Apostle Paul lays out specific guidelines for the believers to live out their New Life in Christ. If you are truly a born-again believer, how does your New Life in Christ impact you?

Whenever God does something, He does a comprehensive work that includes the salvation of individual sinners. In your New Life in Christ, your heart, mind, and body are impacted by God.

I. A New Heart

Colossians 3:1, "Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." We can only live our New Lives to the fullest by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ, who is currently seated at the right hand of God.

In the Bible, when a King puts anyone on his right hand, he gives them equal honor and dignity. I Kgs 2:19. That was what God did when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand. He gave Jesus the same honor, dignity, and power He had by placing all things under Him. As New Believers, we now entrust our hearts to Christ, who reigns supremely.

Paul writing to the Corinthians noted, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here. II Cor 5:17. This newness includes a New Heart, according to the promise of God, who said, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

What does this new heart represent in the Bible? In the scriptures, the heart is that spiritual part of us where our emotions and desires dwell. As born-again Christians, we desire Christ more than anything else, and to do His will. And also, we express Christ's emotions of Joy, love, forgiveness, and compassion. How does this practically work out? We seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first. We love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. We forgive people and do not hold bitterness in our hearts.

II A Renewed Mind

            In the life of a New believer, along with a new heart, a renewal of mind takes place. After setting our hearts on God, we are encouraged in verse 2 to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. What is the mind, biblically speaking? In the New Testament, the Greek word phroneo is often translated as “mind” and most commonly refers to a person’s thoughts, understanding, views, opinions, affections, or moral considerations.

            Before we were born again, we used to think, form opinions, and set our affections on the earthly and immaterial things. But in our New Life, Christ renews our minds, and now we retrain our minds to think the thoughts that would glorify Christ and advance His mission on earth. Failure to do so may put us in a place like Peter, who Jesus rebuked, saying, “Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Mark 8:33). Are you focusing only on the temporary and immaterial things or the things above?

III. A Self-Controlled Body

            A new heart and a renewed mind enable a new believer to live a self-controlled life, where they bring their body under their control in all aspects of living. A self-controlled person will exercise control or restraint in their bodies, managing their physical and sexual appetites.

People who do not know Christ are led by their instincts like animals and try to satisfy their appetites for food, sex, and wealth. Whereas Paul urges believers to put to death: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

A self-controlled body also includes our tongue, with which we speak. As new believers, we must rid ourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, as well as speaking lies. New Life in Christ consists of setting our hearts and minds on Christ and controlling our bodies. May the Holy Spirit empower us to live our New Life to the fullest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Source: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, “My Train Wreck Conversion,” CT magazine (Jan/Feb, 2013), pp. 111-112

 

The Significance of Baptism

                                                THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM

                                                                    Matthew 3:4-17

Introduction:  Why, at Hope Church, do we baptize people by immersion in water? Is it because we are a Baptist Church? Or is there any significance to this bold and public act of Baptism? We baptize people at Hope Church because Baptism is one of the two ordinances that Jesus instituted for the Church. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, he commanded his disciples, saying, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:19-20.

            This ordinance gives the Church a mandate to go out and preach, teach, and make disciples of "all nations" and all peoples and baptize them until Jesus returns. At Hope Church, we follow the command and baptize people by immersion when they confess their faith in Jesus.

Today, we will have the privilege of witnessing five people who are taking this bold step of radical obedience and will be baptized in the waters of Lake Massapoag. It will be a glorious moment to welcome these individuals into God's family and our fellowship at Hope Church. If you have been baptized through immersion, reflect on that moment, the place, and the people who cheered you on. Let's give similar support to and celebrate these five individuals.

Whether you have already been baptized or want to be baptized but have some questions, it would be beneficial for all of us to reflect once again on the Significance of Baptism in a fresh way. So that we may appreciate this God-given ordinance and encourage others to be baptized through immersion in water, as it is presented in the scriptures. Matthew 3:4-17

John the Baptist preached the message of the Kingdom, calling people to repentance and urging them to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The crowds responded to his message and were baptized in the Jordan River. That list included Pharisees, Sadducees, and tax collectors.

"Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." You may wonder why, if people were repenting and getting baptized by John, Jesus, being the Son of God, was baptized as well?

 

I. Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Jesus was the perfect Son of God, and He had never sinned; yet John baptized Him. Here are a few reasons. First, John baptized Jesus to introduce Him as the Messiah. John and the world at that point were eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come. However, no one knew who that would be or how to recognize Him when He came, including John. But God told John to baptize people, and on whom he sees the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize people with the Holy Spirit. (John 1:32-34). That was precisely what John saw!

Secondly, I learned from my study that John was from a priestly background, as both his parents were descendants of Aaron. (Lk 1:5). One of the priestly duties is to present pure animals as sacrifices before the Lord. John's Baptism of Jesus could be seen as a priestly presentation of the Ultimate Sacrifice. John's words the day after the Baptism point to Jesus being that sinless, perfect sacrifice: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).[1]

Thirdly, Jesus' Baptism signifies that He identified with sinners whom He came to seek, save, and fill with the Holy Spirit. Later, He would command His disciples to go and baptize people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The most significant aspect of Jesus' Public Baptism was that the triune God was revealed in glory. The same triune God gets involved every time a sinner repents of their sin and is baptized in the waters.

 

II. Why Should We be Baptized?

We saw the reasons why Jesus was baptized. Some of you might have these questions: I got saved, isn't that just enough? Why should I be baptized? Or, I was baptized as a child by sprinkling; why should I be baptized again by immersion? First, let's address why I should be baptized after getting saved. In the scriptures, salvation requires believing in God and repenting of sins, and it is always followed by an outward expression of that inward faith through Baptism.

I would like us to examine this pattern of salvation in the following scriptures. Jesus commanded the disciples, saying, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." Mark 16:16. After hearing Peter's message, the crowds were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." Three thousand people were baptized that day. Acts 2:37:38.

The Evangelist Philip explained the Gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch on the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. After understanding the Gospel, as they came by some water, the Eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What can stand in the place of my being baptized? Both Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. The Holy Spirit took Philip away, and the Eunuch returned home rejoicing. Acts 8:26:40.

Look at Saul, the persecutor of the Church, whose life was divinely touched and radically transformed after he believed in Christ and was baptized. Acts 9. We see a pattern here: Baptism is always preceded by believing and repenting of sins. For these reasons, we believe in adult baptism by immersion. What is standing in your way of getting baptized? Is it a church tradition where you were born and raised? Or purely a lack of understanding? I was baptized as a child, but upon coming to understand what Baptism is, I was baptized again by immersion.

III. What is the Significance of Baptism?

1. When we are baptized, we are obeying the Command of Jesus

In obedience to Christ's command, the early disciples went everywhere preaching the Gospel and baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They taught the new believers to obey everything that Christ commanded them, which includes Baptism. Therefore, every time we get baptized and baptize others, we are obeying Jesus' commandment.

2 In Baptism, we are identifying with the death and the resurrection of Christ.

Paul, writing to the Roman believers, reminds them of this remarkable aspect of identifying with Christ. Romans 6:3-4, "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through Baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." When we are immersed in the water, we identify with the death and burial of Christ. And when we come up out of the water, we identify with Christ's resurrection.

3. Baptism signifies that we now belong to the Body of Christ, the Church

            Galatians 3: 26-28, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Through Baptism, everyone who confesses Christ, including these five who will be baptized soon, becomes part of God's family. For them to grow in their newfound life in Christ, they must join a local church, just as the 3,000 people who were baptized in the book of Acts did.

            Being part of God's family through Baptism is a privilege that God allows us to enjoy while we remain on this earth. We welcome these five brothers and sisters into the Hope Church family. We are committed to praying and supporting them in their spiritual journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-baptized.html

Complete In Him

                                           COMPLETE IN HIM Colossians 2:9-15

 

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see your flaws, see yourself as imperfect and lacking in many areas? That is often how young teenage girls and boys feel inadequate about themselves when they compare their appearance to that of others on social media. The truth of the matter is you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Do you sometimes have this self-talk, saying to yourself, 'I am a Mess! No one loves me. Everybody hates me. Even God doesn't care about me, and He is angry with me, and so on. Growing up, I struggled with low self-image and the fear of men, even after becoming a follower of Christ. I often thought that something was lacking in me, and I could never measure up to God's expectations. But praise God, over the years, I learned this transforming truth.

It doesn't matter how I feel, what others think about me, or what they say about me. All that matters is what God thinks, speaks, and feels about me in His Word. The world may write you off and consider you worthless, but God sees you differently. In our "In Him" series, we are exploring who we are and what we are in Him. Colossians 2:9-15

Last Sunday, we needed to be Rooted In Him to remain faithful until the end. Even after following Christ for a long time, we sometimes doubt whether we are saved and our lives are pleasing to Him or meeting His expectations of us. Those thoughts could discourage us and make us feel like we are failing. We will examine how the Apostle Paul addressed these doubts and unbelief among the Colossian believers. How did he silence the false prophets?

Colossians 2:9-10, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority." NIV. In NASB, it reads, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority."

 These two verses deal with two profound theological truths. As seasoned Christians, we can take our theology for granted because we have the whole truth available in the Scriptures. But that was not the case with the early Church. Scriptures were still being written as the Church addressed the false teachers and their confusing teachings. Paul takes on the false teachers in Colossae, who were misleading the believers by undermining the very Divinity of Christ.

I. The Fullness of God lives in Christ.

            Colossians 2:9, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." The false teachers who claimed to have special knowledge sowed seeds of doubt among the believers, saying that Jesus was only a human and not God. This was the age-old tactic used by Satan to successfully turn people away from worshiping the living God, to inanimate objects and animals.

It would help us recall what Paul said about the divinity of Christ earlier in Chapter 1:15-20. These verses confirm the profound truth of Christ's preeminence and participation with God in creation. All visible things and the things that we can not see, including human beings, have been created by Jesus for His glory. And also all things are held together in Him. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ. Paul reiterated the same truth in Col 2:9, "For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form."

Not only in these verses, but throughout the New Testament, Jesus' Deity was recognized. The Gospel of John begins with a statement of Jesus' Deity: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). After Jesus' resurrection, Thomas the doubting disciple finally understood Jesus' Deity, declaring Him to be "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28). If Jesus were not Lord and God, He would have corrected Thomas, but He did not; Thomas spoke the truth. Paul eagerly awaited "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13) and encouraged us to do the same.

These days, many skeptics have a hard time believing that there is a God and that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and God himself. But the devil knows there is one God and shudders (James 2:19), yet he deceives and blinds people's minds, so that they can not see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4). Now you know the truth that Jesus Christ is God, don't let the devil or anyone else deceive you. Before we explore the second truth that we are complete in Him, let's find out what He has already done for us.

II. A New Life In Christ

After learning that Jesus Christ is God, we need to be reminded again of Christ's redemptive work for humanity. Paul reminded the Colossians that they were once enemies and alienated from God due to their evil behavior. However, God has reconciled them through Christ's death on the cross, presenting them as holy in God's sight.

That was the state of all of us; once we were the enemies of God and dead in our sins. Because Christ died for us, we can now have abundant and eternal life. Not only that, Christ has forgiven all our sins. Paul, writing to the Roman believers, reminds them how they were saved.

Romans 6:3-4, "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through Baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." In Baptism, we identify with the death and the resurrection of Christ.

As Christ rose from the dead, we too will rise from our old sinful lives to a New Life in Christ. In Romans 8:1-2, we read, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." We are a New Creation. Therefore, let us not continue in our sinful lives. Along with this new life, as Paul said, "we are also made complete in Him."

III. We Are Complete In Him.

Coming back to our second theological truth, Colossians 2:10, "For in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority." NIV. In NASB, it reads, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority."

What does it mean that we have been made complete in Him? The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ. Since Christ is the fullness of God and we are in him, we have all the fullness we can ever possess. In Christ, we have everything we ever need to live a joy-filled and fulfilled life in this world, and when we die, we will live with Him forever in Heaven.

How does that work practically in our daily lives? First, our completeness or fullness does not depend on what we do or don't do, but because you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By our faith in Christ and what He's done on our behalf, God can pronounce us complete in Him. We may still feel broken, but God sees us as whole persons.

Secondly, being complete in Him means that we experience Joy even amid challenging situations because He lives in us. Where God lives, there is fullness of Joy. Thirdly, being made complete in Him means we become grace-filled and truthful people, because Jesus is full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). Fourth, we become loving, peaceful, forbearing, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled human beings because the Holy Spirit in us makes us bear fruit.

Fifthly, being made complete in Him means we have everything we need to live a godly life. The main takeaway from this sermon is that when we declare with our mouths, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in our hearts that He was raised from the dead, we are saved. We are made right with God, Christ, and His Holy Spirit lives in us. Hold on to this precious truth and don’t let the devil or anyone else take it away from you. In Christ, we are complete!