Scriptures to Live By

I was recently encouraged by a brother in Christ, who shared with me that he was allowing Colossians 3: 1-17 to guide his walk with the Lord. That intrigued me, so I looked up the scripture to see how these words can influence my daily walk and life. The scripture centers around putting on our “new self”.

Verse 1 says, “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”.

Some key words here are “set your mind”.  We have choices every morning. We naturally tend to focus on what is around us or things on earth.  God is asking us to set our mind or make a choice every day to seek the things that are above, the unseen things.

In verse 5 we are asked to put to death our “earthly” thinking and behavior: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The words “put to death” are strong words in this verse. When something is dead, it is over. God is asking us to put to death these behaviors. This is not something to be taken lightly. In verse 6, God tells us that his wrath is directed at these unrighteous behaviors.

Verse 8 says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

“You must” does not sound like a suggestion. Our creator does not possess these qualities.  Therefore, we shouldn’t either, since we are being renewed in His image. As we put these “earthly” things to death, we become more like the one who created us. 

Verse 14 says, “above all put on love”… God calls us “holy and beloved” in verse 12 and asks us to have “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you”.

The two words “above all” imply that we first put on love, and then the other desired, Godly characteristics will naturally follow.  The desired attributes are Christ-like.  You have given your life to him; follow his example.

Verses 15-16 provide some lofty expectations:

Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts

Have thankful hearts

Whatever we do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord

Teach and admonish one another with wisdom

I have read these verses over and over this week in an effort to give them the power to transform my daily thoughts to things above, not things of the earth. I encourage you to allow them to be scriptures to live by.

Righteous Father and Creator, Thank you for these words on the printed pages of my Bible that guide my daily walk. It is an amazing thing, that you give me guidance in how to become more like you. Thank you for choosing me and caring about me.  This gives me great joy. Fill me with your Spirit to live out the challenges of these scriptures. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Terry Smith
Stephenville,Texas

If You Get Romans, God Gets You

During the 1920’s to the 1940’s, a teacher at Abilene Christian College named R. C. Bell who taught and wrote on Paul’s epistle to the Romans made the title of this article well known.  He often said, “If you get Romans, God gets you.”

Of course, Bro. Bell meant that the message of Romans is so significant that ‘if one really grasps/understands/accepts it, then God will capture the heart of the one who gets it.  What is so important about Romans?  Why should we as  Christians make it our goal to know/comprehend its message?

BECAUSE:  The way/means to a right relationship with God is revealed by Paul in his epistle to the Romans.  When I was a boy growing up in the churches of Christ, I thought I understood the gospel/the way of salvation.  My conception of salvation was ‘if I obeyed God well enough, I would be saved.’  As a result of this conception of the way of salvation, I lived in fear of hell and guilt over my failure to obey well enough.  I lived with the constant anxiety of being lost, even though I was a Christian (as I understood Christianity).  I was a lot like Paul describes himself in Romans 7.  I desperately wanted to be righteous, but I did not have the will power to defeat sin.

Paul’s message in Romans (his good news) is that ‘righteousness’ in God’s sight has been made available to us by God Himself.  God makes it possible for us to be ‘not guilty’ before Him.  We can be righteous in God’s eyes because of what God has done for us.  SO WHAT HAS GOD DONE??

Romans 3:24-25 tells us that God (the author/initiator of our salvation) put forward Jesus His Son as a sacrifice of atonement for our sin.  He has redeemed us from our sins.  God did this because of His grace.  He did this freely because of His love. Therefore, we are justified before God by our faith.  I love the sound-alike definition of justified:  JUST IF I’D NEVER SINNED.  That is how God looks at me because of Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice.  He considers me ‘not guilty, sinless, righteous in His sight’.

How does this make me feel?  ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!!  How does this make me act?  IT MAKES ME WANT TO GIVE MY BODY AS A LIVING SACRIFICE TO GOD!!

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for opening my eyes to see the good news.  Thank you for making it possible to be righteous.  Help me to live a life worthy of your gift of salvation.   

Terry Brown

Abilene, Texas