International
30 Nov 06
Colossians 3v1
Recently in a professional football match in
the U.K. a coach substituted a player after twenty minutes. When asked
in the post match interview if the player was injured, the coach said
that he was not taken off because an injury but because “his behaviour
in the first twenty minutes of the game showed that he didn’t really
believe that we could win the match.” We can not separate what we
believe from how we behave!
Chapter 3 verse 1 to chapter 4 verse 6 consider in detail how Christians
should live in everyday life including some very practical issues like
how the Christian should live as they use their talents and enter into
relationships with other people. The key to understanding Christian
moral behaviour is found in chapter 3 verses 1-4. So this week, let’s
consider Colossians 3:1: if then you have been raised with Christ,
seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right
hand of God.
Paul points out that if you know you have been “raised with
Christ” then you know that you have a wonderful privilege, that
nothing you do in this life will be able to add anything to God’s gift
of reconciliation with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
He loves you totally and completely! Genuine Christian maturity is to be
sure of this. Without the gratitude, joy and desire that come from this
primary relationship, Paul’s urging to right behaviour (which follows)
would not provide the energy and desire to behave in a godly manner.
Trying to live the way Christ wants us to without being in love with him
is impossibly difficult and bound to leave us miserable!
Once a person understands this wonderful love, then they can “seek
the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God”. The Christian is one constantly looking upwards, knowing
that the Saviour who died for them is now living in Heaven and urging
them on in this life until the day comes when they shall be re-united
for ever. The Christian looks up to see their wonderful Saviour’s smile
as the ultimate reward for giving their whole lives to serve Him in
everyday behaviour. This is the glorious reward of living properly, to
know that the one who died for us loves us to show our profound
gratitude by living the way he wants us to day by day. This takes us to
the summit of Christian experience in this life!
Good players remind themselves of the basic requirements that they need
to play well every day, and if their performance is struggling, often
say that the best thing to do is to “go back to basics”. The Christian
who is struggling to behave in the way that the Bible asks them to would
do well to “go back to the basics” we’ve outlined above. Do you need to
“go back to basics” today?
Alex and Graham
You are currently subscribed to International Email. To unsubscribe click here