The Apostle Paul addresses how Christians are to live and relate to others in the context of their own households. While we are made new in Christ and brought into a new spiritual family, that doesn't mean we ignore or reject our natural families. Rather, the Gospel is to deeply shape how Christians are to relate to one another in the home, especially as husbands/wives and children/parents. The relationships in our households are to be marked by a mutual love and service for one another, all under the lordship of Christ.

After instructing the Colossians to put off the old self, the Apostle Paul now instructs them to put on the new self in Christ. Putting on the new self involves having the peace of Christ rule among your relationships, having the word of Christ richly dwell within your heart and mind, and having the name of Christ be glorified through your life. Rather than being a burdensome obligation, putting on the new self in Christ is our great privilege and joy.

After addressing the false teachings and pointing them to the centrality of Christ, he now lays out on how they may walk and live worthy of His calling. He exhorts them to put off the old self now that they have been united as one under God's salvation. He reminds them of that old life in which God has delivered them from and encourages them to put to death any and all vestiges of that old self. In order to do this, he instructs them to set their minds on things above and to fix their eyes upon Christ.

Paul directly addresses the false teaching that was spreading in Colossae, which had elements of legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. We face our own contemporary parallels that seek to draw us away from Christ. But by being rooted in Christ, we find true redemption, true spiritual maturity, and true strength to battle our flesh.

Paul shares about the suffering he has and is going through as a minister of the Gospel. However, he surprisingly says that he rejoices over his sufferings and that is because his sufferings reveal the mystery of the Gospel to others, help others mature in Christ, and help guard against false teachings. An unavoidable aspect of Gospel ministry is suffering. But we can joyfully embrace hardships, sacrifices, and inconveniences because God is at work through those things to make Christ known.

Due to false teaching, the Colossians were being drawn away from Christ to look for security and satisfaction elsewhere, namely in other spiritual powers. Paul reminds them that Jesus is supreme as the Creator who has made all things and as the Savior who reconciles all things. Thus, Christians find their true hope in Christ alone and must hold on to that hope.

We're starting a new series through the epistle of Colossians! Colosse wasn't started or visited by Paul in his journeys but he wrote to them to not only write against false teachings, but to also uphold the pre-eminence of Christ. Ultimately, we are saved and sanctified through our relationship with Jesus.

Suffering is an unavoidable and indispensable part of experiencing change. While the suffering itself is not good, God brings about good through our suffering. In our process of change, suffering shatters the illusion of self-sufficiency, disciplines us for our sin, deepens our compassion for others, and serves as a pathway for ministry. As such, we can actually embrace seasons of suffering as God's gracious avenue of sanctification.

The end goal of change is to become more like Jesus. God is at work in producing in us greater Christlikeness so that we would be positioned to thrive, develop godly character to bless others, persevere through all seasons, and be effective in our God-given callings. The great promise is that one day when we finally see Jesus face to face, we will fully be as He is.

Often, it's not that we don't know that we need to change nor is it that we have no desire to change – but it’s that we don’t know how to change. Thankfully, God provides us with a working theory of change. We need biblical teaching to correct the false stories we believe. We need healthy practices to replace the unhealthy habits we have developed. We need robust community to encourage us in our process of change. Underlying all those things is the Holy Spirit who works in us and with us to produce change.