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Rules for Holy Living:New Life, New Lifestyle (Part 1)Purpose: To make pleasing Christ our ultimate goal rather than pleasing our sinful nature or our culture. Paul explains true Christian behavior — putting on the new self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead. We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that He can shape us into what we should be.Teaching Point One: We should put heaven’s priorities into our daily practice. Colossians 3:1–2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Teaching Point Two: Christ gives us power to live for Him now. Colossians 3:3-4 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Teaching Point Three: Christ-followers should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Colossians 3:5-7 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. Teaching Point Four: Christ-followers must rid themselves of all evil practices. Colossians 3:8–11 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. |