Christ, Our Life

Understanding Colossians 3:1–14

At our church, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, we believe in building a community for everyone through the gospel, the story of God’s limitless love. This love doesn’t make us better than others or lead us to judge harshly, instead, it changes us deeply. When God chooses us, it doesn’t mean we’re superior, but it shows that God reaches out to us, causing real, effective, and planned changes in our lives.

1. Change is sure to happen

The gospel doesn’t just cause little changes or new habits. It changes us in big, meaningful ways. This is true for everyone, even people who don’t start out with religious beliefs, like Mark Lilla. The important thing isn’t whether we’ll change – that’s a given. What really matters is what will cause this change in us.

2. How the gospel changes us

The gospel can bring about deep personal change, removing bad characteristics and desires that tie us to this world, often because we’ve made them more important than they should be. Instead, the gospel replaces these with new, better desires, leading to a complete change when we fully accept the truth in our minds and hearts. Being a Christian means being one with Christ, not needing the world’s approval, living thankfully for the perfect life that Jesus gave us, and finding our true selves and purpose in our faith.

3. Why this works

Real change and transformation come from worshiping and deeply understanding the gospel, not just from trying to think or will our way to improvement. By diving into the story of Jesus Christ and understanding his great self-sacrifice, we’re freed from the need to find happiness in worldly things. This lets us live lives that are selfless and peaceful. The gospel brings about a deep, lasting change that reshapes who we are and gives us the strength to resist worldly temptations.