“HEALTHY SPIRITUAL LIVING”
Colossians 3:1 “Since then….” DO THIS
“Set your hearts and minds on Christ” – Colossians 3:1-2 NIV
“Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature ” – Colossians 3:5-7 NIV
Two important reasons that this exhortation is made by Paul
- Sinful THOUGHTS can pollute our own hearts and minds
“Rid yourself of such things” – Colossians 3:8 NIV
2. Sinful ACTIONS can hurt someone else and cause us to distance ourselves from God
“Plank Syndrome”
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Matthew 7:3-5 NIV
The antidote to the “Plank Syndrome”
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12 NIV
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:13 NIV
If we are to bear with one another, we must
- Realize the effects of our sin on others
- Realize the effects of other’s sin on us
- Be prepared to forgive as the Lord forgave us
“… you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” – Colossians 3:9b
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14-15 NIV