Page 8 - Good News September 2005 paper
P. 8
ince you became alive again, so to speak,
when Christ arose from the dead, now set
Syour sights on the rich treasures and joys nd now just as you trusted Christ to save
of heaven where He sits beside God in the place you, trust Him too, for each day's
of honour and power. Let heaven fill your Aproblems; live in vital union with Him. Let
thoughts; don't spend your time worrying about your roots grow down into Him and draw up
things down here. You should have as little desire nourishment from Him. See that you go on
for this world as a dead person does. Your real life growing in the Lord, and become strong and
is in heaven with Christ and God. And when vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your
Christ Who is our real life comes back again, you lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all He
will shine with Him and share in all His glories. has done.
Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the Don't let others spoil your faith and joy with their So look upon your old sinful
evil desires lurking within you; have nothing to philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers n a t u r e a s d e a d a n d
do with sexual sin, impurity, lust and shameful built on men's thoughts and ideas, instead of on unresponsive to sin, and
desires; don't worship the good things of life, for what Christ has said. For in Christ there is all of instead be alive to God, alert to
that is idolatry. God's terrible anger is upon those God in a human body; so you have everything Him through Jesus Christ our
who do such things. You used to do them when when you have Christ, and you are filled with God Lord. Do not let sin control your
your life was still part of this world; but now is the through your union with Christ. He is the highest puny body any longer; do not
time to cast off and throw away all these rotten Ruler, with authority over every other power. give in to its sinful desires. Do
garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty (Colossians 2:6-10 Life Application Bible) not let any part of your bodies
language. become tools of wickedness,
Don't tell lies to each other; it was your old life to be used for sinning; but give
with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; yourselves completely to God -
now it is dead and gone. You are living a brand every part of you - for you are
new kind of life that is continually learning more back from death and you want
and more of what is right, and trying constantly to to be tools in the hands of God,
be more and more like Christ Who created this to be used for His good
new life within you. In this new life one's purposes. Sin need never
nationality or race or education or social position again be your master, for now
is unimportant; such things mean nothing. you are no longer tied to the law
Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and where sin enslaves you, but
He is equally available to all! you are free under God’s favour
(Colossians 3:1-11 Life Application Bible). and mercy (Romans 6:11-14).
