Though our salvation is secured, we are called to walk in faith and obedience to God’s Word. That is to serve others in a way that echoes the characteristics, servanthood, and love of Christ. Yesterday, we learned that to do this, we are required to “put off” and obtained from sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires (as defined by scripture), covetousness, and idolatry. Today, we see what we must replace these with. In a state of already, but not yet, new creations being made perfect, this is something we must continue to do daily as God “brings to completion the good work he started in us”.

[Colossians 3.12-14]

3.12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ What does Paul say we are to God? (three things!)

+ What are we to put on as believers? (five things)

+ What does putting on those five things result in? (three things)

+ What do you think it means that love binds everything together in perfect harmony?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How are you doing with putting off the acts and passions of the old self?

+ What characteristics of Christ's kingdom are you struggling to embrace and act upon? Are you praying for growth in this?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who is praying for me, that I might become more like Christ?

+ Who can I love and bring into the fold, balancing the truth of scripture with the grace and love of Jesus?