Read Colossians 3:5,12
Many religions across the world grow in number and depth of maturity and in their particular ‘holiness’ through fear and intimidation. Punishment, exclusion, isolation and possibly even death are used to intimidate people to change.
In contrast, Christianity grows through love. It’s the LOVE of Christ that draws people into Christianity. In terms of holiness, Christians grow in response to the LOVE of God in Christ Jesus. Throughout the New Testament all of the commands for holiness are in the context of the LOVE of Christ Jesus. We simply do not have commands to be holy standing apart from the love of Christ. LOVE is the key motivator!
It can be paralleled to a family where the parents rule with an iron fist and instil fear in their children. Eventually the children will break free and rebel in some way, shape or form. At the other extreme, parents who instil love in their children will always have a connection to them and ‘love’ and ‘obedience’ will be the hall marks of the children. The children will want to please their parents.
The command in Colossians 3:5 to put to death certain characteristics is linked to the love of Christ by the word ‘therefore’. It draws us to vs 1-4 where we see that we have been raised with Christ. We have been hidden with Christ and our glory will be revealed when Christ appears. The love of Christ in verses 1-4 is clearly the motivator for change in vs 5ff.
In vs 12 Paul addressed the believers as ‘holy and dearly loved’. Again the love of Christ is the motivator for having compassion, kindness and humility etc. Love is the motivator to remove the bad and to increase the good! But notice also that the word ‘holy’ here has to refer to our positional holiness in Christ. Otherwise the commands to change from vs 5 onwards would make no sense. The love of Christ that made us holy is the motivation to change. Progressive holiness flows out of our positional holiness.
If we are to be holy in every area of our lives then we need to cultivate a relationship with God where we spend uninterrupted quality time and quantity time with God. We need both quality and quantity for that relationship to grow. Five exhausted minutes at the end of a gruelling day will NEVER grow a deep, loving relationship with God. Relating to God on the fly will NEVER grow a deep, loving relationship with Him. Sitting with God quickly in the busyness of a hurried day will NEVER grow a deep and committed relationship.
We need to build our relationship with God to the point where our meetings are “sanctuary” times. We need to learn to pour out our hearts to God and to grow in His presence and to learn from His Spirit as the Word pours over us. Holiness flow outwards as we grow deeper inwards in our relationship to the Lord.
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
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Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Pray that this Sonday’s service in your church would be glorifying to God and edifying to the saints. Pray that any non believers would be convicted to repent and believe in Christ for salvation.
¥ Pray that God’s Word would be powerful and active in growing holiness among your church.
If you worship God in your quiet times it’ll be reflected in your life.
Such a life is indeed a life of worship!
1. How can you grow your relationship with God?
2. What motivates us to grow in depth in our relationship to the Lord?
3. How can you measure the health of a person’s relationship with God?
Discipleship Moment For Girls
Intro: Can you name 5 people you love? When we love people we do whatever we can to help them and to serve them. Holiness, in the same way, flows out of love. When we obey God we obey Him because we love Him. We love Him because He has loved us, shown in the coming of Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
Discuss how you know that God loves you.
Read John 14:15
What motivates obedience in this verse?
What does it mean to love Jesus?
How do we show love for Jesus?
Pray together that God would grow you in your love for Jesus.
Intro: Can you name 5 people you love? When we love people we do whatever we can to help them and to serve them. Holiness, in the same way, flows out of love. When we obey God we obey Him because we love Him. We love Him because He has loved us, shown in the coming of Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
Discuss how you know that God loves you.
Read John 14:15
What motivates obedience in this verse?
What does it mean to love Jesus?
How do we show love for Jesus?
Pray together that God would grow you in your love for Jesus.
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