Scripture
Living the New Life
1Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4And when Christ, who is your[1] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[2] 7You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,[3] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,[4] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Instructions for Christian Households
18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
20Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.
22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.[5] 25But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
Translation notes (5)
- 3:4 Some manuscripts read our.
- 3:6 Some manuscripts read is coming on all who disobey him.
- 3:11a Greek a Greek.
- 3:11b Greek Barbarian, Scythian.
- 3:24 Or and serve Christ as your Master.
17And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
If you have children in your life, you know what motivates them. They may be motivated by their favorite food, toy, or activity. For example, my baby niece Lucy is motivated to take steps to walk if one of her favorite toys is at the finish line. Even as adults, we are highly motivated individuals. We exercise to be healthy. We save money to set ourselves up financially for the future. We work hard to achieve success in our careers. While these motivating factors are not wrong, Scripture teaches that there is a far better motivator for followers of Christ: living to honor and please God.
The apostle Paul taught about the motivating factor for followers of Christ when it comes to making the best use of our short time on this earth. He wrote, "Whatever you do or say, do it a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (verse 17). Our motivating factor, because we have been saved by Jesus, should be representing Him well and giving Him glory through the way we live our lives. If we claim to be followers of Christ, people are watching us, whether we realize it or not. When they observe how we live, they make assumptions about Him, the One we claim to serve and love. This is a weighty responsibility that we must take seriously. Understanding this truth means living excellently and always doing our best, knowing that we represent Christ in everything we do.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, people are watching you. The question is, how are you representing Christ? Are you representing His love, excellence, compassion, justice, and kindness by how you live, or are your actions missing the mark of representing Him well? Wherever we find ourselves, we all have room for improvement. How can you take steps today to better represent God in everything you say and do?
Moving toward action
Write out Colossians 3:17 in your notebook or journal. After writing the words of this verse, write about what it looks like for you to do everything to honor and bring God glory. What is going well? What area needs improvement? After you have finished reflecting, ask God to help you live out the words of Colossians 3:17, doing everything as God's representative.
Going Deeper
Colossians 3:1-25
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