Christianity is different from all the other religions of the world.
I know when I say that that a lot of Christians will insist
that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship.
But the word ‘religion’ can rightly be used to describe this
whole system of belief about God. All
the teachings about God, life, human beings that make up Christianity is the
Christian religion.
But what makes Christianity unique among all the world religions
is that very point, but even that point isn’t enough.
Christianity is not merely that we now have a relationship
with God.
We are united with God in ways other religions can only
dream about.
In ways we humans do not fully understand, we died with
Christ (Colossians 2:20) and we were raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1). All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
Christ, and we are being made full in Christ. (Colossians 3:10)
We don’t know all that means, but our lives are no longer
ordinary and insignificant. We are in
some unimaginable way partakers of the Living God, the creator of the world and
life. Our lives are now hid with Christ
in God (Colossians 3:3).
So Paul says that we are to seek things above, where Christ
is. (Colossians 3:1)
But what does that look like?
First of all, don’t let your lives be run by your passions,
especially covetousness. Always wanting
things, and more things, and things that belong to other people. (Colossians 3:5-7)
Then, as people chosen and valued by God (Lit. loved by God),
put on compassion, kindness, humility, patience, all things that have to do
with how we relate to other people. And
then he caps it off by saying ‘love,’ like it’s the sum total of the whole
thing (Colossians 3:12-15).
Why is this so important?
Life is full of things.
People are not things. If a
person is a Christian, they too have died and were raised with Christ and are
being made full in Him. People who are
not Christians are people for whom Christ died that they too might be made full
in Him.
So don’t let things or your passions run your life. See the bigger picture. Value the things that God values, which are not
things at all, but fellow-creatures made in the image of God.
There’s a lot more here, but life is learned one step at a
time.
No comments:
Post a Comment