MEMBERSHIP OF CHRIST'S CHURCH: A NEW STANDARD
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Membership Of Christ's Church
a) The Messiah or Christ — who is the Son of God — is the King of the kingdom of heaven. Paul tells us that we have been transferred from the world into that kingdom (Colossians 1:13). A few verses later, Paul puts this fact another way. Christ is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18). In the companion epistle, Paul tells us that we are members of this body (Ephesians 5:30). This spiritual body was made possible by the sacrifice of Christ's fleshly body enabling our forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation (Colossians 1:14, 21-22)
b) We realize how great a privilege it is to be a member of the church whose Head is Christ. This marries that fact with Paul’s comments in Colossians 3:8-17.
c) Here Paul outlines the characteristics that God expects of members of his kingdom or church.
2. A New Standard
Colossians 3:10
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.
a) Paul says, "...you put off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed...". Then he mentions a new standard by which this renewal is brought about, namely "true knowledge according to the image of the One who created" the new self.
b) The Christian is not one who lives by his principles more consistently than others do. Many non-Christians have high principles, and live by them faultlessly. Paul himself had done so before he became a Christian (Philippians 3:5-6). No, a Christian is one who throws away all his former code of conduct, and takes on the principles by which Jesus lived.
c) We have "true knowledge" of these principles through the gospel, which reveals an "image" of Christ as a pattern or exemplar for us to follow.
d) Since we have been created as new persons by Christ, it is fitting that we should now live by his principles exclusively, and lay aside our own.
The End ...
1. Membership Of Christ's Churcha) The Messiah or Christ — who is the Son of God — is the King of the kingdom of heaven. Paul tells us that we have been transferred from the world into that kingdom (Colossians 1:13). A few verses later, Paul puts this fact another way. Christ is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18). In the companion epistle, Paul tells us that we are members of this body (Ephesians 5:30). This spiritual body was made possible by the sacrifice of Christ's fleshly body enabling our forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation (Colossians 1:14, 21-22)
b) We realize how great a privilege it is to be a member of the church whose Head is Christ. This marries that fact with Paul’s comments in Colossians 3:8-17.
c) Here Paul outlines the characteristics that God expects of members of his kingdom or church.
2. A New Standard
Colossians 3:10
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.
a) Paul says, "...you put off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed...". Then he mentions a new standard by which this renewal is brought about, namely "true knowledge according to the image of the One who created" the new self.
b) The Christian is not one who lives by his principles more consistently than others do. Many non-Christians have high principles, and live by them faultlessly. Paul himself had done so before he became a Christian (Philippians 3:5-6). No, a Christian is one who throws away all his former code of conduct, and takes on the principles by which Jesus lived.
c) We have "true knowledge" of these principles through the gospel, which reveals an "image" of Christ as a pattern or exemplar for us to follow.
d) Since we have been created as new persons by Christ, it is fitting that we should now live by his principles exclusively, and lay aside our own.
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