Christ Is All

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” - Colossians 3:12-13

Dearly loved…chosen and holy…that is how the Apostle Paul describes the people of God in his letter to the believers at Colossae. Up to these verses in this letter, Paul has been reminding us of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Let’s allow ourselves to be reminded also…

God has “Rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). God was pleased to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through Christ’s blood shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20). We once were God’s enemies, but He has reconciled us by Christ’s physical body through death. Now we are holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22).

Not only that, but God has chosen to reveal to us the glorious riches of this mystery – Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). For when we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ. He forgave our sins and canceled the charges against us. He took away all condemnation by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). Because of this, we have been raised with Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears, we will also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:3-4).

We have been made new. And even our new self is being renewed, according to verse 10.  It says, “…You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Verse 11 goes on to say, “Christ is all, and is in all.”

With these amazing truths as our foundation, we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to be patient with each other. We are to forgive each other in the same way that God has forgiven us.  Christ is the source of this love. Christ is the reason for this love. Christ’s glory is the goal of this love.

Holy Father, the kindness You have shown me in Christ is limitless. Please help me to love others out of the love You have shown me. In Jesus’ name, amen.