Guidelines for Christian Living

1. Guidelines for Christian Living New Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15

2. Extreme Makeovers The truth is…only One person can deliver on the promise to truly transform your life and His name is Jesus! • If you could change anything about yourself or your life, what would you change?  • Your health • Your image • Your relationships • Your finances • Your job • There is no shortage of people who claim to know exactly what you need to change. • Much of the world earns a living catering to the desires of people for a new or different life.  • But, what about religious groups, do any of them use similar tactics in hopes of influencing your thinking?

3. New Life in Christ What does that mean?  How do we “walk in Him?” The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians,“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Every believer who places their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior receives new life in Christ.  But unfortunately, many believers fail to experience the abundant life that Jesus intended because they are unwilling to surrender their will to Christ’s will. If we want to experience the abundant life offered by Jesus then we must be willing to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives.  We must be willing to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Jesus as He demands. The Apostle Paul said it this way in his letter to the church at Colossae, "asyou have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.” (Col. 2:6).

4. Rooted in the Word Colossians 2:6-7 (HCSB) The Sonflower Principle To survive we must be firmly rooted in Christ, and our faith and trust must be grounded in the Word of God. The deeper the roots run the stronger our faith will be. A strong vibrant faith will naturally overflow into thankfulness. It will be automatic not forced. • Signs of a true and vibrant faith: • Rooted • Built-up • Established 6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.

5. Vibrant Living Faith False Teaching Lies Deception Persecution Ridicule Injustice Faith is knowing what we believe, holding fast to it, and living by it!

6. Wise & Discerning Colossians 2:8-10 (HCSB) • Be wary of human philosophies that can take you “captive.” • Instead, take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). • Christ is the litmus test by which every idea is judged. If it takes us away from Christ it is not of God. • The entire fullness of God’s nature dwells in Christ and He fills every believer. • So, nothing has the power to take us captive unless we submit to it willingly. 8Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. 9For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

7. Dead to Sin & Self Colossians 2:11-12 (HCSB) • If we have placed our faith in Christ, He has circumcised our heart and removed our sin nature. • We are dead to sin and alive to Christ which is symbolized by baptism. • The old self no longer lives, it has died, and we have been raised to live a new life in Christ. If we are dead to sin and alive to Christ, why then do so many believers continue to allow the old life to influence them as Paul asked the Colossians (2:20)? 11You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. 12Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

8. Alive in Christ Colossians 2:13-15 (HCSB) • If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, your old self has been crucified. • You have received new life and it is not symbolic or mythical, it is very real. • The debt we owe God has been canceled, Jesus paid the debt for all our sins. • Nothing else needs to be done, Christ did everything necessary. • The new life is a victorious life and Christians no longer need to live in fear of sin and its consequences. Walk in Him! 13And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.

9. New Life in Christ • Paul said; "as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.”(Col. 2:6). • How do we do that; by being: • Rooted, built-up and established in the Word • Vibrant in our faith, knowing what we believe and holding fast to it • Wise and discerning toward the world • Dead to sin and self • Alive in Christ • As Paul told the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

10. Doubtless Living • The road to doubtless living runs through Colossians!   • If you want to continue this journey subscribe to our blog at doubtlessliving.com to keep up with new posts on this topic. • In the coming days we will be exploring what the Apostle Paul has to say about: • New Standards, • New Behavior, • New Attitude, and • New Involvement.

11. Guidelines for Christian Living New Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15