Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles on Colossians. You can buy all 80 studies in a paperback book from Amazon. Useful Bible Studies > Colossians Commentary > chapter 3
Genesis 1:27 says that God created people in his own image. In other words, he created them to be like him.
We ask, however, in what way God intended them to be like him. Clearly, they do not have his importance – they do not rule all things. Nor do they have his qualities - they do not have all power; they are not present everywhere. So, we think that God intended them to be like him in their attitudes. They should behave as he behaves (Matthew 5:43-48); they should desire what he desires (Matthew 6:10).
However, all people constantly fail to live as God wants them to live. We are all guilty of many wrong and evil acts (Romans 3:9-23). That is why we need God to change our lives completely (John 3:3).
In his perfect life, Christ showed us how God wants us to live (1 Peter 2:21-22). Then, by his death, Christ made it possible for us to have a right relationship with God (Romans 5:8-9). We must turn from our evil deeds and invite Christ into our life (Acts 2:36-39). We believe and trust that Christ’s death is for us. So, even as God raised Christ from death, God gives us a new kind of life (3:1-4).
In our new life with Christ, there is no proper place for the wrong and selfish behaviour that we followed formerly (3:5-8). There is no proper place for lies, or for acts that are not sincere (3:9). Instead, we must now start to live as Christ did. Of course we cannot do that by our own weak, human efforts. We must depend on the strength that comes from God in order to live for him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). We can know that power because God’s Holy Spirit is working in our lives (Romans 8:9-11).
Next part: God accepts all people who put their trust in Christ (Colossians 3:11)
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© 2019, Keith Simons.