◄ What Does Colossians 3:6 Mean? ►

Because we are children of God we are to look to Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He rose from the dead and broke the power of sin and death in the lives of all who place their trust in Him.

Today, Jesus is seated on the right hand of the Father in heavenly places, and the dear desire our hearts should be set on heavenly things, and not on issues that are intertwined with this broken world system, which lies is in the arms of the evil one.

By faith, we are positioned in Christ and have received His life. Jesus is our blessed hope, Who is coming back soon to take us to be with Himself in glory. And when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

We rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life, but before we were saved by faith in Christ, we were all sons of disobedience and slaves of sin, who remained under the wrath of God and were headed for a lost eternity. But now, by grace through faith, we are sons of God who have been freed from the penalty and power of sin and death.

Just as it can be said that every member of the human race were physically IN the bowels of Adam when he was created, so we can say with equal certainty, that every born-again child of God were spiritually 'IN the bowels' of Christ, when He was crucified and rose again.

This means that our fallen sin nature was nailed to the Cross with Jesus, as He hung on that wooden tree, 2000 years ago, and paid the enormous price for our sin. It means that His resurrected Life became our new eternal, resurrected life, and we became part of a new and perfect creation IN Him - simply by God's grace, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.

Our sins were washed away by His precious blood. The filthy rags of our fallen humanity were exchanged for His spotless robe of righteousness. All who have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting are one with Him, identified with Him, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, for we are part of His Body - not only in this world but also in the ages to come.

No wonder Paul insists that we must consider the members of our earthly body to be dead to the things of this world. No surprise that he reminds us that we were crucified with Christ, so that this fallen body of sin might be destroyed - and that we should not be enslaved to the practice of sin any longer. No wonder Paul rejoiced to say, "I have been crucified with Christ and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

By faith, we died to sin with the Lord Jesus, when He offered Himself up as the ransom-price for our sin. Although our old, sin nature will continue to lust against our new life in Christ during our sojourn on earth... nevertheless, we must reckon our OLD self dead to the desires of this world and our NEW life alive to God. We are to flee from all that is evil - immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed - all of which amounts to idolatry.

Before we were saved, we were slaves of sin and sons of disobedience. We were at enmity with God, slaves of Satan, and under God's terrible condemnation. Before we were justified in the eyes of the Lord, by faith alone in Christ alone, we were also participants in the sinful lusts of the flesh and the haughty pride of life. And because of these very things, the wrath of God will descend on all the sons of disobedience.

Everyone who has not been born of the Spirit remains under the wrath of God. Every person who has not accepted God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, will come under His eternal wrath. We must never, ever forget that there was a time when we were also sons of disobedience, who were estranged from God and under His righteous condemnation. We must never forget the incredible price Jesus paid for our redemption.

Because of our salvation, we are no longer under God's wrath but under His grace and protection. However, the wrath of God remains on ALL who have refused His gracious offer of salvation.. and they are called the sons of disobedience. But by faith, we are children of the light and are to walk in the way of righteousness, for His greater glory.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I am no longer under Your wrath, but by faith have become Your child, and a member of Christ's body. Thank You that He died for my sin and rose again, breaking the power of sin and death in my life, and clothing me in His own righteousness. I pray that I may not be enticed by the things of this world that entrap the sons of disobedience, and pray that Your Holy Spirit would convict many lost souls today of their need of salvation, by faith in Christ. This I ask in His precious name, AMEN.