Wed 7.3 – Renewed in Image

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.10-16; I Corinthians 12.13; Galatians 3.28; 2 Corinthians 4.16;

We talked yesterday about the “newness” of life. If you were not able to be a part of that study, please return to 7.2 and check it out so that you will have a better reference for today’s study.

I want to take yesterday a step further today. The fact that we have been raised to NEWNESS of life is very true! Please do not hear me saying anything different than that today. However, that is not the full extent of the truth of our LIFE IN CHRIST (Col 3.4).

Notice how God describes that new man in Colossians 3.10, he is RENEWED in knowledge after the IMAGE of him that created him. Now let’s look into that for a moment today.

Did you realize that when you were saved, it was not simply that you transitioned from a child of darkness to a child of light? Our salvation is more than a COMING to God, our salvation is a RETURNING to God. Here’s a little summary breakdown of the GOSPEL truth:

• GOD made man perfect and sinless to fellowship with Him and worship Him as the sons of God.
• SIN enters the picture with man’s seeking of self rather than seeking God and causes a separation between God and man.
• CHRIST, the gospel, comes to bridge the gap between man and God to bring sons of God back to Himself.
• FAITH is the agent by which men partake of Christ and receive their salvation unto life everlasting in Him.

Now, as we read the book of Genesis, we see that man was ORIGINALLY created in a perfect way with God. The Scriptures said that man was made in the IMAGE of God (Genesis 1.27), but notice a MAJOR CHANGE when sin enters the picture, now men are no longer in the image of God, but in the image of Adam (Genesis 5.1-3). Man LOST the image of God which allowed the fellowship with God and the reproduction of other sons of God. Adam was a son of God (Luke 3.38)but since sin, all men are the sons of Adam (I Corinthians 15.45-49 – with special emphasis on verse 49!)

So, when we are RAISED to walk in NEWNESS of life, we are actually being raised to walk in ORIGINAL life, the way God intended it before sin entered the picture and brought death. God says in Colossians 3 that we are “RENEWED” and that our renewal is after the “IMAGE” of the One who “CREATED” the new man…(Colossians 1.16-17)

Folks, remember today, we are not simply walking in a new way. It is just new to us, in God’s eyes it is ORIGINAL! God is in the RESTORING business. He wants sons of Adam to become the sons of God (John 1.12-14) and thus be renewed and alive-again to the original walk He wanted for us.

This truth leaves us needing to evaluate how we approach our walk with Him…is it simply to keep the list of things the NEW MAN should do and to avoid the list of things the OLD MAN would? Or is it in passionate thanksgiving for our restoration to His family as sons of God? And also, how are we doing at helping others find the RENEWAL their souls so desperately need?

May God awaken us to the reality of who we are in Him as sons of God! Amen.

Wed 2.3 - Seeking that First Love

Today’s Reading: Colossians 1.4-6, 20-21; 2.12-15, 20-23; 3.1-2, Revelation 2.1-7 

Tonight we are going to be looking into Colossians 3, and hearing from God about the things HE desires that we pursue, or chase after in life. You can click above and read the text of these verese in 3.1-2. As we saw yesterday, since we are now RISEN WITH CHRIST we are supposed to be doing some things differently. And I hope we all realized that doing things the worlds way (the old way) is pointless because everything that we can gain from the world can either be eaten, broken, or stolen and really has no long term benefit. But, TREASURES IN HEAVEN DO.

Today, let’s begin to prapare our hearts for the message tonight by remembering a time past in our lives. Do you remember when you first became a believer and follower of Jesus Christ? You would do anything for Him, wouldn’t you? I remember scrolling through every name in my cell phone to make sure everyone knew that my life now belonged to God. Maybe you have been around one of your friends when they had just discovered that guy/girl and they were sure this person was to be the love of their life. Every 5 minutes your conversation drifted back to how great he/she was, how beautiful their eyes were, how sweet they were, how they were “perfect in every way”. And while your friend is going on and on about Mr./Ms. Wonderful, you are puking your guts out with irritation.

Everyone has seen that excitement before. Most of us have experienced it. It’s called FIRST LOVE. What’s so cool about it, is that it is something that even God Himself talks about. In Revelation 2.1-7 Jesus Christ is talking to a church at a place called Ephesus. Let’s ask God to show us a few key truths in this passage and help us apply them to our hearts this morning. Here are some guidelines for us to think along…

#1 - THEY WERE DOING LOTS OF GOOD STUFF.Check out all the GREAT things God says about them in Revelation 2.1-3, 6. Man, I hope and pray that those very same things could be said about our church and ESPECIALLY our youth group here at Grace. They were hard workers, they were patient with others, they took a stand for TRUTH when others around them did not!, and they were in it for the long haul - they wanted it to be a lifetime of walking with God. God even says they shared the same hates. These people hated the same things God hates!!! AWESOME!

#2 - THEY LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE. Now you may be thinking, “where did that bombshell come in 2.4-5?” Well, that helps us understand that even IF we are DOING all the right things, and even sometimes with the right MOTIVE, we can still begin to do it without that FIRST LOVE for HIM that we had when we were saved. And yet, that FIRST LOVE is exactly what God wanted from us to begin with. Do you realize that God saved you SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE A MEANINGFUL LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM??? That’s His purpose for your life. To fall more and more in love with Him, and to lead others to do the same! It’s that simple.

#3 - THEY DID NOT LOSE THEIR FIRST LOVE. There is a difference between LOSING something and LEAVING something. I could use the example of your wallet. If you show up to school one day and realize that you LEFT your wallet at home, no sweat right? I mean, you may not be able to get that coke from the vending machine between classes, but the world is definately not coming to an end. You may even be able to visualize in your head right where it is laying on your dresser, or in your car. However, if you get to homeroom and realize that you LOST your wallet, and have no idea where it could be, PANIC!!! Am I right? God did not tell these people that they LOST their FIRST LOVE for Him, just that they had LEFT IT. So, when you leave something, what do you do? You go get it. In verse 5 God gives them a very simple solution for finding the LOVE they had LEFT. I would encourage you to look at that remedy in preperation for the service tonight!

I am looking forward to seeing you all tonight. I pray that God will begin to open your hearts and prepare your ears to hear the Word of God! I am so EXCITED about what God is doing in our youth group! I can’t wait to see how He uses this study of DIRECTIONS to bring us back to our FIRST LOVE of Him!!!

If you have any questions or comments, please post them as a comment to this devotion and I will get back with you.