The Holy Living in Christ Jesus!

“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. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

First of all, we have to know that although we have been sinning against God (Romans 3:23), who is our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6)—He has presented us holy in His Sight through Jesus Christ’s physical body (Colossians 1:21-22). Because of this, we ought to be holy in everything that we do (1 Peter 1:14-16), even though it is hard (Matthew 16:24-27). The main reason for this is that we have been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29) In addition to this, if we have believed and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, then we are considered to be children of God (John 1:12-13).

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

Furthermore, John 15:1-8 points out that we are supposed to be connected to Jesus Christ, so God has given us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to work on. If we abide in the fruit of the Spirit, which includes “… love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”—we are going to be more fruitful. Otherwise, God who is the gardener is going to cut us off by piece by piece until there is none left, then He is going to throw us into eternal fire to be burned. Therefore, if we really want to be connected to Jesus, then we must abide in the Spirit as well. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) This is also because word of God declares, “… let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” (Galatians 5:16-17)

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (Galatians 5:24-25)

Moreover, if we love each other, as Jesus Christ strongly commands us to (Mark 12:31; John 15:9-17)—it is easier to abide in the fruit of the Spirit. This is because loving one another is the law of the Spirit  (Romans 13:8-10). Because of this, we have to really value and honor each other above ourselves, as the word of God states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:7-21)