Back to GraceGrowth in Christ-Likeness
Colossians 3:5-17
Believers are to focus on things above. If our focus is off, the things we do will not bring glory and honor to God. This includes our friendships, conversations, how we work, and every area of life.
Growth in Christlikeness requires work on our behalf.
Believers are to put forth effort to grow in Christlikeness. It does not happen automatically. We are responsible to study scripture and learn how to think, speak, and live in a way that brings glory and honor to God.
We must put forth the effort by subduing, savoring, and settling in. These three disciplines should not be ignored if you desire to grow in Christlikeness.
- Subdue your passions (verses 5-9a).
- Savor your position (verses 9b-11).
- Settle in and press on (verses 12-17).
Subdue your passions (Colossians 3:5–9a).
Know what is right and fitting as a disciple of Christ.
Subdue, mortify, put to death sexual passions: immorality, impurity, and passions. Immorality includes any sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship. Impurity includes impure thoughts, dialogue, and activity. Passion is inordinate affection for someone or something unnatural and out of God’s order (Romans 1:26).
Also, subdue, mortify, put to death idolatrous passions: evil desire and greed. Evil desire includes longing, lusting, and strongly desiring that which is prohibited, forbidden, and not belonging to us. Evil desire is depraved and injurious. Greed includes a desire to accumulate, placing our security in acquiring increasingly more, and never being satisfied. It is an insatiable covetousness which disregards fairness and desires to gain at the expense of others.
The wrath of God will come on the ‘sons of disobedience’ who are the unbelievers. As new creations in Christ Jesus, these sinful passions must be subdued and put to death.
Believers are called to cast off and lay aside like dirty garments the sinful behaviors practiced before Christ changed them, which include hurtful actions: anger, wrath, and malice, and hurtful speech: slander and abusive speech. Slander in reference to God is blasphemy and in reference to man is to vilify. Abusive speech is to tear down and lie, speaking untruth with the intent to deceive.
When our focus is on things above, new creatures in Christ Jesus seek to be slow to anger (Proverbs 19:11) with speech that is timely, filled with grace, and edifying to the listener (Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 25:11).
Believers benefit by putting off these sins and learning how to put on the fruit of the Spirit. Putting forth effort to grow in Christlikeness requires believers to subdue their passions.
Savor your position (Colossians 3:9b-11).
Know who you are as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Corrupted by sin, believers are renewed image bearers of God, being continually renewed in the full knowledge of our Creator. This renewing allows us to relate rightly to God and one another in Christ Jesus.
God has enabled the believer to know Him through His Word and His Spirit. This renewed position is without distinction (neither Greek nor Jew) within the church body for it is Christ who unites (Galatians 3:28). All are one in Christ.
Settle in and press on (Colossians 3:12-17).
As holy and beloved, chosen by God, believers are to put on Christlikeness.
This putting on has the idea of settling into. Believers are to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness (Matthew 11:29), and patience. Believers are to bear with one another, putting up with our brothers and sisters in Christ and all their foibles. We are to forgive just as the Lord has completely forgiven us.
Finally, believers are to put on love, the perfect bond of unity.
We are called to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and to be thankful, letting the Word of Christ dwell within us richly. This indwelling of the Word will influence how we think, speak, live, and worship. All we do is to be done in the name of the Lord, seeking only the approval and satisfaction of Him.
Unfortunately, believers often do not put forth the effort to grow in Christlikeness. This leads to frustrating and unfruitful lives. For growth in Christlikeness, we must intentionally subdue our passions, savor our position in Christ, and settle in and press on.
May we have an insatiable desire for the Lord!
Application Points
- Are there things in your life that have drawn your focus away from glorifying God? Humble yourself, confess, and repent of your sin. Fix your eyes on Jesus and seek the things above.
- Are you putting forth effort to grow in Christlikeness? God has given you His Word and His Spirit. You are responsible for learning how to live in a way that brings glory and honor to God.
Tools for Further Study
Cross References to Explore
- Romans 1; Proverbs 19; Ephesians 4; Colossians 4; Proverbs 25; Galatians 3; Matthew 11
A Hymn to Encourage: “I Would Be Like Jesus”
Earthly pleasures vainly call me; I would be like Jesus; Nothing worldly shall enthrall me, I would be like Jesus.
Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus, all day long, I would be like Jesus.
He has broken every fetter, I would be like Jesus; That my soul may serve Him better, I would be like Jesus.
All the way from earth to glory, I would be like Jesus; Telling o’er and o’er the story, I would be like Jesus.
That in heaven He may meet me, I would be like Jesus; That His words “Well done” may greet me, I would be like Jesus.
Words by James Rowe; Public Domain