Tag: Colossians

Step Bar Christianity – Colossians 3:1-11

Paul says that in Christ, the old tribal identities are gone too. The things that used to define us, like where we came from, what group we belonged to, what we looked like, where we were born those aren’t the primary things anymore.

Colossians 3:1-11

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” — Colossians 3:1 (HCSB)

It’s Not a Step Bar

I’ve been thinking about adding a step bar to my truck. One of those running boards that makes it easier for people to climb in. It could be a useful addition. But it doesn’t change what my truck is. It doesn’t turn it into a different vehicle. My truck would still be a truck. It would be something bolted on to what was already there. You’d still have the same truck underneath.

Paul is describing something that is the complete opposite of that. He’s not talking about adding Christianity onto your existing life like an accessory. He’s talking about a fundamental change in identity. If you are a follower of Jesus, you died. The old you is gone. What is alive now is something entirely new, raised with Christ, oriented toward completely different things. The list of behaviors he tells us to put away (anger, lies, filthy talk, greed, all of it) aren’t just bad habits to work on. They belong to an identity that no longer exists. We don’t do those things because that’s not who we are anymore.

The last part of the passage is where it gets really interesting. Paul says that in Christ, the old tribal identities are gone too. The things that used to define us, like where we came from, what group we belonged to, what we looked like, where we were born those aren’t the primary things anymore.

I love being an American. I’m genuinely proud of that. But Paul is pretty clear that my identity as a member of Christ’s family overrides that completely. That’s not a comfortable thing to sit with, but it’s what he says. Now, I’m thankful that God has done some really cool things through America, and being an American has some great advantages. I’d sacrifice my life for the freedom that we have here, but that is not where my citizenship actually is. My passport may say America, but my name is in a more important registry, and that should change everything about who I am in every moment.

The big questions in life are actually easier to wrestle with for me. Where should I live? What should I do for work? Those feel weighty, and they are. But Paul isn’t primarily talking about the big decisions. He’s talking about the minute by minute stuff. The way I think. The way I talk. The way I treat the person in front of me right now. That’s where identity actually shows up, not only in the grand gestures but in the thousand small moments that make up a normal day, on whatever continent I happen to be on, in whatever job I happen to be working.

So this week I want to be faithful in the little things. Not just the big calling questions, but the everyday moments where my identity in Christ either shows up or it doesn’t. It’s easy to bolt something on and call it good. What God is after is a new identity that changes everything. Well, everything except the truck. I’m keeping that.

Love – Colossians 3:12–14

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

Paul’s opening words in this passage carry significant weight. When he refers to believers as “God’s chosen people,” he is intentionally drawing on language that Israel would have immediately recognized as covenant language. This is not a doctrinal statement, but a declaration that all who belong to Christ—Jew and Gentile alike—now stand inside God’s redemptive family. Elsewhere, Paul describes this reality as being grafted in.

From that identity flows a visible way of life. Paul lists qualities that are deeply relational: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. These are not personality traits reserved for the naturally agreeable; they are evidence of a life shaped by grace. Jesus himself tied forgiveness directly to love—those who understand how much they have been forgiven are transformed into forgiving people. These virtues are not separate achievements but expressions of a single root.

That is why Paul culminates the list with love. Love is not merely one virtue among many; it is the binding force that gives coherence and unity to them all. Without love, these qualities fragment into moral effort or religious performance. With love, they become a reflection of Christ’s own character. The Christian life, then, is not primarily about self-improvement, but about being steadily reshaped by an ever-deepening awareness of God’s love and forgiveness.

The call of this passage is straightforward but demanding: remain focused on love, and allow everything else to flow from it. As Christ continues his work of transformation, the aim is not to become impressive, but to become more like him.

Put on Love – Colossians 3:12–17

Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

This passage reads like straightforward instruction, and in many ways it is. Paul lays out what a life shaped by Christ should look like, not in abstract terms but in everyday behavior. Forgiveness stands at the center of it. Being forgiven by God while refusing to forgive others simply does not fit within the way God works. Love, gratitude, and forgiveness are not optional traits here. They are commanded because they reflect the character of Christ himself.

What strikes me is how closely thankfulness and forgiveness are tied together. People who are thankful tend to be more generous and more patient with others. They are usually easier to be around. I want to be that kind of person. The challenge, of course, is that this is often hardest with the people closest to me. This passage reminds me that Christlike love does not stop at the edges of convenience. If I want to live in a way that reflects Jesus, then forgiveness, gratitude, and love have to show up consistently, especially at home.