Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional and our summer inspiration series. Today, we reflect on how our attitude and relationships are to be reformed by Jesus’ resurrection life in us.
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‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.’ (Colossians 3:1-4)
Identity has a massive effect on behaviour and feelings: You’ve just been told you got the job/you don’t have the job; she will marry you/she will not; you have cancer/you don’t; you are pregnant/you are not… These kinds of things affect our identity and have great impact. Paul says ‘since you have been raised with Christ…’ Knowing that we are raised with Christ will affect everything, including our thinking (v.2), Our future (v.4), Our morality (v.5), relationships (v. 12), What one speaks about (v. 16), Life in the home (v.18-21) etc. All good behaviour comes out of what we have become - those raised with Christ.
What does it mean to be ‘Raised with Christ’?
i. To be raised with Christ means that we have new life
To be raised with Christ is to have been made alive by the Holy Spirit. Our faith in Jesus, and our justification is the result of new life (regeneration). Baptism, as we see in chapter 2, symbolises what’s happened to us”
’Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead’ (Colossians 2:12).
ii. To be raised with Christ means that we are united with Him
How is it that we have new life? We have this life because we are united to Christ and share His life. The ‘mystical union’ means that we have, in Christ, shared in His resurrection and ascension. This is mysterious, but is the basis of our life and security. We read in Ephesians 2 about our new life by virtue of our union with Christ:
‘But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.’ (Ephesians 2:4-6)
In response, No matter how dead you feel. No matter what you or others say about you, if you have put your faith in Christ, you are united to Christ and raised with Christ; these words are true of you,
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God…’ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)
Community group notes and study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday, Inspired from Psalm 76:4, reflected on what it means for God to be ‘radiant light’. The Bible often uses light to speak of the appearance and ways of God; God’s light draws our attention to His holy and good nature, and, secondly, light speaks of His good ways that cast darkness out of our lives. Our message can be summarised as: God’s light restores worship and holiness.
Please read Psalm 76:4
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
What would you say are the main teaching points of this short section of Psalm 76?
Why does God sometimes show His light (His glory) in a visible form? (See Luke 9:28-31 for example)
What does God’s light and glory teach us about His nature?
What does God’s light and glory teach us about His will for us?
What does 1 John 1:5-6 teach about the fruit that must attend anyone’s profession of faith?
Prayer - It might be good to pray for one another regarding anything that has come out of this challenging study.
SIV - Why is the pursuit of worship and holiness vital for us to be a light to this world?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
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