CHRIST, WHO IS OUR LIFE--COLOSSIANS 3:1-4

CHRIST, WHO IS OUR LIFE

COLOSSIANS 3:1-4

Introduction:

The Lord during His life on this earth always did the will of His Father. His love for His Father was the motivating force in His life and He sought to implant that love in the hearts of men. He is the source of life according to John 1:1-3.

He is the Creator and created everything in this world and He found it good. In the following message we will look at the Lord and His ministry and the good things He sought to give to us.

I. CHRIST IS THE SOURCE OF OUR LIFE

A. We were spiritually dead, Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

B. The same voice that raised Lazarus made us alive, John 11:43-44, “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

1. This is the voice that called the devils out of men, Luke 4:41, “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”

2. This is the voice that the sheep hear and know, John 10:16, 27, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

II. CHRIST IS THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR LIFE

A. It is by his life that we live, v. 4, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

B. He is in us, 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

1. The hope of glory, Colossians 1:27, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

2. The motivation behind our actions, Psalm 119:59, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.”

III. CHRIST IS THE SUSTENANCE OF OUR LIFE

A. What can the Christian feed upon but Jesus’ flesh and blood? John 6:56, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.”

B. "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die," John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

C. He satisfies the hunger of the lost sinner, Psalm 65:4, “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

IV. CHRIST IS THE SOLACE OF OUR LIFE

A. All our true joys come from him.

1. Job’s testimony, Job 8:19-20, “Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow. 20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:”

2. The testimony of the psalmist, Psalm 32:11,“Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

B. His lovingkindness is better than life! Psalm 36:7, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”

1. It continues in the lives of those who love the Lord, Psalm 36:10, “O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.”

2. It will never be taken from us, Psalm 89:33, “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.”

V. CHRIST IS THE OBJECT OF OUR LIFE

A. He hastens the believer towards the haven of his Savior’s bosom, Hebrews 4:9-11, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

B. The Believer moves toward perfection in his fellowship as an arrow flies toward its target, 1 Corinthians 13:10-12, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

C. He is the Captain of our salvation, Hebrews 2:10, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

VI. CHRIST IS THE EXAMPLE FOR OUR LIFE

A. He always did the will of the Father, John 5:30, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

1. He spoke the words of the Father, John 17:8, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”

2. He went to the Cross and bore our reproach, Romans 15:3, “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”

B. He became obedient unto death, Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

CONCLUSION

Everything that Jesus did here He did in order to bring men unto Himself that they might have life. He is our life and without Him we are dead in our sins. He died on the Cross that you and I might have life and live in the presence of God the Father for eternity.