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Devotional for the week – 26 October 2009 Sermon Title : Our Exalted Lives With Christ Introduction The word “exalted” means “high-spirited, noble and illustrious”. With reference to this morning’s scripture, “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10), our goal is to live exalted lives and not exhausted lives. We are to seek and grow in Christ, to be transformed and not conformed to the world as in Romans 12:2, and to live an obedient and victorious life for Christ. We can live this victorious life because God, in Christ, has created all things through Him and for Him. In turn, God desires that we are to know all the riches of His glory in our “exalted” lives; that is, “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). He had made it possible for us to rise up with Him as stated in Colossians 3:1, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” We are, therefore, challenged to ask ourselves if we are living in Him. Are we living our lives by seeking God, being transformed by God and doing all He teaches us to do? Have we started the process of taking practical steps to live such an “exalted” life? How can we live this “exalted” life? We are to be serious seekers, transformed thinkers, and diligent doers of God’s Word. The serious seeker speaks of our destiny in Christ. We are called to be like Jesus, while the transformed thinker and the diligent doer mark our distinctiveness as Christians. The Serious Seeker Do we schedule devotional time with God to let His Word dwell within us so that we can focus our thoughts on Christ? We might take the first step by setting aside a time and place for daily devotion, or participate in church activities like Masterlife or similar discipleship classes to enhance and reinforce our understanding of God’s Word in order that we may walk in righteousness and holiness. The Transformed Thinker In Colossians 3:2, apostle Paul appealed to his hearers to keep their thoughts on heavenly matters and not on the things of the world. Colossians 2:8 also warns us against being attracted to the philosophies of men and empty deceptions that arise from traditions. We need to be transformed thinkers by renewing our mind with the Word of God. This is the next step to our “exalted” lives with Christ. The Diligent Doer The diligent doer does what is natural to his transformed mind. Colossians 3:17 is a spiritual principle for spiritual actions. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” At this stage, we see the products of the “exalted” lives with Christ - we begin to serve in church duties and activities with joy and love, and consistently pray for one another -“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2) Conclusion In all things, do we put Christ above everything in our lives? We must not live outside the world but live within this world. Yet our distinctiveness is our “exalted” lives with Christ. We hold on to the Kingdom Values as given in the Scripture. We need to continue being serious seekers, transformed thinkers, and diligent doers of God’s Word. Prayer Response Father, we acknowledge our weaknesses in coping with the challenges of this world. We are grateful to you for giving us your Holy Spirit that enables and empowers us to overcome the world. We pray, therefore, for our will to be conformed to Your will - that we will continue to seek You, be transformed by You and to obey all You have commanded us to do. Amen. Devotional based on a sermon by Dr Ho Boon Tiong The sermon slides are available for download here.
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