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WEEK FOUR: Living Set Apart in the World
Holy Relationships
Focus: Christ-centred living with others.
Reflection: How should consecration shape my relationships?
Colossians 3:1-17
A new life in Christ1You have been raised with Christ to share in His risen life. So set your hearts on heavenly things, for that is where Christ is now seated at God's right hand.2You need to have heavenly thinking and not be restricted by mere worldly thoughts.3Because you died with Christ, your life is now hidden with Christ – in God!4Because He is your life, you will appear with Him in glory when He comes again.Made into the likeness of Christ5So put to death anything that belongs to the old earthly nature, such things as sexual immorality, any kind of impurity or lust, all evil desires and greed, for that is idolatry.6In His wrath God has condemned all such things and those guilty of such sin.7In your old life you were bound by such things.8But now you are to have a completely different walk, in which you can free yourself of all such things, together with anger, rage, malice, slander and speaking in a foul or unclean way.9Neither are you to lie to each other because you have left that old self behind with all the things you used to do then.10Now you have a new self that receives fresh revelation of God your Creator and makes you more and more like Him.Living in unity with others11In Christ there is no difference between Greek and Jew. It doesn't matter whether you are circumcised or uncircumcised, what your nationality or background is, whether you were born in slavery or freedom. Christ is everything to all who believe in Him, and He lives in them all!12So I speak to you as God's chosen people. You are holy, set apart by God to belong to Him as His own children. You are dearly loved by Him and can clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.13Yes, be patient with one another and forgive any differences that arise between you. Forgive as the Lord forgave you, no matter how deeply hurt you feel.14The highest virtue is love, for this keeps all these other qualities in their right place and enables you to live in unity with others.15As members of the one body of Christ, you have been called to live at peace with all the other members. So let the peace of Christ be a guiding principle of your life. And always be thankful to God.16Let the truth, the Word of Christ, live in you in all its richness. Then you will be able to teach, encourage and correct one another with godly wisdom. Keep praising God by singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with hearts full of thankfulness to God.17Be sure that no matter what you say or do, you are able to do everything in the name of Jesus, because you do what pleases Him, and you do it with thankfulness to God the Father because of all you received in His Son.
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