COLOSSIANS (21) Relationships Within the Church Community

​“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:12-17)
 
Review
We’ve been talking about the second part of Colossians, where Paul talks about how Christians should live out their faith in Jesus in five kinds of relationships.
 
In our relationship with Christ, we’re urged to set our hearts and minds on things above by putting to death our earthly nature and taking off our old selves with their practices and putting on the new selves.
 
Last Sunday, we focused on the meaning of putting on the new self. Paul explained the new self as “being renewed in the image of its Creator.” (Col 3:10)
 
The defining characteristic of the new self is the image of God. The Bible characterizes the relationship between humans and the image of God in three ways. First, human beings were created in the image of God. Second, human beings lost the image of God because of their sin and rebellion against Him. Third, the image of God is restored and renewed in us as a result of Christ’s ministry of reconciliation between us and God.
 
That’s what the new self is about. Putting on the new self means that we recover the image of God that we’ve lost. That was one of the main purposes of Jesus coming to the world in human form.
 
Since He is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) and “the exact representation of his being” (Heb 1:3), he was able to show us the image of God through His life so that we could follow His example. Not only that, Jesus opened the way for the image of God to be renewed in our lives by solving the problem of sin with His death on the cross.
 
And, if that’s the purpose of the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus, and if we really believe that He is our Savior and Lord and accept what He has done to save us, we also must make our lives align with this purpose.
 
We’re to put off our old selves and put on the new selves instead by continuing to grow in the knowledge of God and be conformed to the image of His Son until we attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
 
We’re to continuously remind ourselves that we have been crucified with Christ by faith so that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us, and we must try to live this out in every aspect of our lives.
 
Then, we will begin to see others the way Jesus would see them and treat them the way He would treat them. In other words, we’ll “clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12), and show who God really is to those around us through our lives and lead them to Jesus.
 
I believe that’s the kind of life we’re to pursue as new creations in Christ.
 
2. Relationships Within the Church Community
Now, let’s move on to the next section. After explaining the change that believers experience in Christ, Paul focused on how they should treat each other in the church community.
 
One of the great blessings we receive when we believe in Jesus is that we have a spiritual family in God. When we believe in Jesus, it’s not only that we ourselves are united with Christ but that we’re united to other believers who share the same faith in Jesus.
 
There can be no discrimination in this community because the bond we now have in Christ doesn’t come from race, gender, social status, shared interests, or culture but from Jesus’ life itself. His love is what binds us together as one body under the head, Jesus Christ. 
 
How is this possible? How can people from different backgrounds be united and act like one body? Paul says that it’s the reconciling power of Jesus’ blood. As he mentioned in Colossians 1:20,
 
“God was pleased… through him [Christ] to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1:20)
 
The power of Jesus’ blood brings forth peace. The peace of Christ not only refers to inner peace that individuals who believe in Jesus have, but also refers to the peace that exists in relationships.
 
The power of the blood of Jesus Christ breaks down every wall in our relationships with others so that we can treat each other with true peace and love in accordance with the image of God in us.
 
Paul also said in Ephesians 2:13-16,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Eph 2:13-16)
 
This is an important passage when talking about spiritual union as a church community. Here the two groups refer to the Jews and the Gentiles. Just as water and oil don’t mix, these two communities did not mix either. The Jews even avoided eating with the Gentiles. They were so different that it seemed impossible for the two groups to become one.
 
However, Jesus united these two groups by destroying the barrier between them through the cross. By doing so, the two groups became one new humanity and one body under the one true head, Jesus Christ.
 
That’s the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. It breaks down every wall in every relationship and brings us closer to each other. That was the power of Jesus’ blood that Paul trusted in. And that’s the power we also should have and rely on in our relationships with others in the church community.
 
The Church as an Alternative Community
Now, we need to talk about the purpose of God uniting believers as one body. Why do Christians need to gather in the church community and form one body? Isn’t it okay to believe in Jesus on your own? You might have had these kinds of thoughts before.
 
We see many Christians who remain outside of the church community. They believe in Jesus but they don’t feel the need to belong to a church. They say that because they can believe in Jesus by themselves, they don’t need to go to church. What should we think about that way of viewing faith? Is it acceptable from a biblical point of view? Does it align with God’s will?
 
When it comes to these kinds of questions, we need to first think about God’s purpose for making church communities. Paul said in Colossians 3:12,
 
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col 3:12)
 
Last week, I mentioned that Paul intentionally used words such as “chosen,” “holy,” and “loved” in this verse. These were the words God used when He revealed why He chose Israel.
 
God didn’t choose Israel because they were strong enough to fight against other nations according to His plan. They were actually few in number and therefore weak as a nation.
 
Nevertheless, God chose them because He loved them and He remembered the covenant He had made with their ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So, the words “chosen” and “loved” explain the reason God chose them.
 
The other word, “holy,” explains God’s purpose in choosing Israel. God wanted them to be a nation  that reflected His holiness so that they could serve as His tools through which “all people on earth [would] be blessed” (Gen 12:3).
 
That’s why God continually required them to be holy just as He is holy. If they failed to be holy and thus failed to reflect God’s holiness, it meant that they would fail to live according to God’s purpose for them.
 
The same principle also applies to church communities. The church community is called the “new Israel,” which implies that the purpose of God choosing Israel in the Old Testament continues in His purpose of building the church community in the world.
 
God wants not only individual believers but also His churches to exist as holy communities that reflect His character to the world. That’s why the church is also called an “alternative community.”
 
The church community should exist in this world as the body of Christ that reveals God’s characteristics and therefore distinguishes itself from the many other communities in the world.
 
That’s actually what non-believers expect to see from the church. They expect church communities to operate in a different way. They want to see true love, forgiveness, sacrifice, encouragement, justice, and righteousness from the church.
 
And that’s how God builds and expands His kingdom on earth. If we truly desire to see and create positive change in the world, then that positive change must first be started and seen in the body of Christ. That’s because the kingdom of God is not a theory to be discussed, but a body of principles to live out.
 
Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Co 4:20).
 
Even though it’s important to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God with our words, if God’s power and love are not reflected in our lives, people will never take it seriously.
 
The church is meant to be an alternative community, a place where new principles, values, and ethics are lived out in healthy, balanced social relationships based on God’s power. 
 
If we are faithful to living by the principles of the kingdom of God through His power, people will take notice and naturally be drawn to the love, peace, justice, and grace they see being lived out.
 
That was how the early churches grew so quickly.
Acts 2:44-47 says,
“All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Ac 2:44-47)
 
This passage beautifully describes how the first church in Jerusalem powerfully exhibited God’s love. When people outside the church saw how the believers loved each other, met every day, and rejoiced in God, they were naturally drawn to the church because they had never seen anything like it.
 
I believe that’s how God originally designed the church to be. Again, the church is meant to be an alternative community living a new way of life that visibly demonstrates God’s characteristics, Jesus’ love, and the values of the kingdom of God. And no one can do this apart from the body of Christ.
 
Just imagine the kind of church where members are united in love, take care of each other, serve the needy, and fight for justice. Wouldn’t it be beautiful? Wouldn’t it draw others toward it? That’s the church community I dream of.
 
That was Paul’s main goal for the Colossian church community. In today’s passage, we read several instructions he gave to the church.
 
Paul said, “Bear with each other and forgive one another… Forgive as the Lord forgave you.… over all these virtues put on love… Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly… And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:13-17).
 
We’ll talk about each instruction in more detail next Sunday, but when we think about them, we’ll find that the actions Paul urged the Colossian Christians to take were the actions that Jesus showed to people.
 
So, what Paul is really asking of the Colossian church is to follow the example of Jesus Christ and reflect His image. That’s what we must continue to seek to live out not only as individuals but also as one body of Jesus Christ. When we’re faithful to living out this life, the church will be more inviting, and more people will be guided to God’s life through it.
 
Now, let’s read 1 Pt 2:9, 12 before we wrap up.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light… Live such good lives among the pagans that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” (1Pt 2:9, 12).
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this precious opportunity to know about Your purpose in building Your churches on earth. Thank You for letting us have each other as a spiritual family in You.
 
Lord, we want to become more faithful to Your purpose in building this community. We want to be Your holy people who reflect Your love, grace, and righteousness.
 
We can’t do this apart from You. So we rely on the reconciling power of the blood of Jesus Christ and the true peace that comes from Him.
 
Please renew us, change us, and mold us so that we can sincerely love and take care of each other and so that we can be used as Your tools through which many people will join in Your blessings and glorify You.
 
We thank You and love You, Lord.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, we pray, Amen.
 
Reflection Questions
Today, we talked about the purpose of God building church communities.
 
1) What do you think about the idea that “The church is meant to be an alternative community”? What characteristics do you think the church needs to have in order to carry out this purpose? How do you think these characteristics can be developed?
 
2) What makes the church look inviting? What happens when the church fails to reveal God’s holiness and love to the world?