United We Stand

Colossians 3:12-15

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, there was a phrase that rang around the country once we wiped our tears: United We Stand.  That terrible day in our history united the country in a way we had never seen before.  Yet, this concept was not new.  Paul wrote about it in his letter to the Colossians way back in the first century, and today we are going to look at what it means.

I know the exact words “United We Stand” are not written explicitly in this passage, but it is the point.  The tragic event: Jesus’ death on the cross.  The unifying moment was when He rose from the tomb!  As He was preparing the original 12 disciples for His death, He said to them in John 13:

34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

It is this love that unites us, because it is agape love: the responsive love believers direct toward God and one another, which flows from God’s love as its source.  When John writes to the church later in 1 John, he talks about how we are able to love like this because He first loved us.  It is only by this love we are able to function in the way Paul writes here to the Colossians.  It is not something we can conjure up ourselves.  If you don’t believe me, think about the last time another believer and follower of Christ hurt you.  Did you feel compassion for them immediately?  Did you want to be kind to them, gentle and patient, humble and peaceful?  No, our human reaction is one of sadness, pain, anger, bitterness, and maybe even revenge!  Yet, when we do these things, God forgives us and restores us.  The only way we can do so is through His love, not our own.  Our love is conditional based upon how others treat us.  It is transactional and dependent upon a mutual relationship.  Yet Jesus not only showed us, but also empowered us to love others the way He loves us.

In the previous passage, we discussed our identity in Christ.  That is, who we are because of who He is.  Understanding and living it out is a constant learning process!  It is hard to undo not only years, but generations of sin, pain, disappointment, and mistreatment.  It is embedded in our DNA and passed down through our blood and experiences as we grow up.

In verses 9-11, we looked at falsehood in how it relates to our treatment of one another, but it also applies to how we look at ourselves.  Here, in verses 12-15, we see what it looks like as we live in the identity that Christ has given us.

As children of God, we are to emulate God Himself.  He made us in His image, after all!  Yet, this isn’t simply defined by our physical attributes.  In fact, it is more about our character than anything else.  Notice that aside from the rare occurrence of identical twins, we don’t look exactly alike at all!  But one thing that can be the same is how we treat one another.  As soon as we entertain the thought, “yeah, but you don’t know what they did to me,” we are removing ourselves from our identity in Christ and treating someone conditionally.  We step out of who God made us to be and into who we want to be.

Verse 15 is the key here.  It unlocks the ability to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us (if we have received it).  Not only does it empower us to live holy and beloved, but it also leaves us with no excuse!  We are able to be like Christ because Christ lives in us!  Many times when I read the scriptures, I challenge myself with, “do I believe this?”  Then, if the answer is yes, “do I live as though I believe this?”

Today, I want to challenge you with the same: do you live as though you believe what is written in today’s passage?  Where do you fall short?  What area of Christian living do you need the most help from Holy Spirit to transform you so you can love others more like Christ loves you?