The introductory or foundational sermon I preached on August 30th, in preparation for the 9 Marks of a Healthy Church series (commencing on Sept. 13), is entitled “Christ Is Our Life”, from Colossians 3:1-17. The first point of that sermon is: The church’s identity is wrapped up in Christ!
The church is people—not a building or collection of programs—who have been radically transformed by the life-giving power of God and are being transformed into the likeness of His Son (cf. Romans 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).
The church is people:
- who “have been raised with Christ” (Col. 3:1; also 2:11-13)
- who are dead and alive… “for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (verse 3). See also Romans 6:1-8.
- for whom Christ is life… “When Christ who is your life appears…” (verse 4)
- for whom “Christ is all, and in all” (verse 11). Barriers, biases, prejudices, and hatreds are all wiped in Christ because He is in all!
- Who are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (verse 12). We are God’s “called out ones”—ekklesia—because of God’s kindness and mercy toward us (Ephesians 1:3-7 and 22-23).
Here is our identity. We are Christ’s when we are in Him! And with these things being true of us—raised with Him, dead to sin and alive in Him, chosen in Him—and because He is our very life and our all, our response is HUMILITY before God.
Humility, with no room for pride. This came to me as I read a quote from John Piper’s sermon at Bethlehem Baptist Church last Sunday. You may read that quote in the link below.
Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Gospel Humility
Link: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/09/gospel-humility.html
