Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 8
Monday


GUARD YOUR
BRAND

READ:Colossians 3:1-14
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Above all these things
put on love, which is
the bond of perfection.
__Colossians 3:14
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A popular clothing retailer requires that its sales clerks dress like the models in the store windows who advertise its clothes. This practice is referred to as "guarding their brand." The idea behind it is that shoppers will be more likely to purchase clothes because they will want to look like the people they see wearing them.

In a consumer__oriented culture, it's easy to be seduced into thinking that we can "buy" acceptance by wearing the things that beautiful people wear. Retailers would have us believe that looking good will make us desirable.

Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we can win followers for God by making ourselves attractive to the world. But the Bible is clear about what's really important to God. He wants us to look like Jesus in our character. In a sense, Jesus is our "brand," for we are being conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29). We attract others to Christ when we put on His attributes, which include tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Col. 3:12), and above all, love (v.14).

Instead of polishing and protecting our own image, we need to be guarding and reflecting the image of God, which is being perfected in us through Christ. __Julie Ackerman Link

````````````O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer,`````````````
````````````This is my constant longing and prayer;````````````
```````````gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,`````````````
````````Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear. __Chisholm`````````
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One of the Spirit's roles is to form
the likeness of Christ in us.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Colossians 3:1-14*************

1 If then you were raised
with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where
Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. 2 Set your mind
on things above, not on
things on the earth. 3 For you
died, and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. 4 When
Christ who is our life
appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death
your members which are on
the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness,
which is idolatry. 6 Because
of these things the wrath of
God is coming upon the sons
of disobedience, 7 in which
you yourselves once walked
when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves
are to put off all these: anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language out of your
mouth. 9 Do not lie to one
another, since you have put
off the old man with his
deeds, 10 and have put on the
new man who is renewed in
knowledge according to the
image of Him who created
him, 11 where there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcised
nor uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave nor free, but
Christ is all and in all.

12 Therefore, as the elect of
God, holy and beloved, put
on tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness,
longsuffering; 13 bearing with
one another, and forgiving
one another, if anyone has a
complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you,
so you also must do. 14 But
above all these things put on
love, which is the bond of
perfection.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In today's passage, Paul reminds believers that their identity is in
Christ (vv.1-4). He tells them to leave behind the characteristics of
their old lives (vv.5-9) and to embrace their new identity in Christ
(vv.10-14).