Living Out the Sufficiency of Christ

How does lasting change happen? We all know how to change behaviour temporarily. We can make resolutions, use positive affirmations, or try various techniques to break unwanted habits. But the harder question is this: How does a person change the desires, loves and identity underneath the behaviour?

In Colossians 3:1–10, Paul gives us the answer. Lasting Christian change begins not with what we have to do, but with understanding who we are in Christ.

Paul has spent the first two chapters showing us the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Now he turns to the practical question: What does life look like for someone who belongs to Christ?

The answer begins with our position. We have been raised with Christ. We have died with Christ. Our life is hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ appears, we will appear with him in glory. This is the foundation for everything that follows.

Therefore, Paul says, “Seek the things that are above” and “Set your minds on things that are above.” The Christian lives in this world, but his heart needs to be directed towards Christ. We are not called to ignore earthly responsibilities, but to remember where our true treasure, identity and joy are found.

This heavenly perspective leads to radical change. Paul commands us: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.”

He lists sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness. He then names anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk and lying. These are not harmless weaknesses that Christians must simply learn to tolerate. They belong to the old life—to the person that has been put to death.

The Christian is no longer a slave to these things. We have died and been raised with Christ. We therefore have every reason to break the chains of the old life rather than make peace with them.

But this is not simply a new list of rules. Christian obedience flows from a new identity. We are not trying to become Christ’s by putting sin to death. We put sin to death because we already belong to Christ and his sufficiency enables us.

The Christian life is therefore not behaviour modification. It is living out who we already are in Christ. As our minds are set on Christ and our old sinful patterns are put to death, Christ is renewing us into his image.

So don’t make peace with the sins that belong to the life you have left behind.

Kill them—not because you are trying to become Christ’s, but because you already belong to Christ.

We need to understand that putting off is part of the same process as putting on.

And that is where we will go next week. Having seen what must be put off, we will turn to what must be put on—the new life that Christ is creating in us.