Sermons About Closet
Life After Easter
Text: Colossians 3:1-15; Romans 8:11-14 Key Thought: Jesus opens His new life to us – and to enter means struggle, wonder and gratitude. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of honour and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. God’s terrible anger will come upon those who do such things. You used to do them when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behaviour, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:1-15, NLT)
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Clean Out Your Closet!
Everything kept in our old-self closet is a fascination with the very thing that tried to destroy us. Charles Spurgeon reasoned, "Can you imagine the sanity of someone mauled by playing with lions continuing to go back to their den? Or someone playing with matches after they themselves were severly burnt?" Even though it is hard to imagine, the reality is people have. Just like them, we have refused to clean out our closets and continue to wear the very attitudes and ill character traits that are foreign and disfiguring to what Christ has planned for us.
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