Identity Ridding ourselves of the lies we believe. Unconditional Love

So, not to be verbatim, but I think its important to relay what I learn in church because its easier to process and its helpful for those at all interested in what church is all about. Some of you might be surprised. This is the second week with Mark Brett, and Last week we covered Colossians 1 & 2 When we learned that Jesus=fullness. To keep it brief, I will put the verses and the important parts of the message that I feel are relevant to mention.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This says that the devil seeks to distort the truth to make things seem less blatantly a lie. 
Anything that we value could become an idol before God if we justify an action, or thing once. i.e. In my life, I feel called to do summer project. I resisted so long that when a second mushroom internship popped up, I could have said it was a sign from God that the availability of a job in my interest was the hook out of going to summer project. Instead, currently, I see it as a test. What do I value more? What is really important to me? I had told God that if the first mushroom internship didn't work out, I would look further into summer project. I couldn't deny him or myself at that point. We have to know Him (Christ) well, in order to recognize lies.

John 2:15-16

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

Sometimes (OFTEN) we don't fear God as much as we should. Christ Jesus can get angry too, for good cause. When we do something that isn't necessarily wrong, but its out of context, or its not exactly right, but we can justify it, we upset God, even though through his son he has forgiven us. 

THAT verse seemed a little out of context for the message, so I may have written the verse down wrong. In which case, lets go through all the Johns that seem applicable of the Bible.

1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

 After we become Christians and get past the lies, and past defining ourselves by the world, we have to get by the 3rd force, our selfish desires... ironic that I wrote about this yesterday seeing as we talked about it today. The problem is, even as Christians we are TEMPTED DAILY to drift away from God. Its a natural tendency to do what we feel is right and forget about God.

Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

We must reorient ourselves to a new reality. The difficult part is seeing ourselves the way the Lord sees us... which is wonderfully made. Jesus has taken our sin, so that God can look down on us with love, patience, and compassion. We are eternally secure once we've accepted Christ as our savior, God's son coming down to Earth to die for our sins.
This eternal security is NOT based on:

• how many good things we do
• how we feel

We must set our minds on that reality, live life consistent with that reality. God's love is unconditional.

Colossians 3:5-11

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Its a continuous struggle, but we must "keep putting it to death"

• We need to be clothed in Christ.

• We must put off our old self, and put on our new self so that we can change inside out.
• Its being like minded in Christ- through letting Christ live through you, that allows changes in your behavior to occur. We can't change our own behavior on our own.

• Coming back to a part of last week's message, the good things we do don't define us. 
• Every step we make through prayer, reading our bible, relying on other Christians, etc, are all to remind us of our Lord Jesus.

Mark Brett had an excellent example of putting on our new self in Christ.

• He described a time when he was playing football with his kids, only to find out it had fallen in dog poop. He washed his hands and the ball really well, but still smelled the dog poop. He realized when he sat down at the table for dinner that it was also on his shirt.
• We can try covering up the poop smell with cologne,  
• putting a new shirt on top of it (all our sins), but we can't cover our own sin to God, it still shows. 
• We have to wash ourselves clean. We want people to notice the sin has left us and we don't want to smell like dog poop.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

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