The identity of a person is often reflected in the way one lives. For example, a child of God; someone who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior lives in a way that reflects his or her identity as a child of the most high God. As children of God our identity is embedded in our fruits (by their fruit, ye shall know them – Matthew 7:16a). God’s word reveals that children of God are called to live according to the will and word of our Father in Heaven.

After a person gets saved and becomes a child of God at times, they struggle to figure out what is next, how am I suppose to live now that I am a child of God. Thank God we have the word of God to guide us into God’s truth. Here, in the Paul’s epistle to the church of Colossae, he writes out clearly what the lives of those who have been saved by God ought to look like. Let’s reflect on how we ought to live our lives as believers as written for us in Colossians 3:12-17:

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

-Colossians 3:12-17 NLT

God Chose us to Be Holy

Our new life in Christ is to be holy as the Father is. Our lives should be without sin rather full of God’s beautiful character of holiness. Paul further describes holiness in this text as daily wearing a clothing of tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Just as the Father forgives us and loves us dearly we are also called to do the same in the lives of others. 

God Chose us to be Love

The child of God embodies love as the Father is love. Above all we do and become, we must clothe ourselves with love as sons and daughters of God. Our being and doings must be drenched and soaked with love. The love the believer demonstrates in the world nullifies the works of the enemy and brings healing, joy and harmony into the world. Paul states is as love brings us all together in perfect harmony v.14. We love when we share the gospel of Christ with others who do not know Christ, we love when we pray for others, we love when we share what we have been given with others, we love when we care and many more. We always as children of God must bear witness of the love we have in the Lord with the world.

God chose us to be Peaceful

Matthew 5:9 states Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they will be called children of God. Jesus mentioned this before Paul that the mark of the children of God are those who make peace. Peace here does not mean the absence of trouble but peace to be able to trust and remain steadfast in the Lord even in the midst of trouble.We are called to be peaceful to have the peace, the assurance we have in Christ to reign in our hearts always to vanquish fears, worries and doubts. We are to share this peace with others so they will also trust and hold unto God

God chose us to be Thankful

In life many things will come at you both good and bad as children of God we are called to be thankful no matter what we experience. What I have come to know about being thankful in all things is that God is always up to turning everything good to bring His name glory if we remain and abide in Him through the trying times. As we maintain a posture of thankfulness it keeps us in Christ and trust in Him to glorify His name in the end. Truly what God has done, is doing and will do is more than we can ever imagine, think and ask so it is extremely necessary that we always give thanks.

God chose us to be filled with His word

“ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives” There are so many wells of wisdom and knowledge one can draw from to fill their lives but as believers we are called to let God’s word, the gospel of Christ, His truth saturate our lives. God’s word should be where we draw counsel and truth to guide our lives. God’s word should be held in the highest esteem above all knowledge we will ever know in this world. For it is only God’s word that will prevail when all passes away. God’s word is the Truth and as such we must be full of the Truth to live out His glory.

Beloved in Christ we bear a great identity as children of God and as such we need to ensure to we live to this identity not by our own strength or might but by the grace of God and Spirit of God who enables us. I pray that Colossians 3:12-17 will guide your heart to remain in God and live out who God has called you to be as his holy people revealing His very nature to the world. Stay blessed and always know that Jesus Christ dearly loves you because He died on the cross that you may be saved.