Much of what we find in Colossians is similar to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians. But there is a difference. He did not copy one from the other. In Colossians, he revealed, in greater detail, what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished in the heavens. I believe in Colossians 1:16 is his most powerful revelation about Christ’s work in the heavens.

As in his Epistle to the Ephesians, we find that after Paul has led us to know our place in Christ in the heavens, he leads us to deal with things that cannot go with us into the Kingdom of the heavens. What a cleansing Colossians 3:5-9 takes us through! Please don’t let a one of the character traits of the evil one try to remain with you. Go over the list. Do what Paul has said. Mortify them all. Deprive each thing of its power. Through the power of what Jesus accomplished for you in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, destroy the strength of each one. Use His Name in approaching each character trait with which the serpent has sought to inject the whole human race. Because of the Lord Jesus, and the manifestation of God’s grace through Him, you need not allow a single one of those dark things to remain in you to disqualify you from a place and purpose in God’s Kingdom.

Now, Paul is ready to lead us to traits of character that will serve us well in that Kingdom the Lord Jesus made certain in the earth. These are qualities that will serve us well as we represent Him before all mankind. What a privilege He is giving us! How else can we even think of representing Him?

See what the Apostle tells us as we go onward in Colossians 3:12-14—

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (agápe, selfless love), which is the bond of perfectness (the trait of character that makes us complete).

In the Kingdom Christ Jesus brought, there is no place for retaliation or war. Go back and take note of the first Word in the New Testament about love in Matthew 5:44. There we also find the first Word about praying, the first about doing good and the first about blessing another person. Look up that verse. Mark it. Memorize it. Draw it into your daily living.

BLESSED SAVIOR, I praise You for the amazing work You accomplished for us sinners. There is no hope of any of us becoming good apart from what You have done for us. I praise You! Let Your grace become known in these for whom I am interceding!