For Starters

The book of Colossians deals in part with a problem in the church that on the surface must've appeared to not be a problem at all--at least not morally. Teachers in the church who had perhaps come out of philosophic backgrounds, Jewish backgrounds, eastern religion backgrounds were seeking to mix Christianity with their worldly ideas. And some of their ideas dealt with how to keep oneself morally upright, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (2:21).

Without doubt, these principles seemed to have "the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body..." However, the apostle Paul noted that they "are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (2:23).

Others have tried other methods to beat temptation, things like monasteries, law keeping, isolation, castration, violent abuse of one's own body to punish oneself for sin etc. But the problem of sin continues to persist.

Paul put so well when he said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:15,24, NIV).

So, What's the Story?

Paul answers his own plea of despair in the next verse (25), "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" And in Gal. 2:20 he clarifies even more, "I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

The problem, you see, if that as long as I live I sin. The solution: I have to die! Not in a literal way, of course, although we will all one day die literally. But the denial of self (Matt. 16:24,26), the dying to self, and letting Jesus live in me is crucial. Paul reminds Christians struggling with spiritual growth and morally cleaner living "that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."1 Why do I continue to sin? Because I haven't died yet! When will I be less tempted or less likely to give in to temptation? As soon as I crucify self (take off the old man) and let Jesus live in me (the new self)!

How do I let Him live in me? Use what you know about Jesus from the gospels--His character, attitudes, actions, words, likes, dislikes, interests, priorities, concerns, passions, and habits--and apply it to your own everyday life. Let Jesus' action be the action you take in your school among your friends; let Jesus' attitude be the attitude you display toward your parents and your brother or sister; let Jesus' priorities be the things you act upon first as you plan your weekend or think about how you'll spend your money; letting His passions be yours as you enter into worship or talk of the gospel with a friend. Ask the question as you go about your normal day and make the decisions that you make along the way, "What would Jesus do?" It's a powerful, life-changing approach to life as long as we practice it; and it is the essence of "being holy for I am holy"

So What?

* What's the most difficult thing about letting Jesus live in us?
* What connection do you see between "letting Jesus live in me" and this passage "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23, NIV).
* What do you suppose Jesus would be doing with your friends? What things would He say to them? What activities would He invite them to? What sort of parties would He attend and what things would He do or not do?