…know your Creator…
Total destruction appears to have happened when a forest fire burns through woodlands, leaving charred, barren tree trunks dotting the landscape. Secretly, beneath the surface, remarkable things are happening. Wait, what!? New life is preparing to burst through the ashes with fresh possibilities.
“Dead to me” seems harsh and is hurtful when used in the context of relationships, but when we “put to death” the destructive behaviors and mindsets of this world, space is made for incredible things to happen. (Colossians 3:5-9) (See “Dead To Me, Part 1”)
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven…for you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God…Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (Colossians 3:1, 3, 10, NLT, bold added).
Like the fresh possibilities beneath the scorched forest floor, our real life is hidden with Christ in God.” From the place of hidden and unseen, Christ is at work healing, restoring, reviving, and breathing new life into our souls.
Abandoning the old habits with a self that is prone to harmful ways, our efforts are aided when we “put on” or “clothe ourselves” or “step into” this new nature Christ is forming inside of us. The process of clothing ourselves with a new nature is renewed and strengthened “as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
Who is our Creator?
- God is good. (Psalm 31:19, 118:1)
- God is love, and His love was proven by the fact that while we are sinners, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)
- God keeps His promises. (Psalm 33:12, 145:13)
- God sees. (Psalm 33:13-15; Matthew 6:25-30)
- God is gracious, and His love never runs out. (Psalm 36:5-9, 116:5)
- God absolves fear. (Psalm 56:11; 1 John 4:18)
- God is strength. (Psalm 59:9; Philippians 4:13)
- God answers prayers. (Psalm 138:3; James 5:16)
- God is for us. (Psalm 118:6; Romans 8:31)
- God cares. (Psalm 56:8, 124)
- God is a God of wonders. (Psalm 26:7; Matthew 28:5-6)
These attributes above barely brush the surface of knowing the depths of God. (Isaiah 40) This insurmountable task begins with Christ. He is the One who enables us to know God and plows back the old life, cultivating the soil for our new life to emerge.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God…And this is the secret, Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Colossians 1:15, 27). Through Christ in us, a miracle happens as we lean into the truth of Who God is. The growing knowledge of our Creator ignites our ability to reflect His image to others who also need to know God’s Love for them.
From a solid foundation of understanding who our Creator is, our motivation will quicken to put to death the behaviors and mindsets that charred our souls. Our once-parched souls awaken. Coming alive in Christ is like the first buds of trees in Springtime bursting forth in vibrant colors of green buds and picturesque blossoms.
“You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven… You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ… Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better” (Colossians 3:1, 3, 10, CEV, bold added).
You have been! If you have committed your life to Christ and believe He is the Son of God, you have been raised to new life with Christ. Your life is hidden in Christ now, and you are a new person.
I pray that as you put to death the area(s) of your life that need to disappear, you will sense God breathing new life into your lungs. Your desire to know God through Christ will be the only thing burning in your soul. May the wisdom of knowing your Creator ground you with unstoppable strength and overwhelming courage. May God open your eyes to the possibilities He has for you. So be it in Jesus’ name.
Meditate: New life through Christ
Reflect: What characteristic of God stands out to you? How can you grow more in what you know about God? Do you struggle with believing any of the attributes about God that are listed? Can you see where God is growing new possibilities in you? If yes – where and how can you embrace the new possibilities more? If not – who is someone you can talk to about what they see God doing in you?
Deeper: Isaiah 40; Romans 8: 5-16; Colossians 1:15-22, 27
This blog is a repost from November 2022.
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