Colossians 3:11                                                                     One in Christ
Kowloon International Baptist Church                                Kowloon Tong
Harry Lucenay, Pastor                                                         7 May 2006

The church is the body of Christ. We all entered the body of Christ through confession of sin and commitment to Christ. Though in appearance, background, and many other ways we are different, in Christ we are one.

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.                                                 
                                                                                                        Colossians 3:11

1. Obstacles to oneness dissolve in Christ.
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free…                  
The Bible addresses our tendency to separate ourselves from one another through differences.

William Hendriksen: Grace bridges all chasms.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.                                                                                   Galatians 3:26-28

This does not mean we do not have differences. It does mean we do not need to let our differences become barriers.

Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
                                                                                             Ephesians 2:14-18 (The Message)

2. New life points to Christ.
Christ is all…
The worship of the Lord our God through faith in Jesus Christ is our common bond.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.                                                                      Deuteronomy 6:4, 5

Leonard Sweet: When you stand at the Pearly Gates, would you rather be told you were too forgiving or you were too judgmental?

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.                                        John 8:36                                   

Jesus Christ is our all-sufficient Savior.
By him [Christ] all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.                Colossians 1:16, 17                                                                                            

Christ says “Yes” to all of God’s promises.
                                                                                            2 Corinthians 1:20 (Contemporary English Version)

3. Every believer carries Christ.
Christ… is in all.
The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.                                                                                      Romans 8:9                                                                               

Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God.
                                                                                         Ephesians 1:13 (Contemporary English Version)

To experience the oneness of Christ, put off the expressions of the old life that separate you from one another and accept the fact that Christ is all and in all.

The New International Version is used unless otherwise noted.