Session 1

You are God’s chosen one

From NewSpring at Home: A Study on Colossians

Scripture

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” - Colossians 3:12-14

Observation

When a couple gets married, they exchange rings. The wedding ring tells the world they are taken. And for the couple, the rings are a reminder of the new reality they’re living in. They are chosen, loved, and part of a new family. 

Paul reminding the church to put on love isn’t that different. He’s reminding fellow believers that they have been chosen by God. When they asked Jesus into their lives, they joined a new family. And the marker of this reality is love. 

Love is what Christians are to be known for. When people see how we treat others, they should see “a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). 

So every day, we put on love like we would a wedding ring. It’s a decision we make before the day begins to treat others, not as the world does, but with the same love Jesus showed us.

Application

• Look back at how Paul describes God’s chosen ones. Are these words you would use to describe yourself? Why or why not?
  
• What’s one way you could show kindness to someone today?

Prayer 

Father, thank you for choosing me and for bringing me into your family. You love me with an everlasting love. Help me to go and do the same. Show me where I need to be humble. Give me opportunities to show patience and bring this verse to mind when I’m struggling to forgive.