The New Testament book of Colossians is all about Jesus. Jesus is the God who created everything and holds all things together. Jesus is the head of the church, which is his body. Jesus made it possible for people to have peace with God through his sacrificial death on the cross (Col.1:15-20).

Our baptism united us with Jesus (Col.2:12) and placed us on a high spiritual plane with him (Col.3:1-4). The privileges we enjoy as Christians are indeed a wonderful blessing. However, there are some very important responsibilities that go along with being followers of Jesus Christ.

If Jesus is truly Lord, then he determines our morality. We must turn from sinful activities (Col.3:5-11) and embrace a lifestyle that reflects our new status as God’s people (Col.3:12-14). We can’t live any way we choose. If Jesus is our Lord, we must live as he chooses.

If Jesus is our Lord, then we must live in community with other believers. The idea that one can be a Christian apart from other Christians is completely foreign to Scripture. Consider all of the “one another” verses we find in the New Testament. Colossians 3:15-17 urges us to live in peace together, being thankful for what we have in Jesus and exhorting each other to allow the word of God to flourish in the church as we speak and act as representatives of Jesus.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ must also extend to the home and workplace. A spirit of loving sacrifice will greatly enhance the relationships of husbands and wives, and of parents and children (Col.3:18-21). An attitude of humility and a desire to serve with excellence will go far in showing a good Christian witness in the workplace (Col.3:22-4:1).

Paul the apostle brings his letter to the Colossians to a climax with these words: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (4:2-6).

Our mission to spread the good news about salvation through Jesus must be bathed in prayer. We should watch for what God is doing in this world and be thankful for the many ways that he answers our prayers for his kingdom to come and his will be done. We should pray for preachers, teachers, missionaries and all Christians who are faithfully proclaiming the word of God.

Our prayers must be followed by the proper actions. We need to be smart about how we interact with non-Christians. If we are too quiet about our faith, they may get the idea that it’s not important. However, if we are arrogant and overbearing, they may be turned off by our presentation of the gospel.

We need to make the most of every opportunity. God gives us chances to witness all the time, and we need to take advantage of these opportunities to impact someone’s eternal fate. Our speech should be winsome and attractive. We should have mastered the basics of the faith so that we can properly answer people’s questions about who Jesus is and how they must respond to his grace if they want to become one of his followers.