Your New Life in Christ

3 ¹You were raised from death with Christ. So try to get the things in heaven. I mean the things where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. ³Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. ⁴Christ is your life. When he comes again, you will share in his glory. ⁵So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and always selfishly wanting more and more. This wanting really means to live serving a false god. ⁶These things make God angry.* ⁷In your evil life in the past, you also did these things. ⁸But now put these things out of your life: anger, being very mad, doing or saying things to hurt other people, and using evil words when you talk. ⁹Don't lie to each other. Why? Because you have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. ¹⁰You have begun to live the new life. In your new life you are being made new. You are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God. ¹¹In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews. There is no difference between people that are circumcised* and people that are not circumcised, or people that are from some foreign country, or Scythians.* There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is in all those believers. And Christ is all that is important. ¹²God has chosen you and made you his holy people.* He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to people; be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. ¹³Don't be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If another person does something wrong against you, then forgive that person. Forgive other people because the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love is the thing that holds you all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. You were all called together in one body* to have peace. Always be thankful. ¹⁶Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and strengthen each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷Everything you say and everything you do should all be done for Jesus your Lord (Master). And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Your New Life with Other People

¹⁸Wives, be under the authority of (obey) your husbands. This is the right thing to do in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and be gentle to them. ²⁰Children, obey your parents in all things. This pleases the Lord. ²¹Fathers, don't frustrate your children. If you are too hard to please, they might want to quit trying. ²²Servants, obey your masters in all things. Obey all the time, even when your masters can't see you. But it is not people you are really trying to please--[you are trying to please the Lord]. So obey honestly because you respect the Lord. ²³In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work like you are working for the Lord, not for people. ²⁴Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord. He will give you what he promised his people. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵Remember that any person who does wrong will be punished for that wrong. And the Lord treats every person the same.

Verse 6 Some Greek copies add: "against the people who don't obey God." circumcised To have the foreskin cut off. This was done to every Jewish baby boy. It was a mark of the agreement God made with Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14). Scythians Known as wild and uncivilized people. holy people God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ and belong only to God. body Christ's spiritual body, meaning the church--his people.