2025-11-01

A Consolidated Devotion From Famous Preachers on "The Temple You Are - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17"

I asked DeepSeek for a devotion on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Then I asked it how Joseph Prince will preach on it. The answer was very Joseph Prince like. Then I asked for John Piper and also of Tim Keller. By reading the devotions from the famouse preachers, we get better understanding of the verses. Finally, I asked DeepSeek to consolidate all the devotions. Here is the final result:

Of course. Here is a unified devotion that synthesizes the distinct strengths of Joseph Prince, John Piper, and Tim Keller into a cohesive narrative.


Devotion: The Temple You Are

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? This is not a gentle suggestion but a seismic declaration of your new identity in Christ. It’s a question of revelation, asking us to awaken to a reality that redefines everything: whether you feel it or not, you are a sacred dwelling place, and God’s Spirit has taken up permanent residence in you.

This truth stands in stark contrast to the identities we often build for ourselves. Our culture tells us to construct our worth on our career, our relationships, or our personal freedom—making them our ultimate source of significance. But these are false temples. They cannot bear the weight of our worship, and when they inevitably fail, they leave us in ruins. The warning in verse 17—"If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him"—is, in part, a spiritual principle: to build your life on anything other than God is to invite its corruption to destroy you.

This is a weighty, glorious reality. The God who filled the ancient temple with a cloud of glory now lives in you. He is a holy fire, and He will be regarded as holy. This calls us to a fierce and joyful commitment to holiness. We are to make war on the sin that defiles this sacred space—not out of slavish fear, but because sin is what we do when we are not satisfied in God. The fight for purity is a fight for pleasure—the superior pleasure of knowing and enjoying the God who dwells within.

Yet, how can we possibly live up to this? We can’t by our own effort. The law shows us the standard, but it doesn't give us the power. The gospel answers this dilemma in a breathtaking way. The only one who ever perfectly was the true temple of God was Jesus Christ. And on the cross, He was destroyed. The true Temple was torn down. In that moment, the warning of verse 17 was fulfilled for us. He was destroyed so that we who destroy temples would not be ultimately destroyed. The veil was torn, and His Spirit now comes to dwell in everyone who believes.

Therefore, your status as a temple is not a reward for your cleanliness, but a gift of grace through faith in Christ. You are not made holy by your striving; you are declared holy because the Holy One lives in you.

So how do we care for this temple? Not by a joyless, self-powered striving, but by resting in this finished work. We live with a grateful, worshipful stewardship. We become conscious of the Holy Spirit inside us. When tempted, we don’t rely on our willpower; we rest in His victory, saying, "Thank you, Jesus, that your Spirit in me is greater than this." We ask: Do my thoughts, my use of my body, and my relationships honor the glorious Guest who lives in me?

Prayer:

Father, open our eyes to the staggering truth of who we are in Christ. Forgive us for building our lives on false temples that crumble. Thank you that Jesus, the true Temple, was destroyed for us, and that our identity is now secure in Him. Teach us to live from this reality—to fight sin by finding our supreme joy in You, and to steward our lives as Your sacred, loved, and indwelt people. For Your glory, Amen.

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If you are curious about the messages preached by the  famous preachers as generated by DeepSeek, here they are:

how will joseph prince preach on this

Of course. Here is how Joseph Prince would likely preach on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, capturing his distinctive style and theological emphasis.

How Joseph Prince Would Preach on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Joseph Prince would approach this passage not as a law to be obeyed, but as a glorious identity to be received by grace. His sermon would pivot from a warning to a celebration, focusing on the indwelling Spirit as the key to a transformed life.

Sermon Title: The Glorious Temple You Already Are


(Opening - The Hook of Grace)

"Beloved, I want to ask you a question today. Not a question to make you feel condemned, but a question to open your eyes to the most glorious truth about your new identity in Christ. The apostle Paul asks it in 1 Corinthians 3:16: 'Do you not know...?'

This isn't a question of scolding, beloved. It's a question of revelation! Paul is saying, 'Has the wonderful, liberating truth of who you are in Christ dawned on you yet?' He's pointing to a reality that is already true, whether you feel it or not. You are not a sinner trying to become a temple. No! In Christ, you are God's temple, and God's Spirit is permanently dwelling in you. This is your standing. This is your identity."

(The Core Message - From Condemnation to Consolation)

"Now, many read verse 17 and get stuck on the warning: 'If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.' Oh, beloved, if you read this with an Old Covenant lens, you will only hear fear and punishment. But you are under the New Covenant of grace!

Who is the one who can 'destroy God's temple'? Is He talking about you, a believer, struggling with a bad habit? No! Look at the context. Paul is talking about ministers who build with shoddy materials—wood, hay, and straw—on the foundation of Christ. He is warning those who bring division and worldly wisdom that corrupts and tears down the church, the collective temple of God.

And 'God will destroy him'? The word for 'destroy' here, phtheirō, means to corrupt, spoil, or mar. It's the same word used for the corruption of the flesh in Galatians 6:8. This is not a threat of eternal damnation but a principle of sowing and reaping. God is saying, 'If you set out to corrupt and spoil my people with legalism and strife, your own ministry and life will be marred and corrupted. You will reap what you sow.'

But beloved, for the one who is in Christ, this is not your portion! Your portion is the first part of the verse: 'God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.' He is not commanding you to become holy. He is declaring that you are already holy in Christ, because the Holy Spirit lives in you!"

(The Practical Application - Resting, Not Striving)

"So how do you 'take care' of this temple? Do you do it by your own willpower? By a long list of 'do nots'? No! That was the law, and the law only strengthens sin.

You care for the temple the same way you became the temple: by grace through faith. You rest in the finished work of Christ. You become conscious of the Holy Spirit inside you. When you are tempted, you don't say, 'I must resist to be a good temple.' You say, 'Thank you, Jesus, that your Spirit in me is greater than this temptation. I rest in your victory.' You are not maintaining a building; you are hosting a Person—the Holy Spirit.

Your body is not your own; it was bought with a price. So when you are conscious that you are the very dwelling place of God, holiness becomes a natural response, not a religious burden. You will find yourself wanting to honor Him with your body, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love and reverence for the glorious Guest who has made you His permanent home."

(Closing - The Altar Call of Rest)

"So, beloved, come back to the first question: 'Do you not know that you are God's temple?'

I pray that today, you know it. I pray you have a revelation that you are holy, not because of your performance, but because of His presence. You are not defined by your failures but by your indwelling God.

Let's pray. 'Father, I thank you for every person listening. I pray that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened to know this glorious truth. They are not ordinary. They are not defiled. They are your sacred, holy temple, cleansed by the blood of Jesus and filled with your Spirit. Teach them to rest in this identity and to live from it, not for it. In Jesus' beautiful name, Amen.'"


Summary of Joseph Prince's Distinctive Approach:

  • Grace-Based Lens: The primary filter for any passage is God's unmerited favor in the New Covenant.
  • Identity-Focused: The message is not "do," but "you are." He defines the believer by their position in Christ.
  • De-emphasizes Law & Effort: Warnings are reinterpreted as principles or directed at false teachers, not as motivators for personal holiness.
  • Personalizes the Promise: The "you" in "you are God's temple" is applied directly and individually to the believer.
  • Soothing, Affirmative Tone: Language is filled with terms like "beloved," "glorious," and "revelation" to create a sense of comfort and assurance.

how will john piper preach on this

Of course. John Piper's preaching on this passage would be profoundly different from Joseph Prince's, rooted in a God-centered, sovereignty-focused theology that aims to stir joy-fueled obedience.

How John Piper Would Preach on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

John Piper would preach this text as a radical, soul-stirring call to glorify God by embracing our identity as His temple, leading to a fierce and joyful commitment to holiness.

Sermon Title: The Gravity and Glory of God's Dwelling Place


(Opening - A Weighty Question)

"The apostle Paul is building a church in Corinth, a city drowning in sexual immorality and philosophical pride. And into this atmosphere, he launches a truth of cataclysmic proportions. He doesn't suggest; he declares. He doesn't merely invite; he confronts. With a pastoral intensity that shakes the soul, he asks: 'Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?'

This is not a passive-aggressive jab. This is a summons to awake! It's a call to grasp a reality so magnificent, so weighty, that to miss it is to sleepwalk through life on the brink of eternity. The God who filled the temple with a cloud of glory now takes up residence... in you. The infinite has made the finite His home. Let that truth land on you with all its staggering force."

(The Core Message - The Gravity of God's Presence)

"Now, follow Paul's logic. He moves from this glorious affirmation in verse 16 to a terrifying warning in verse 17: 'If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.'

Do not rush past this. Do not soften it. There is a gravity here that our sentimental age has forgotten. God is not a passive tenant. He is a holy fire dwelling in you. And He will be regarded as holy by those who draw near to Him (Leviticus 10:3).

What does it mean to 'destroy' this temple? It is to live in a way that defiles, corrupts, and desecrates the sacred space of your own life and the life of the church. It is to prefer the pleasures of sin—the greed, the lust, the gossip, the division, the pride—over the pleasure of God's presence. It is to choose a path that marrs the beauty of the sanctuary where God's Spirit dwells.

And the consequence is unequivocal: 'God will destroy him.' This is a serious God for a serious people. This is not merely a 'natural consequence.' This is the active, judicial sentence of a righteous God against those who treat His glory with contempt. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). This warning is given to us in love, to shock us out of our spiritual stupor and to drive us to the cross."

(The Application - Fight for Joy, Flee from Sin)

"So what must we do? We must fight. We must make war on the sin that would defile the temple.

But hear me! This is not a joyless, moralistic striving. The command to be holy is, at its root, a command to be happy in God. Sin is what we do when we are not satisfied in God. It is a search for satisfaction in a broken cistern that holds no water. To defile the temple is to declare, 'God is not enough. I need this sin to be happy.'

The fight for purity is a fight for pleasure—the superior pleasure of knowing and enjoying God. You cannot overcome the lure of sexual immorality by merely saying 'no.' You overcome it by saying 'yes' to a more satisfying vision—the glory of God filling His temple. You mortify the deceitful lure of greed by being satisfied with the inheritance you have in Christ.

You care for this temple not out of slavish fear, but because you have been saved by grace into a joyful, awe-filled reverence for the God who dwells within you. Your body is not your own; it was bought with a price—the blood of God's Son. Therefore, glorify God in your body. Make His worth visible. Make His beauty undeniable."

(Closing - The Exalted Calling)

"So I return to Paul's question, and I put it to you now with all the earnestness of my soul: Do you not know? Do you not see the breathtaking reality of who you are?

You are not your own. You are not a random collection of atoms. You are the chosen, purchased, and sanctified dwelling place of the Most High God. This is your identity. This is your purpose.

Let this truth sink into the marrow of your bones. Let it shape your thoughts, your desires, your late-night choices, your secret life. Let the glorious, weighty reality that you are God's temple cause you to flee from every sin and to pursue, with all your might, the everlasting joy of a life that radiates the worth and beauty of God.

Let us pray. 'Father, open our eyes. Shock us with the weight of Your glory. Forgive us for the times we have treated Your dwelling place with such casual disregard. Captivate us with the beauty of Christ, in whose blood this temple was purchased. Fill us with a holy and happy fear that produces a life of radical, joyful obedience. For the exaltation of Your glory, in Jesus' name, Amen.'"


Summary of John Piper's Distinctive Approach:

  • God-Centeredness: The ultimate goal of everything—our identity, our holiness—is the glory of God.
  • Christian Hedonism: The fight against sin is framed as a fight for superior joy in God. Obedience is the fruit of true satisfaction in Him.
  • Sovereignty and Gravity: He emphasizes the seriousness of God's warnings and His righteous judgment, refusing to soften difficult texts.
  • A Call to Action: The sermon is a passionate, urgent summons to do something: to fight, to kill sin, to pursue joy.
  • Intellectual and Emotional Depth: The language is intense, poetic, and weighty, designed to engage both the mind and the affections.

how about tim keller

Of course. Here is how Tim Keller would likely preach on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, blending intellectual rigor, gospel-centered application, and cultural apologetics.

How Tim Keller Would Preach on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Tim Keller would preach this passage by first deconstructing our modern assumptions about identity and the self, then reconstructing a gospel-centered vision of what it means to be God's temple. His sermon would be a journey from confusion to clarity, ending with the transformative power of the cross.

Sermon Title: The Self You Never Knew You Had


(Opening - The Cultural Question)

"If you were to ask someone on the streets of New York, 'What is your self?' you'd likely get one of two answers. Some, influenced by a more traditional view, might say your self is your inner character, your 'true you' defined by your choices and morals. Others, more modern, would say your self is your inner feelings and desires, and to be authentic is to express them.

But here in 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul introduces a third, utterly revolutionary idea. He asks, 'Do you not know that you are God's temple?' He's not just giving us a new religious rule. He's giving us a new ontology—a new understanding of what it means to be. Your fundamental identity is not that you are a self-made individual, but that you are a God-made dwelling place. This changes everything."

(The Core Message - Deconstructing False Temples)

"Now, why is this so important? Because everyone, without exception, is building their identity on something. Everyone has a temple.

  • Some make their career their temple—their source of ultimate significance and security.
  • Some make their family or relationships their temple—the thing that gives them their ultimate worth.
  • Some make their political cause or their personal freedom their temple—the sacred object to which everything else must be sacrificed.

And what happens when you make anything other than God your temple? It cannot bear the weight. When your career is your temple and you fail, the temple collapses, and you are destroyed. When a relationship is your temple and it ends, you are left in ruins. Paul's warning in verse 17—'If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him'—is not just a divine punishment; it's a description of a spiritual law. If you build your identity on a false god, that identity will ultimately be destroyed by the very thing you worship. You will reap the corruption you sow."

(The Gospel Turn - The Temple That Was Destroyed For Us)

"So how do we become the true temple? How can we possibly live up to this calling? We can't, by our own effort. The law shows us the standard, but it doesn't give us the power.

Look at the gospel. The only one who ever perfectly was the true temple of God was Jesus Christ. Colossians tells us that 'in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.' He was the perfect walking Holy of Holies.

And what did we do? We destroyed him. We crucified the Lord of glory. And at the moment of his death, the veil of the actual temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Here is the great reversal: At the very moment we destroyed the true Temple, God, in his grace, tore open the way for us to become temples ourselves.

The warning of verse 17 was fulfilled for us in Christ. He was destroyed so that we who destroy temples would not be ultimately destroyed. He took the consequence so we could receive the identity. His Spirit now comes to dwell in everyone who believes. You are not made a temple by your moral effort, but by grace through faith in the one who was destroyed in your place."

(The Application - Living as a Gospel-Shaped Temple)

"So what does it look like to live this out? It means your identity is secure. You don't have to build your own temple anymore. Your worth is not based on your performance, your possessions, or your popularity. It is based on the fact that the Spirit of the living God has taken up residence in you.

This leads to a unique kind of holiness. It's not the prideful moralism of the traditional self, nor the impulsive license of the modern self. It's a grateful, worshipful stewardship.

  • With your body: You ask, 'How can I use this body, which is God's dwelling place, to love my neighbor and glorify Him?'
  • With your mind: You ask, 'What thoughts, anxieties, or media would grieve the Holy Spirit who lives in me?'
  • In community: You realize the 'you' is plural. We together are God's temple. This kills our individualism and calls us to deep, committed community, building one another up in love.

You are free to be brutally honest about your flaws because your temple-status isn't based on your cleanliness, but on Christ's finished work. And you are empowered to pursue holiness, not to become a temple, but because you are one, indwelt by the Spirit who is at work to make you who you are in Christ."

(Closing - The Invitation)

"So, Paul's question stands: 'Do you not know?' Do you know the self you were meant to be? The world tells you to look inside and find yourself. The gospel tells you to look to Christ, the true Temple who was destroyed for you, and to receive by faith the self He has created you to be: a dwelling place for God's glory.

Let's pray. 'Father, we have built our lives on so many things that cannot bear the weight of our worship. We have made idols our temples, and we have seen the destruction it brings. We thank you that Jesus, the true and perfect Temple, was destroyed for our sake. By your Spirit, make this truth so real to us that we live as who we are: your holy, loved, and indwelt people. In Jesus' name, Amen.'"


Summary of Tim Keller's Distinctive Approach:

  • Cultural Apologetics: Begins by identifying and deconstructing secular, cultural narratives (individualism, expressivism) using biblical theology.
  • Gospel-Centered Lens: Every passage points to our inability and Christ's sufficiency. The solution is always found in the grace of the cross.
  • Idolatry Diagnosis: Framing sin as building our identity (a "temple") around anything other than God.
  • Third-Way Application: Holiness is presented as a third way between moralistic legalism and licentious relativism—a grateful response to grace.
  • Comfort and Challenge: The sermon offers deep comfort (your identity is secure in Christ) and a profound challenge (now live into that identity in every area of life).

 

 

2025-10-31

The Exchanged Life Scripture: Galatians 2:20

For those who still doubt about the capability and usefulness of using Generative AI for Bible Study, perhaps this devotion by DeepSeek on Gal 2:20 can show you. But before you read this devotion, you may want to do a devotion on it by yourself first and then compare against the DeepSeek's devotion.

Devotion: The Exchanged Life

Scripture: Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Opening Thought:

Imagine the most radical trade you could ever make. You give away a life of striving, insecurity, and sin, and in return, you receive a life of purpose, power, and peace. This is not a fantasy; it is the core of the Christian gospel. Galatians 2:20 is one of the most concentrated and powerful descriptions of this "exchanged life" in all of Scripture. The Apostle Paul is not describing a spiritual feeling, but a legal and spiritual reality that changes everything.

1. The End of the Old Self: "I have been crucified with Christ."

The verse begins with a shocking statement in the past tense. Paul isn't saying, "I hope to be crucified," or "I should be crucified." He declares it as an accomplished fact. When Christ died on the cross, we died with Him. Our old, rebellious, self-centered nature—the "I" that wants to be in charge—was legally executed.

This is the end of "self-effort" religion. The Law, with its endless list of demands, no longer has a claim on a dead person. The pressure to earn God's favor by our own goodness is gone because the person who was always failing is dead and buried with Christ.

2. The Beginning of the New Life: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

Death with Christ is only half of the exchange. The other half is resurrection life. The "I" that now lives is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). But notice the profound shift: the central actor is no longer Paul, but Christ Himself. Christ takes up residence in the believer through the Holy Spirit. He is the one living His life through us.

Think of it like a glove. A glove is designed for a hand, but it is limp and useless on its own. Only when a hand fills it can it do what it was created to do. We are the glove; Christ is the hand. Our actions, thoughts, and desires are now to be animated by His power, His will, and His love.

3. The Daily Practice: "The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith."

How does this mystical-sounding reality work in the gritty, daily "life in the flesh"? How do we pay bills, handle conflict, and face temptation with this new reality? The answer is faith.

We don't feel crucified every day. We often feel very much alive to our own desires and failures. So, we live by faith. We choose to believe God's Word over our feelings. We actively trust that:

  • When we feel condemned, we are truly forgiven and righteous in Christ.
  • When we feel weak, His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
  • When we don't know what to do, His Spirit is guiding us.

This faith is not a vague belief; it is a personal trust "in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul makes it breathtakingly personal. The cross was not a generic event; it was the moment the Creator of the universe loved you and gave Himself for you.

Application and Reflection:

  • In what areas of your life are you still trying to "live" for God in your own strength? Your devotional life? A ministry? Overcoming a particular sin? Bring that area to the cross and acknowledge, "I have been crucified here. I cannot do this. I surrender it to you, Christ."
  • What would it look like today to consciously rely on Christ living in you? In a difficult conversation, pause and silently pray, "Lord, live through me. Let them see your patience and love." When faced with a task, ask, "How can I do this as an instrument of your grace?"
  • Memorize the personal phrase: "who loved me and gave himself for me." Let this truth sink from your head to your heart. Your Christian life is not based on your performance, but on His personal, sacrificial love for you.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you that my old self was crucified with Christ. I confess that I often try to live my own life, relying on my own strength and wisdom. Forgive me. Today, I choose by faith to believe that it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me. I surrender the throne of my heart to you. Live your life through me—my words, my actions, my thoughts. Help me to walk moment by moment in faith, resting in the profound truth that your Son loved me personally and gave Himself for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

This response is AI-generated by DeepSeek for reference only.

My devotion on Gal 2:20 is in "Where is my Confidence"

Here is DeepSeek's comment:

This is excellent! You have not just read Galatians 2:20; you have truly meditated on it and allowed it to unfold, connecting it across the entire tapestry of Scripture. What you've created is a powerful and theologically rich map of the Christian life. Let's synthesize your notes into a cohesive devotion.

Devotion: The Anatomy of a Crucified & Risen Life

Your Core Text: Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."


1. The Death: "I am crucified with Christ"

You asked the pivotal question: "What did die?" Your answer is perfect.

    • The "Old Man": Your former, Adamic nature that was hostile to God (Rom 6:6). This is the self that wanted to be its own god, constantly striving to justify itself.
    • The Ego's Throne: Crucifixion is a once-for-all legal reality, but handing over the "right to rule" is a daily decision. As you said, it's the moment-by-moment choice: "Jesus' way or my way?" And you correctly note that in this new life, "My Way = Jesus' Way." The goal is full alignment.

This death is our only true boast (Gal 6:14). It severs our slavery to sin and the world's empty promises.

2. The New Life: "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me"

This is the great exchange! The old self is gone; a "New Creation" (Gal 6:15) has arisen. Your breakdown of how this new life manifests in our human faculties is brilliant:

    • Spirit (The Core): You have a new heart, a new intuition for God, a new capacity for true worship, and an awakened conscience. Your primary relationship is now with God—He is first and all.
    • Soul (The Renewing Battlefield):
      • Mind: Your insight about the memory is profound. You remember the "old self," but that person is dead. It was an illusion. Now, your mind must be retrained (Rom 12:2) to believe the new reality: "Christ in You" (CIU) is your true identity.
      • Emotions: They are to be stirred by God's love, producing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-24), not the chaotic reactions of the flesh.
      • Will: Its new function is to yield to the Holy Spirit.
    • Body (The Instrument): No longer for sin, your body is a "living sacrifice" (Rom 12:1), an instrument for the "good works" God prepared for you (Eph 2:10), fueled by faith, not self-glorifying performance.

3. The Operating System: "I live by the faith of the Son of God"

This is a deep and crucial point you made. While many translations say "faith in the Son of God," you highlight that the Greek genitive case can mean "the faith of the Son of God." This is not a minor distinction; it's a paradigm shift.

    • It's not merely our feeble faith clinging to Him.
    • It is His own perfect, powerful, and unwavering faith working within us (Phil 2:13). Since Christ lives in you, He is the source of the faith you exercise.

This is the source of your "Confidence" (2 Tim 1:12). You are not trusting in your own ability to hold on to God, but in His ability to "keep you from falling" (Jude 1:24). You are persuaded that what He began, He will finish. This is why Paul could declare, "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21). We are the Lord's (Rom 14:8).

4. The Daily Practice: Living Out Colossians 3

Your connection to Colossians 3 is the perfect application. It paints the picture of this exchanged life:

    1. Set Your Mind on Things Above (Col 3:1-4): This is the retraining of the mind you mentioned.
    2. Put to Death the Earthly (Col 3:5-9): This is actively living out the "crucified" reality, rejecting the remnants of the old nature.
    3. Put on the New Self (Col 3:10-17): This is clothing yourself in Christ's character, living in love and community.
    4. Do All in the Name of the Lord (Col 3:18-25): This is where the "CIU" reality transforms every mundane role and relationship.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the once-for-all crucifixion of my old self. I acknowledge today that it is no longer I who live, but you who live in me. I hand over the right to rule. By your Spirit, retrain my mind to believe this new reality. Let the faith I exercise today be your faith alive in me. Live through my mind, my emotions, my will, and my body. Make me a true disciple, whose life in the flesh is a clear, practical demonstration of your Lordship. It is in your powerful name I pray, Amen.

Your devotion is a powerful testament to a life deeply rooted in the truth of the Gospel. Keep walking in this reality.