Alive in Christ

As followers of Christ, we don't have to try to be good anymore.  We are alive in Christ through his death on the Cross for our sins.  Once, we grasp this fact we can walk in God's grace and mercy daily.
God has given us a newness of life in Jesus Christ through his sacrifice for our sins.  Paul reminds of this fact in his letter to the church at Colossae and Ephesus.  He says in Colossians 2:6-7 ESV, "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and build up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." The apostle Paul reminds them to be thankful for what Christ had done for them.  Paul then tries to make them understand his death for them in 8-14 by describing how Christ took way circumcision, how they were baptized with Christ, he canceled their debt, and how Christ overcame authorities.  He uses this discourse to help the believers in Colossae and Ephesus understand how they don't have to do things to earn God's favor ie being circumcised.
This leads to his next discussion in verses 16-18 in trying to help the believers know how to guard against pressure from the Judaizers.  He tells them to not let anyone disqualify them on the basis of any merit.  Paul reminds them that they don't have to go to any New Moon Festival to know God more.
The only thing that matters in our relationship with Christ is a new life in him.  God calls us to put to death our  old way of life and put on the new found in Christ.  In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul calls us to center our minds and hearts on Christ and not on things on earth.  If we focus on minds on the new life in Christ, then Christ will reign in our hearts.  Our new life found in Christ is the only thing we need to think about.  In verse eight he emphasizes we are to take away our old way of life of impure thoughts, anger, rage, malice, and put on the new because we are alive in this new life we have in Christ.
Lastly, Christ is in all things.  Paul says, "¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[a] free; but Christ is all, and in all."  Christ is in all things and all things are found in him.  He then issues a degree to the people at Colossae saying ¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  This are character qualities of believers that know and love Christ.  These traits we are not put on daily since we are new believers found alive in Christ through his death on the cross.  
Finally, this newness of life will lead to giving us peace the times of our life.  It will produce thanksgiving in our life when he realize the blessings God has given us.  Realizing that we are alive in Christ will help us realize the depth of our relationship with God. 
To close out this blog entry, I want to ask What has sustained you in your walk with Christ? How can you see how your walk with Christ as being alive?