The Life of the Living – Part 1

Colossians 3:1–17 (NIV)

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Introduction

If we shouldn’t let ourselves be judged based on rituals and regulations, does our manner of living not matter at all? Paul answers this question here.

A Primer on Salvation

The Timing of Salvation

Past tense (justification):

Eph 2:8 “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”

Col 3:1 “1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ”

Present tense (sanctification):

1 Cor 1:18 “18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Col 3:3 “and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Future tense (glorification): Phil 1:28 “28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.”

Col 3:4 “4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Comparing Justification and Sanctification

• J: Legal Standing/S: Internal Condition

• J: Once for all time/S: Continuous

• J: Entirely God’s Work/S: We cooperate

• J: Perfect in this life/S: Not perfect in this life

• J: The same in all Christians/S: Greater in some than in others

In today’s text we are dealing with sanctification

Three Steps of Sanctification

Our orientation is changed (Col. 3:1-4)

We Put to Death Disobedience (Col 3:5-11)

We Clothe Ourselves with Holiness (Col 3:12-17)

Our Orientation is Changed (Col 3:1-4)

Col 3:1-4 “1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WERE

Who you were is dead

As a Christian your death is already behind you. –Piper

You have already been raised, but we are still waiting “hidden” life

The Orientation of Our Hearts

Seek Christ – a change of direction

The right hand of God is the place where Christ’s ultimate kingly authority is most clearly displayed

The Orientation of Our Minds

Our thoughts/will is reoriented

To Christ

Away from this earth

The Orientation of Our Hope

This is the basis of a changed heart and mind

We desire differently and think differently because we’re headed somewhere different

Resurrection hope is what enables the Christian to do really hard things

YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WERE

We Put to Death Disobedience (Col 3:5-11)

The proper response to sin is to murder it, not tame it.

Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.

John Owen

Category 1: Sins of the body

Col 3:5-7 “5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”

The old man is dead with Christ. The new man is risen with Christ. Do not live like the old man. Live your identity.

Vice list

Sexual immorality, impurity (usually sexual in Paul), lust (passion/unbridled desire), evil desires (general but probably sexual here)

Greed – this strikes at our motivation. “I want!”

These are all motivated by idolatry – replacing Christ and obedience to his design with our own desires.

Our evil deeds bring God’s wrath, but turning from evil deeds is not enough to stop God’s wrath

Turning from these vices is expected because we are not what we were – YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WERE

Category 2: Sins of relationship

Col 3:8-11 “8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Again, our fundamental identity means that these behaviors do not align with who we are.

The relational strife that tempts us to sin with our tongue should be eliminated in the new self. - YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU WERE

Application

We cannot contribute anything to our justification, but our sanctification is different.

What Christ has done in us makes our efforts against sin as a believer fundamentally different from our struggle against bad behaviors as an unbeliever. You can put off the old man because he is the old man and you aren’t!

How do we kill sin?

What if I don’t desire obedience?

How do I change my desires?

Look to Jesus

Pray

Community

What if I’m not changing enough?

Encourage the discouraged

Motivate the lazy

So get busy!