The Hidden Life of Godliness - Col 3:1-17

Introduction - Pursuing Godliness in the New Year

Top Resolutions for 2024

Improve fitness

Improve finances

Improve mental health

Lose weight

Improve diet

Make more time for loved ones

Stop smoking

Learn a new skill

Make more time for hobbies

. Improve work-life balance

These are commendable and even profitable things to accomplish…yet they are each temporal.

As Christians we may add some spiritual items to our list - read the bible more, pray more, witness more for Christ - but what is our motivation behind improving in these areas?

Our top priority in the coming year must be growth in godliness!

How are we to pursue godliness?

Is our pursuit doomed to failure, like our other resolutions? Is this pursuit tied to our performance of disciplines?

In the book of Colossians Paul is encouraging believers to live lives that are pleasing to God:

Colossians 1:9–14 (ESV)

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul’s emphasis is on the the fact that we have been delivered and transferred into the Kingdom of Christ, our debts have been, our sins have been forgiven, and knowing our status in Christ is our great motivator to live lives that are pleasing to him.

There are those among the believers who are legalists. They insist that our status before God comes from the observance of the OT order and a strict observance of regulations.

Colossians 2:16–23 (ESV)

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ....If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Notice how Paul is contrasting those who emphasize empty works with those who hold fast to Christ.

Growth in godliness does not begin with your actions....Godliness begins with the actions of Christ.

Godliness is only possible with Christ in the forefront of your thinking. This is the problem with most of our resolutions for a new year, there is a great of self at the center of our efforts. Even spiritual resolutions start with self and not with Christ.

NO ONE CAN GROW IN GODLINESS BY SELF-DETERMINATION

William Gurnall wrote in his classic work, Christian in Complete Armor

“Who among us has not learned from his own experience that it requires another spirit than the world can give to follow Christ fully? Let this exhort you, then, Christian, to petition God for the holy determination and bravery you must have to follow Christ. Do not claim that you are begotten of God and have His royal blood running through your veins unless you can prove your lineage by this heroic spirit: to dare to be holy in spite of men and devils.”

What Gurnall is saying is that the pursuit of godliness is impossible apart from the supernatural work of Grace in your life - you must be born again, you must be moved by the spirit of the living God to pursue godliness when the world and devils will oppose you at every turn.

In our text - Col 3:1-17, Paul gives six imperatives for the Christian life that pertain to growing in godliness

Seek and Set Your Mind on the Kingdom of God (1-4)

In order to grow in godliness we have to understand four things clearly:

Where Christ is presently - in the heavenly places

What Christ is doing - ruling supremely over all things

The relationship of your life on earth, with Christ in heaven

Raised with Christ

Old life is dead, new life is hidden with Christ in God

This is powerful, your new life is real, yet hidden, we see so much of the old self, so much that needs to be fixed - your real life, your new life is hidden with Christ.

Christ is your life - His life is your life, his righteousness is your righteousness.

The relationship of your life to Christ in the future - when he appears from the heavenly places to come back to the earth then your new life will no longer be hidden.

This is the foundation for all of your pursuit of godliness - we do not pursue godliness in order to make ourselves one with Christ or to even prove we are one with Christ - we can only grow in godliness when we have faith in Christ…its always the outflow of our status that he purchased!!!!

Paul gives this as the rationale for the first and all the imperatives that follow - the rationale is our present and future relationship with Jesus that are secure in him.

If you have been raised with him - Seek the things of the kingdom where Christ is! How?

Set your minds on things that are above:

All of our thinking and focus has to be set on eternal things, there has to be an intentional focus there because we live in the world and the temptation is to focus everything on the here and the now and the immediate.

You cant dare to be holy if your mind is focused here - because you will not live in awe of Jesus - you will live in awe of of people and live to please them…you will not have your heart set on heavenly joys but on earthly ones.

Put to Death All The Things That Pertain to Death (5-11)

Sexual immorality and all wickedness

Anger and the resulting sins

Everyone walks in these soul destroying sins worthy of God’s wrath, but those who have been raised with Christ can no longer walk in these patterns.

*Note on the issue of sinful desires* - Food Network Drag

Put on Clothes Worthy of Royalty (12-14)

Notice we put on these garments because of grace - we are chosen, beloved, and holy - it is a status given to us by Jesus. We take off the rags of immorality and hate and put on the garments given to us by Jesus…we put on Christ.

We wear these realities because they are who we are in Christ - remember our lives (our lives that remain in the process of sanctification are hidden with Christ in God...when God sees us he sees Christ. Christ is our life.

If we look back in the context of Chapter 2:23 - paul makes the point that devising a methodology of self discipline and legalism can do noting to stop the indulgence of the flesh....Christ must be at the center...our lives must be hidden in him and we have to see ourselves as belonging solely to him.

All sanctification is dependent upon the work of Christ in our justification - Col 2:13-15

Colossians 2:13–15 (ESV)

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Hearts (15)

The key here is to see the Peace of Christ as the ruling factor or governing factor of our hearts in relationship to self and one another.

Colossians 1:20 ESV

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

The peace that has been made between God and man by the blood of the cross is to be the ruling factor in our lives....when everything seems to be out of sorts, the fact that Christ has made peace for us with God should rule over all things....when we have the opportunity to be at odds with our brothers and sisters in Christ, this peace should rule over our fleshly desires for control and being right and for vengeance.

Again - Christ is placed at the forefront.

Foster a Grateful Heart, Rather Than An Entitled One (15b,17)

The pursuit of godliness can be called gospel obedience. It is obedience from the heart that is grateful for all Christ has done.

Legalism or legal obedience cannot be grateful, it says I am entitled - it can never truly love god because it believes god to be a cruel task master that is never satisfied with my efforts.

Let the Word of Christ Dwell In You Richly (16-17)

Paul is not referring to Scripture in general, but particularly the message that proclaims Christ.

So the pursuit of godliness hinges on our minds being captured by the gospel message.

Conclusion

You should find great strength and encouragement in the knowledge that your commission is divine. God himself underwrites your battle and has appointed his own Son the captain of your salvation. He will lead you on to the field with courage, and bring you off with honor. He lived and died for you; He will live and die with you. His mercy and his tenderness to his soldiers is unmatched....One moment of celestial joy will dry up all your tears, heal all your wounds, and erase the sharpness of the fight with all the joy of your permanent victory. - William Gurnall