A New Wardrobe for the New Year
Notes
Transcript
As we finish our Colossians series I want us to think about the New Year over the next couple of weeks. Today we will focus on the NEW WARDROBE we need to wear and next week we will look at the NEW SOUNDTRACK we need to listen to.
Join me please in Colossians 3:12-15 and notice the things we need to put on related to our “spiritual wardrobe”...
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Kenneth Wuest refers to the things we are supposed to put on as our “spiritual apparel.”
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead He told those gathered around to “loose him” and let him go. In other words Lazarus wasn’t dead anymore…they needed to remove his grave clothes!
The wonderful news for every child of God is that we don’t belong in the “GRAVE CLOTHES” of our past life anymore! Remember the OLD WARDROBE we’ve been called to strip away?
Colossians 3:5-9
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
We’ve been bathed in Christ, and we don’t want to go back to the filthy wardrobe of our past!
That’s the first point of the passage this morning is...
We Need a New Wardrobe Because we are New People
We Need a New Wardrobe Because we are New People
Notice again verse 12 of our text...
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
We are now known as...
The Elect
The Elect
Who are “the elect?” We need to go a little deep this morning. As Free Will Baptists, we differ with our Calvinist brothers on exactly who the elect is referring to.
I agree with Daryl Ellis who says that the term “elect” in this passage...
...identifies the group presently saved...The emphasis [in Colossians 3:12] is on believers as God’s special ones.
Leroy Forlines agrees, and says that the term “elect” always refers to those who are already saved, not those who will be saved.
He goes on to say that the only time the NT references those who were “elect” in eternity past is in 1 Peter 1:2, and this election is tied to God’s FOREKNOWLEDGE of those who would believe in Christ. In other words they weren’t just arbitrarily selected with no conditions, but rather were chosen based upon God’s foreknowledge of their faith in Christ.
According to Dr. Forlines, our Calvinist friends believe in what’s referred to as “unconditional election.” Unconditional election teaches...
God, in eternity past, chose to elect certain ones from the fallen race of men for salvation. This election was in no way related to God’s foreknowledge of faith on the part of the individual...The elect are in no way responsible for having faith.
Greek scholar, Dr. Robert Picirilli agrees:
They who have been transformed by God’s redemptive work in Christ and by the Holy Spirit are not being viewed as the “elect” before their salvation in time. The “elect” are the people of God. These were previously not the people of God; they were lost and unregenerate sinners, aliens, dead and in darkness… They remained sinners until, also in space and time, they were personally regenerated, and only then did they become the saints of God.
This morning, if you saving faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ YOU ARE PART OF THE ELECT! Not only that but you are also...
Holy and Beloved
Holy and Beloved
We spoke of the word “holy” last week when we talked about Isaiah’s vision from chapter 6. We talked about how it means “separation.”
We have been SEPARATED FROM out past life to our NEW life in Christ! We have been “SET APART.” We no longer belong to the world and the world system, but we now belong to Christ! Remember what Paul reminded the Corinthian believers of in...
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
We are also part of the “beloved.” This word refers to God’s STRONG AFFECTION towards us! God wants what is GOOD for His children, so much so, that He sent His only Son to die for us!
We see WHY we need a NEW WARDROBE! We were in the “grave clothes” of death and sin and decay, but NOW we are part of the FAMILY OF GOD and are ALIVE in Christ!
This is the doctrinal portion of this passage, now let’s look at how doctrine moves to application. He goes from telling us WHY we need a new wardrobe, to what the new wardrobe includes.
The New Wardrobe Includes the Following:
The New Wardrobe Includes the Following:
Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies
Tender mercies is the first item in the list. This refers to the COMPASSION that believers are to demonstrate toward those suffering and in need.
It refers to “a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering.”
We all need to ask ourselves is this a part of our life? If not, this is an area of our lives that we need to surrender to the Holy Spirit and be a vessel through which His compassion flows.
The second characteristic that Paul mentions is...
Kindness
Kindness
This is similar to the first. It refers to the “quality of being considerate and gentle” toward others. Max Anders says that kindness is...
the friendly and helpful spirit which meets needs through good deeds.
If those who knew you best were called to testify under oath, would they be able to honestly say that you are a KIND, CONSIDERATE and GENTLE person because of the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done in your heart?
The third “article of clothing” believers should wear is...
Humility
Humility
Humility refers to a proper estimation of ourselves, especially in light of our sinfulness. Paul sums it up in...
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Warren Wiersbe notes:
The pagan world of Paul’s day did not admire humility. Instead, they admired pride and domination. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of humbleness of mind...The person with humbleness of mind thinks of others first and not of himself.
How are you doing in this area of life?
The fourth quality that Paul mentions that we should “clothe” ourselves with is...
Meekness
Meekness
Meekness is sometimes translated as “gentleness.” The Greek word literally means, “acting in a manner that is gentle, mild, and even-tempered.”
The idea is “power under control.” Think of a powerful animal, like a horse. A “broken” horse yields it’s power to its trainer and is sometimes transformed from a wild bucking bronco, to a gentle horse that is good with kids.
Meekness is not weakness, but rather it is yielding ourselves to the Spirit’s control!
Often meekness is demonstrated during suffering and difficulty, because the individual has learned to trust in God.
Do you surrender your power and might to the Spirit’s control?
Number five is...
Long-suffering
Long-suffering
This is a reference to a “patient endurance of pain or suffering.” If we are clothed with patience, it means we are depending upon the Holy Spirit to bear injustices or injuries without revenge or retaliation.
Boy do I need the Spirit’s help with this one! How about YOU?
The next article of clothing is...
Forbearance & Forgiveness
Forbearance & Forgiveness
These two coincide with longsuffering.
Forbearance refers to “putting up with others.” For the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God, there’s just going to be some people that we are going to have to learn to PUT UP WITH!
N.T. Wright said:
…restrain your natural reaction towards odd or difficult people...
And in doing so we are going to have to demonstrate a lot of FORGIVENESS…after all don’t we serve a God who has demonstrated a lot of FORBEARANCE and FORGIVENESS toward us?!
Tony Evans said:
What makes forgiveness possible is recognizing that the Lord has forgiven you. If you refuse to forgive, you have blocked God’s operation in your life (see Matt 18:21–35).
By the way this instruction is given in the “present tense.” This indicates forbearance and forgiveness is not a “one-time” event, but rather ongoing!
Remember Jesus and Peter’s conversation about this in Matthew 18? Peter had asked Jesus if it was ok to forgive someone just 7 times and Jesus said in response...
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Jesus also mentions the “peace of God” as part of our new wardrobe in verse 15...
Peace of God
Peace of God
The peace of God is a reference to the TRANQUILITY that comes from a proper recognition of the salvation you have in Christ! This tranquility refers to the absence of mental stress and anxiety.
This tranquility is to RULE in our hearts! Notice again Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
The word “rule” here is an interesting word. Several commentators say that it means “to act as an umpire.” We are to let the PEACE OF GOD make the “call” when disputes and frustrations arise. We are to let the PEACE OF GOD be in “CONTROL.”
One Bible dictionary says this about the word “rule”:
to be the factor determining an outcome (as if arbitrating).
By the way, if you do not let the PEACE OF GOD “make the call” in your life then SOMETHING ELSE WILL! If we are a follower of Christ we have this peace available to us! Jesus told His disciples, before He was crucified that He was going to leave His followers with His PEACE:
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
What rules the day in YOUR heart and mind? Does the peace of God have the final say or are you allowing the CHAOS of the world rent space in your head?
Paul ends verse 15 reminding the Colossian believers to also practice THANKFULNESS!
Thankfulness
Thankfulness
When we think about this amazingly beautiful new wardrobe that is ours through Christ it should lead us to express GRATITUDE!
The phrase can literally be translated, “Be becoming thankful.” In others words it’s something we develop as we grow in the Lord. As we grow in our faith, we should BE BECOMING THANKFUL!
We can be GRATEFUL to God for the THINGS He has placed in our lives and the PEOPLE He has placed in our lives. Expressing gratitude will help us guard against the GRUMBLING and COMPLAINING that we often default to, which will rob us of our joy and hinder our testimony and the peace within a fellowship of believers.
As we close this morning, Paul suggests one final thing that makes the rest of the Christian wardrobe “pop.” It’s the one VITAL ACCESSORY that makes the rest of the things work...
Love
Love
I love what Max Anders says about this last item Paul mentions in his list...
Paul saves the most important item of clothing for last. Without love, all the other virtues may amount to mere moralism and little else. When love is present, there is harmony and unity in the community.
Let’s be reminded of Paul’s comments from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
As we look at all the pieces of this wardrobe we are reminded that God sat the bar high in regards to what He wants us to be characterized by. But it’s so important to remember...
GOD HAS BOUGHT AND PAID FOR THESE GARMENTS! OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PUT THEM ON BY FAITH AND TO KEEP THEM ON BY FAITH!
We don’t have the spiritual capital to go out and purchase these things. God has placed them in our WARDROBE through the power of the Holy Spirit and He expects us to go to the CLOSET and clothe ourselves with these things!
Salvation
Baptism
Church Membership