Put Sin to Death
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Breaker Beach- VBS
Member’s Meeting tonight (I know it’s called a business meeting, but it’s so much more!)- come at 6 for COMMUNITY, meeting starts at 6:30 (Note about my community group). One thing we will talk about tonight is our desire to reach UIUC. (BRIEF VERSION- up to 70% of students leave their faith while in college and from personal experience, I can tell you that another 30-40% leave within 5 years of college- don’t know how to engage in the local church. The good news is that we can make a difference! (sending students around illinois and even back home internationally essentially as missionaries!)
We have a job to do at Cornerstone. We want to CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JESUS and we want to see LIVES TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL!
I think it’s so fitting that we are talking about that tonight, because reaching UIUC and our community requires that our lives backup our words. After
And Colossians 3:1-11 is ALL ABOUT THAT!
Recap of Colossians 1 and 2
Main Point: We Need to PUT SIN TO DEATH and PUT ON OUR NEW IDENTITY
Main Point: We Need to PUT SIN TO DEATH and PUT ON OUR NEW IDENTITY
Body
Body
As we come to Colossians 3, Paul turns the corner of his argument. Remember, he writes to talk about WHO Jesus is, WHAT Jesus has done, and then HOW we should respond.
In Colossians 3, we read how we should respond to the SIMPLE GOSPEL!
1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the 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 hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Paul starts off his chapter with SO. This is how we know that Paul is transitioning. He starts with a conjunction that ties chapters 2 and 3 together.
“So if you have been raised with Christ,” is telling us that EVERYTHING IN CHAPTER 3 BUILDS OFF OF THE SIMPLE GOSPEL THAT PAUL HAS LAID OUT!
And what is the simple Gospel? (Look at Colossians 1:13
13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
That’s the gospel! We have been rescued and saved by JESUS! It’s simple and it’s straightforward! (Colossians 2:13-15)
Paul is building off of the simple gospel and is applying it to our lives.
He’s CASTING VISION FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN!
He’s saying, “THIS IS THE TRUTH AND THIS IS HOW WE ARE TO LIVE IT OUT!”
And how does he start off chapter 3? “SO IF HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST SEEK THE THINGS ABOVE.”
In other words, Paul takes our focus off of ourselves and directs it onto GOD!
He’s saying, “FIX YOUR EYES ON WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO!”
MAKE YOUR DESIRES ALIGN WITH GOD’S!
Listen, that isn’t just for the Colossian believers, that is for you and I. We are to SEEK CHRIST! We are to seek the things above.
And specifically when Paul is talking about that, he is calling us to SANCTIFICATION!
When we place our faith in JESUS, we are JUSTIFIED. But afterwards, we are called to grow to be LIKE CHRIST- which is a process called SANCTIFICATION!
Paul is calling us to fix our eyes on JESUS and to take our sanctification seriously!
He continues making that clear as he talks about setting our minds on things above!
And he also reminds us that we have died!
Our life is no longer ours, instead, our life is hidden with Christ!
(5th gear) WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE! JESUS HAS PAID THE RANSOM!
Why do we fix our eyes on things above? WE DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!
WE DO IT IN THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR WHAT JESUS DID FOR US!
Do you ever think about that? We don’t obey out of obligation, we obey freely as a sign of thanksgiving!
We obey GOD because we have been redeemed and we have been made secure in God!
And it is all capped off by what we read in verse 4! It is all capped off by the fact that CHRIST IS OUR LIFE AS WE ARE SANCTIFIED AND THEN THAT WE WILL APPEAR WITH CHRIST IN GLORY!
Our reward is not here and now, our reward is in APPEARING WITH CHRIST IN GLORY!
Think about that! We get to appear with Christ in glory!
That’s what we are striving towards! Don’t forget that and don’t overlook that!
We will be with GO FOR ETERNITY IN HEAVEN! THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT!
That’s why we strive, that’s why we set our mind on things above, that’s why THIS MATTERS SO MUCH!
After encouraging us to keep our eyes set on CHRIST, Paul provides some further instructions. In chapter 3, Paul uses 5 lists to help build his argument. We’ll see three of them today- first in verse 5, then in verse 8, and in verse 11.
In verse 5, Paul is taking a theological idea- where our salvation comes from and what we should focus on and he now gives clear, practical instruction.
5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.
Paul’s first list is about things that we need to put to death!
These are things that are from our earthly nature, or things that COME FROM SIN!
Paul uses EARTH and FLESH to talk about sin, which he contrasts to GODLY THINGS- or things that are above!
Paul’s command to “put to death what belongs to your earthly nature,” is really interesting. Paul uses an IMPERATIVE VERB HERE which means that it’s a command! It’s also active.
In other words, PUTTING THESE THINGS TO DEATH REQUIRES WORK!
And it isn’t just an idea or a suggestion to put these to death- it’s a COMMAND!
Paul COMMANDS US TO PUT THESE TO DEATH!
Look at the list- sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.
4 of these 5 sins are linked directly to sexual sin.
Let me tell you something- sexual sin was a problem in the OT, it was a problem in the first century and it is a problem in 2024.
Paul lists 4 different types of these sins.
First, Paul talks about sexual immorality.
The word that he uses here is πορνείαν. That word may sound familiar. It’s half of the worwd “pornography.”
Sexual immorality in this context is literally ANYTHING that is sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman.
1 Corinthians deals heavily with this. The early church struggled with sexual sin and the modern church struggles with it too.
According to Barna, 70% of young men seek out pornography intentionally once a month or more, while about 50-60% of older men seek it out once a month.
This is not just an issue for men. The issue is systemic. Men, women, children. We live in a time where pornographic material is everywhere.
It’s so serious and so widespread that when I was in college, we had a Bible study that met at 5:30 AM on Friday mornings that went through how to walk with someone going through this fight! I can’t share anymore details, because that would break the bond of trust we built over tacobell breakfasts, but I’m serious, THIS IS A CULTURAL PANDEMIC!
The average child is exposed to pornography at 11. By 14, 94% of children have SEEN PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL!
94%! This is everywhere! This is a WAR IN OUR CULTURE!
Listen, as Christians, this topic can make us uncomfortable. But there’s a really simple solution. Paul lays it out in verse 5.
PUT IT TO DEATH!
You can’t just put it away and hope that it doesn’t come back. YOU NEED TO PUT IT TO DEATH!
Whatever that takes! Get rid of your smartphone, keep devices out of your bedroom, stop going on the internet alone, whatever it takes! PUT THIS TO DEATH!
If you are here today and you are struggling in this area. Let me encourage you with two things to hang onto. First, there is grace from God!
RUN TO GOD! To put this sin to death, it takes GOD! We can’t do it alone!
Secondly, find someone to help keep you accountable. Listen, this isn’t an option. This is NECESSARY! IT SHOULD NOT BE your spouse, find someone else. Find another man who can keep you accountable and can be FULLY VULNERABLE WITH and can walk with you as you PUT THIS TO DEATH!
Let me just offer, I’m always happy to talk and to help! Friend- you are not alone in this! FIGHT IT AND LET’S PUT IT TO DEATH!
Secondly, Paul calls out impurity.
Impurity here is not just referring to physical sexual sin, it’s also sexual thoughts, sexual conversations, crude jokes, anything that takes sex outside of its God-GIVEN place of MARRIAGE!
Listen, in marriage, SEX is a beautiful gift from God!
But, sex is not designed to be OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE!
So what do we do with impurity?
PUT IT TO DEATH! THERE’S NO ROOM FOR IT!
Thirdly, Paul tells us to put lust to death!
Lust is going to refer here specifically to our THOUGHTS!
It can be easy to say, “Well, I don’t sleep around. And I don’t make crude jokes, I just sometimes enjoy the view.” but Paul is saying, “DON’T LUST AFTER SOMEONE, or DESIRE SOMEONE WHO ISN’T YOUR WIFE!”
And hear me on this, just like with sexual immorality or impurity, you cannot put lust away.
There’s no room for lust anywhere- you have to PUT IT TO DEATH!
YOU HAVE TO FIGHT IT AND PUT IT TO DEATH!
The fourth thing that Paul calls out is EVIL DESIRE.
Evil desire here also refers back to these sexual sins.
In fact, the difference between lust and evil desire has been hard for commentators to figure out.
I want to propose that evil desire talks about sexual sin, but is broader. Paul is telling us to put to death ANY DESIRE THAT IS NOT HOLY!
It’s like Paul is calling again for us to FIX OUR EYES ON GOD!
And fifth and finally, Paul calls out GREED!
Paul says that we must put greed to death!
He directly links greed and IDOLATRY!
Why?
BECAUSE THEY GO TOGETHER!
Think about it!
Greed is selfish desire for something that God hasn’t given us.
Greed comes when we decide that we DESERVE MORE, or that we SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN SOMETHING!
Greed stems from covetousness and it can impact our lives in so many ways!
Greed is symptomatic of us fixing our eyes not on God, but on OURSELVES!
Listen to me- GREED CAN’T BE PUT AWAY, GREED MUST BE PUT TO DEATH!
Hear me on this. Greed will come back time and time again. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO FIGHT IT AND PUT IT TO DEATH, TRUSTING GOD INSTEAD!
So Paul walks through these 5 things, telling us that they must be put to death.
But he doesn’t stop there. He directly links these things to our past!
He links them to how we USED TO STRUGGLE WITH THESE THINGS AND HOW GOD’S JUDGEMENT IS COMING ON THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THESE THINGS!
But notice something- Paul talks about our struggles with these as past tense, COMPLETED TENSE struggles.
In other words, WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE BY JESUS!
If you know JESUS PERSONALLY, YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE, so let me challenge you to SEIZE THAT FREEDOM!
WALK IN THE FREEDOM THAT JESUS HAS GIVEN YOU!
Don’t be a slave to sin! These sins that Paul talks about, and the ones that he’ll discuss in verse 8 WILL ENSLAVE YOU!
That’s what sin does! It enslaves!
Christ SETS US FREE, SIN ENSLAVES!
It’s simple! The price has been paid! We were ransomed and freed when CHRIST NAILED OUR CERTIFICATE OF DEBT TO THE CROSS!
WE NO LONGER SERVE SIN! INSTEAD WE CAN PUT IT TO DEATH!
And that brings us to Paul’s next section.
8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
Paul moves onto his second list. This time Paul tells us to put away these things.
Let me be clear- just because Paul doesn’t tell us to “put these to death” doesn’t mean that these are somehow ok!
Let me be clear- THESE ARE NOT! FRIENDS, WE NEED TO REMOVE THESE THINGS!
Paul lists 6 things.
Anger
Wrath
Malice
Slander
Filthy Language
Lying!
What I love about this list is that it’s simple!
Don’t be angry!
Don’t be wrathful!
Don’t be full of malice!
Don’t be slanderous!
In other words, don’t be wrapped up with ANGER AND HATRED!
Don’t allow this type of divisive and poor behavior to come out!
PUT IT AWAY! Give it to God, and let God put it to death!
But then, Paul includes FILTHY LANGUAGE- which is unbecoming, and LYING!
Paul reminds us that lying is prohibited for a specific reason.
Lying is prohibited because we have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self.
This is really talking about SANCTIFICATION AND HOW WE ARE TO BE LIKE CHRIST!
And friends, we have already been made in the IMAGE OF GOD!
We affirm IMAGO DEI, or that man is made in the image of God and in turn, we should FOLLOW THE LORD BEING RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE!
And we should BECOME MORE LIKE GOD!
WE SHOULD SEE GROWTH AND IN THIS CASE, that growth is putting aside sin!
It’s putting aside sexual sin, it’s putting aside GREED AND PRIDE AND SELF-SEEKING DESIRES!
Instead of those HUMANISTIC, FLESH-CENTERED, DESIRES, WE ARE CALLED TO PUT ON CHRIST!
WE ARE CALLED TO FIND OUR IDENTITY IN JESUS!
PUT SIN TO DEATH AND PUT ON CHRIST!
Paul continues this push in verse 11!
11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
Paul tells us clearly, there is no division! We are united and we are all battling these things!
Hear me on this!
Paul lists 8 characteristics that could define someone and he does it in 4 pairs.
These are:
Greek and Jew
Circumcision and Uncircumcision
Barbarian or Scythian
Slave and Free
Listen to Paul’s argument. It’s simple.
NONE OF THESE MATTER BECAUSE CHRIST IS ALL AND IS IN ALL!
THIS IS THE ROOT OF UNITY! (Maybe illustration from anti-bullying day with white shirts at FCA)
Unity comes because we share the SAME SALVATION! Regardless of background, regardless of how we were raised, we all share the SAME SALVATION!
We are all saved because CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL!
How are we defined?
WE ARE DEFINED BY CHRIST!
Do you want to know what your identity is?
It’s simple! Either you are IN CHRIST, or YOU ARE NOT!
It’s that simple!
If your identity is in Christ, then FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS and PUT SIN TO DEATH!
Application
Application
Over the last couple weeks, we’ve emphasized how simple PAUL’S MESSAGE IS!
And honestly, Colossians 3 is no different!
It’s a SIMPLE and STRAIGHTFORWARD message!
So today, we have 3 SIMPLE APPLICATIONS!
Put Sin to Death because of the SIMPLE GOSPEL!
Put Sin to Death because of what IS TO COME!
Put Sin to Death because of your NEW IDENTITY!
Put Sin to Death because of the SIMPLE GOSPEL
Put Sin to Death because of the SIMPLE GOSPEL
In Colossians, we see a very simple message. The message is easy- Colossians 2:14
14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
That’s the message! Our debt- that is our payment for our sins has been paid!
It’s been cancelled! We’ve been set free from it!
Friends, sin has lost its grip on us- it’s lost its hold because we’ve been freed.
And because we have been set free, we can put sin to death!
But listen- all of this talk about putting sin to death only matters if you first understand and embrace the simple gospel!
Remember, Paul even acknowledge that at the start of Colossians 3 when he says, “SO!”
He shows that all of this builds off of what is in chapter 2!
Let me challenge us with 2 practical things that we should do in response to this idea of the simple gospel leading us to put sin to death.
First, REPENT AND BELIEVE! (GOSPEL AND PLEAD)
Secondly- we talk a lot about living out the GOSPEL, or living out our faith!
Do you know one of the best ways to live out your faith?
PUT SIN TO DEATH!
Get close to God, get into INTENTIONAL fellowship (Example of Neil asking about dating EVERY SINGLE WEEK), find a close friend to walk with, be accountable and PUT SIN TO DEATH!
Put Sin to Death Because of what IS TO COME!
Put Sin to Death Because of what IS TO COME!
Secondly, we need to put sin to death because of what is to come.
I love that Paul gives us such a powerful reminder of what is to COME as he talks about us fighting sin!
See, I think it can be discouraging for us as we fight habitual sin and fall again and again.
Yet, when we keep our eyes focused on what is to come, it’s no longer such a struggle!
Like as an example, when I started playing HS baseball, the summer before I started HS, I’d never seen a curveball like what these guys were throwing.
For one, somehow our incoming-freshman team was playing schools 5x larger’s JV teams, but in general, I had just never seen this level of breaking ball.
And my swing got long and I lost my feel for it. I went from probably having the best season of my life that spring playing against other guys my age to having one of the hardest summers at the plate.
Halfway through the season, one of our Varsity assistants was with us and he changed up my pre-at-bat routine a bit. He had me start doing this drill to keep my hands inside.
And it was hard! It was frustrating because at first I just didn’t hit anything.
We had a double-header and I don’t think I even fouled a pitch off. It was frustrating.
But, then all of a sudden, the next game, I had a few hits, I made some nice defensive plays, it felt great! It gave me a GLIMPSE OF WHAT WAS TO COME!
Here’s my point- changing is hard! Whether it’s in sports, or in fighting sin, change is hard!
We need to have something to look forward to; something to FIX OUR EYES TOWARDS!
And Paul gives us that!
Think about Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
WE WILL APPEAR WITH CHRIST IN GLORY!
So why do we fight this sin?
We do it in obedience to CHRIST!
And what is to come?
WE WILL APPEAR WITH CHRIST IN GLORY!
WE WILL SPEND ETERNITY WITH CHRIST IN HEAVEN!
So as we fight sin, as we think about wanting people who can support us, or as we support a friend or family member who is fighting sin, let me encourage us- KEEP DIRECTING OUR EYES TOWARDS WHAT IS TO COME!
Remind yourself, remind your friend, remind each other here at CHURCH ON SUNDAYS OF WHAT IS TO COME- APPEARING WITH CHRIST IN GLORY!
And trust me, that is a WAY BETTER THING TO FIX OUR EYES ON than a few singles in mid-July in Legion Baseball.
Put Sin to Death because of your New Identity!
Put Sin to Death because of your New Identity!
Paul’s beginning and final point in Colossians 3:1-11 relates to our identity. At the beginning of Colossians 3, Paul challenges us that our identity is CHRIST when he says, “CHRIST, WHO IS YOUR LIFE!”
Then, in Colossians 3:11, Paul makes clear that Christ is our identity by saying that CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL!
We are called to identify with Christ!
And Paul also makes clear that in Christ there is no room for division or man-made identity.
So where does that leave us?
It’s simple really.
We are to PUT SIN TO DEATH because our identity no longer is in ourselves, it is IN CHRIST!
But it isn’t enough to just put sin to death.
Our new identity leads us to SHARING with others what CHRIST HAS DONE!
So really, we put sin to death AND THEN WE LIVE IN CHRIST!
That’s what our identity calls us to do!
And here’s the beauty of that.
If we truly grasp Christ as our IDENTITY, then we SHOULD TAKE THIS WITH US!
CALL TO MAKE DISCIPLES AS WE GO- includes our neighbors, our community- students, etc. We must actively make disciples! We NEED to live this out! We NEED TO PUT SIN TO DEATH AND LIVE OUT OUR NEW IDENTITY!
Listen, this is why it is SO IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING THE GOSPEL TO OUR COMMUNITY!
We want to CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JESUS BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE THEM WITH US FOR ETERNITY!
It’s that simple! IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT CAN SAVE!
SO PUT SIN TO DEATH, FIXING YOUR EYES ON WHAT IS TO COME AND HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME!
Let me pray for us
