Putting on the Character of Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Prayer
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Remember where we are at…we are called to put off the old man…
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Because…we have been given everything we need for holy living…this is what it looks like.
The world looks like…
But you are no longer like the world. You’ve been called to live as a Christian. You are an image bearer of the name of Christ.
Paul is going to give us 6 practical examples of what it looks like to live as a disciple of Christ and to Put on Christ’s Characteristics…
Remember these are things that you cannot do in your own power, but by the help of the Holy Spirit of God who lives in you. He will help you produce these characteristics of Christ. He will develop these within you as you remain in Him…
First…Put off Lying and Speak the Truth
First…Put off Lying and Speak the Truth
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Stop lying speak the truth.
And we know this church…we know that we are called to be truth bearers…
Even one of the big 10 commands is…thou shall not bear false witness.
Over and over again throughout scripture we are called to tell the truth. Not to lie, but lying is so easy for so many people. It’s ingrained into our children from birth… I didn’t do it… it wasn’t me
Often fear leads us to lying…fear of being found at fault. Fear of being found out. And so we will say anything to get ourselves out of an uncomfortable situation. But Jesus calls us as believers to be truth tellers.
Jesus illustrated this point for us when he was talking to the Jews in John 8:31-45
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” 39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
Why? Why is it so easy to lie…
Becuase the enemy of our souls will do everything in his power to keep us trapped and tied to our old way of life.
Church we are called to put off falsehood…put off lying and speak the truth.
Speaking lies leads to death…speaking truth leads to life.
And this goes for our social media posts as well…
Christians should be known as being truth tellers. Those who practice the truth.
Because when we bear false witness it grieves the heart of our Father in Heaven.
Proverbs 12:22 says
22 The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
And Proverbs 25:18
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.
How on earth are we to lead others to the truth of who our lord is and what he has done for us if we are known for being liers instead of truth tellers?
How can we be a reliable witness and testify to the truth…that Jesus is the way…the truth and the life and no one can come to the father except through Jesus if our testimony is called into question because we often bear false witness and lie?
Our Character should be that of Christ who is the truth…and so we need to put on Christ…the truth. Each and every day…we need to put on Christ. That is the first character of christ we are to put on…Truth
Second…Put off anger and process it rightly
Second…Put off anger and process it rightly
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
17 A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.
29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Anger isn’t a sin…Jesus got angry and dealt with his anger the right way. We need to recognize that anger is not a sin but it is only one letter away from danger.
ANGER——- DANGER
If we do not process the emotion before releasing it, it can easily become sin.
That’s why Paul gives the warning…in your anger, do not sin…
When you start to get angry…remember that God has given you his Holy Spirit and part of the Spirit’s fruit is love, joy, peace and self control.
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
So when we slow down like James tells us to…and in a controlled manner… we ask Holy Spirit to show us why we are angry and what we are to do about it.
Third…Put off laziness and work hard
Third…Put off laziness and work hard
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Laziness, sloth, procrastination can all lead us into sin…
Paul warns us by saying…let them who steal, steal no longer. Stealing is easy…
It requires very little effort…
I remember the first time I was confronted with an opportunity to steal…
But lets for a moment put this into a few other categories of our lives. What about stealing from our employers? What if we slowly allow ourselves to become lazy in how we work, or take a “mental health break” by scrolling through reels for 5 minutes that turns into 45 minutes…
What if we think…it’s only a ream of paper…It’s only this…it’s only that…
We start to feel like we are entitled to more than what we agreed to work for…
This was the point of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20…that we work hard for the wages we agreed to.
But Paul then gives us another motivation to working hard…
Work hard…so that you can help those in need.
A new motivation for working hard…not to get more but to give more.
Church, I wonder what would happen if we all began to see our 9-5 jobs as our mission field…our church…our own congregation. What if God has called you to pastor, to minister to the people you are around all day. What if you began to go to work with the attitude that I am here as Christ’s ambassator, I am his representative here. He is calling me to set an example, not to steal but to work hard so that I can give more. He has placed me here as the pastor of these people to care for them, to shepherd them, to pray for them, to guide them and lead them to Jesus…if no other way than simply by living above reproach and living my life like i am working for the lord and not just for myself and my family…
Fourth…Put off gossip/slander/cursing and speak life
Fourth…Put off gossip/slander/cursing and speak life
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
We have heard it from our youth. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
That’s the biggest lie I have ever been told!
What about this one…
I’m rubber and you’re glue whatever you say bounces off of me sticks to you.
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Words have power, words have meaning and I am sure that each and every one of us has been negatively affected by the words that someone has spoken to us.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
The words we speak have the power of life or death.
I think the Bible is very clear throughout its entirety that spoken words have power. In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth, but how did He do it?
He SPOKE them into being. Check it out…
Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light.
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image…”
Creation came into being because God SPOKE it into existence.
We are in His image in part because of the power we have with words. Words do more than convey information. The power of our words can actually destroy one’s spirit, even stir up hatred and violence. They not only incite wounds but inflict them directly. Of all the creatures on this planet, only man has the ability to communicate through the spoken word. The power to use words is a very unique and powerful gift from God.
Brennan Manning in his book “Abba’s Child” has this quote: “Anyone we come in contact with, we either offer them life or we drain them. There is no mutual exchange.”
We either speak life…
Or we Speak Death…
And its funny to me, how often we unconsciously speak death.
We gossip and slander and worse yet we disguise our gossip about others as prayer!
This is the downfall of so many churches. We do not speak life into one another but death!
We fill our mouths with unwholesome talk and tear one another down!
BUT WHY DO WE DO IT?
It’s a heart issue!
We want to be in the know or look like we know something about something that we really have no clue what is going on. But if I’m in the know then I’m important and you need what I have to offer.
Fifth…Put off Grieving the Spirit and live for pleasing Him
Fifth…Put off Grieving the Spirit and live for pleasing Him
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Fifth, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. This talk of holiness can seem simply methodical or mechanical. But no, says Paul.
We are talking about what pleases God, and God is a person and he can be grieved.
Why should we be holy? Partly because it is good for you. But mainly because it pleases God, and sin grieves the Spirit.
And when Holy Spirit is grieved within you, the work of God within you has ceased until your soul is made right with God again.
Just like any relationship in conflict, your relationship with God needs reconcilation. And that is the good news of the gospel.
We often use Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
to share the gospel with someone who has yet to have a relationship with Jesus. Because it shows us that it was Christ’s love that sent him to the cross while we were still sinners, But in context Paul is writing to believers…
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We confess our sin, we confess what has grieved the spirit of God within us and we bring it under the blood. And as soon as we do…we have the promise that as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us. And the Holy Spirit is welcomed again. Lastly, in putting on the Character of Christ…
Sixth…Put off fighting one another and instead fight for one another.
Sixth…Put off fighting one another and instead fight for one another.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Fight for reconciliation…
Maintain the bond of peace.
Forgive each other just as in Christ, God forgave you…
Come to the Table…
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
