The New Life

Col. 3:1-4; 16-17

In chapter 2 Paul gave a passionate plea to the Colossians. He saw them being:

Torn apart and he wanted them knit together

Talked out of their salvation and he wanted them to have assurance in Christ

Seeking wisdom in the world he wanted them to seek for wisdom in Christ.

He went on to warn them about the false teachers who had crept into the church. Then he highlighted the work of Christ.

You have a circumcision without hands

You have been raised to a new life

You are forgiven

You are free from the debt of sin

You are victorious

A great portion of chapter two is devoted to telling us how not to live the Christian life. The Colossians were being told that if they wanted to go deep with God, they had to do certain things. Paul told them three ways the Christian life is not experienced:

Legalism

Mysticism

Asceticism

In chapter three Paul is going to tell them how to live the new life they have found in Christ. He lays out a simple formula in 3:1-17. We’re going to look at that tonight and answer this question: How do I live the new life I have in Christ?

1. Set your heart on Christ (1-4).

Paul tells us in verses 1 and 2 to set our minds and our hearts on things above. The “things above” are the things of Christ.

Remember what the question of the wise men was? “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have come to worship Him!”

That should be the question of every believer. Where is Christ? The answer is He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. We seek things above because that is where Christ is!

Notice what we are not to set our heart on- things of the earth.

Not necessarily sinful things. But temporary things as well.

Paul is saying what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

The heart and mind of the believer is to be caught up to heaven. We are to seek the things of heaven and put our minds on heaven. Our mind is not on heaven because of mansions or streets of gold. Our mind is on heaven because that’s where Christ is.

Paul gives us a few reasons we should set our hearts on Christ.

1) We have been risen with Christ (1) Remember what Paul said in 2:12? We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him.

We need to understand the joy of that. Our baptism is a picture of what Christ has done for us. When we go under it symbolizes death. We were dead in our sins! When we come up it symbolizes life! I think the baptism happens so fast we miss that truth. When you’re under water you can’t live. The water represents the grave because you can’t live underwater. Perhaps if we were a little slower with baptism people would get that. You leave a fellow under water for about a minute and a half before you pull him up and he’ll be happy when he comes up!

Listen folks, we were dead. We were in a place of no hope. Christ has raised us up! Christ has given us life! Set your heart on Him because He is the One who rescued you!

2) He is the source of our new life (3-4).

Paul says in verse 3 that we are dead.

We are dead to sin. Dead to its consequences. We are in Christ and Christ paid our sin debt on the cross.

We are dead to an old way of life.

I love that old song that says :

Now and then an old friend of mine,

I've not seen for some time,

Will stop by and ask me where I been,

What's on my mind.

They wonder why I'm not drinkin',

And still painting this old town red.

I tell them I'm serving Jesus now,

And the old man is dead

And the man you see before you,

May look a lot the same,

I may wear the same clothes,

And have the same old name.

But you're looking' on the outside,

If you could see inside instead,

You would see a brand new man,

Cause the old man is dead.

I used to live such a wicked life,

I had no peace inside.

I was lost in darkness,

Searching for the light.

Then one night in a little church,

After hearin' what the preacher said,

I gave my life to Jesus,

And the old man is dead.

We are dead to sin. We are dead to an old way of life. The source of our life now is Christ. We are hidden with Christ in God. We have been swallowed up by Christ.

Look at the beginning of verse 4. Christ is our life!

What would you say your life is?

What do you talk about the most?

What do you think about the most?

What consumes your time?

Your heart is looking for something to consume. It’s going to grab hold of something and make it your life.

Relationship- with a boy, girl, or world

Sport- as a child or a parent

Hobby- fishing, hunting, painting

Politics

Your heart has a throne and something is sitting on that throne. Your heart will let just about anything sit there. Whatever sits there will be your life.

The Christian life is not lived because Christ is part of your life. The Christian life is lived when Christ is your life.

Some don’t see Christ at all. They’re not concerned at all about Jesus. They’re lost and have no desire to know anything of Christ

Some see Christ through everything else. In other words, their view of Christ is determined by how they feel or whatever they want to believe. This is the idol that many have built in America. A Christ that wants me to be happy above all other things. He follows me around and blesses whatever I do.

Some see everything through Christ. That’s where we need to be. We see the world through Christ. We see our life through Christ.

When Christ is your life, you are consumed with Him. More than anything you think of Him and His will for your life.

3) Future glory (4). Two things that relate to this:

The first is glorification. Paul says when Christ appears we will appear with Him in glory.

A great key to the Christian life is to think of our future often. 1 John 3:2 says “When He shall appear we shall be like Him!”

I’m afraid that we lose our joy and passion for the Christian life because we don’t think about our future glory enough.

As we age too often our mind isn’t set on heaven. Our mind is set on nursing homes. Our mind is set on wheelchairs. Our mind is set on endless doctors’ appointments. All of that can depress you.

There are a lot of miracles in the bible to give you hope.

There are people who couldn’t walk walking.

There are people who couldn’t see seeing.

There are people the doctor couldn’t help getting helped

There are people with incurable diseases being cured

There are people with withered hands being straightened

There are paralyzed people given back mobility

There are deaf people hearing.

Who did all that? Christ! He’ll do it for every believer one of these days. Our perfect healing will not be for a moment. It will be for eternity. We will be glorified!

The second thing relating to our future glory is vindication.

Christ will appear one day. The eastern sky will split. Christ will return. When he does, we will appear with Him. That is, we are gathered together with Him. We’re on his side.

One day Christ will be the supreme focus of everyone on earth. When Christ returns every eye will see Him. All the earth will stop and look at Christ! Everyone will put their attention on things above. The difference between us and the world is that we had our focus on Christ before He returned.

The world will see believers. They will see us gathered with Christ. There is a separation: sheep and goats, wheat and tares, lost and saved. It will be an obvious separation. Believers will be vindicated. We’ll be in glory, the world will be in trouble.

Our glorious life in Christ will be manifest to the entire world. People will know why we lived as we lived and sacrificed as we sacrificed. The world will know they have built on a false foundation. The world will know Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life.

Why should we set our hearts on Christ? We have been risen to a new life, Christ is the source of our new life, and we have a future glory because of this new life.

2. Practical ways to set your heart on Christ (3:16-17).

1. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you.

The Scripture is the Word of Christ. Nothing will set your heart on Christ like the Word of God.

Notice Paul says let it dwell in you richly. To “dwell” means to take up residence.

There are two possibilities for the word “richly”.

First, it could refer to giving the word plenty of room. You can’t live the Christian life off crumbs. You need meals. Don’t be satisfied with a five-minute devotion. Give the Word of God a lot of room in your life.

Second, it could refer to the worth of the Word of God. Treat the word of God as a great treasure in your life.

Believe it!

Meditate on it!

Memorize it!

Let the Word of God dwell in you richly.

2. Live the Word of God (16).

Paul says in all wisdom teach and admonish others.

You can’t teach what you don’t live. When your priority is to spread the Word your priority will be to live the Word.

Obedience to the Word of God reveals a love for Christ. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments (John 14:15).

1 John 5:3 says “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”

The more you live the Word of God the more you grow in grace. The more you grow in grace the more you will love Jesus.

3. Worship Christ (16).

Paul tells us to sing with thankfulness in our hearts. He mentions different types of singing:

Psalms- the written word of God

Hymns- Songs about the person and work of Christ

Spiritual songs- songs of testimony

God has told us throughout His word to worship him through song. Do I do that?

Do I sing in church? You say “I don’t sing.” Ok, what about Happy Birthday? Do you sing that? If you do, you sing. You sing to your son but not God’s.

There are people who stand but don’t sing. I don’t understand that. Why not sit? I can only assume you want people to think you’re singing.

Do I think about what I’m singing? Is my heart engaged in the word of the songs? Paul says thankfulness is in our hearts. In other words this isn’t just something we’re doing with our lips. We’re doing it with our hearts as well.

Do I carry worship with me throughout the week? If I only worship at church then I’m probably not really worshipping at all.

Worship sets your heart on Christ. We worship in many ways but one of the most common ways we are told to worship is through song.

4. Live every day for Christ (17).

Paul says whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. If it’s a word, speak it in the name of Jesus. If it’s a deed do it in the name of Jesus.

This means let all of your words and all of your actions be consistent with who Jesus is and what Jesus taught.

I’ve been on this diet thing again. I always give myself a cheat day. I like a cheat day. It gives me something to look forward to. If you’re not careful it turns into cheat days and then cheat weeks.

In the Christian life we don’t get a cheat day. Every day is given to Christ. I come to the Lord and I say Christ you are now my life. You’re everything to me. I’m consumed with Your will.

How do I set my heart on Christ?

Let the Word of Christ dwell in me

Live the Word of God

Worship Christ

Live for Christ everyday

The One thing- Christ is not a part of my life. Christ is my life.