Seeing That Christ is Returning

Colossians - The Preeminence of Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 37:56
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1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
How many of you remember the day you were saved?
Remember the recognition of the sin nature you were born with and the control that nature of sinfulness had on you?
Upon your salvation, do you remember the weight of the penalty of your sins being lifted?
Do you remember the joy and feeling of cleanliness and the new outlook on life?
However, it seems after a short time sin creeps back into out lives and we lose our joy.
David felt this in Psalm 51
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
Can you relate to this feeling of despair and lack of joy?
See, God saved our Spirit and Soul, however, our body is still sinful and a battle is created.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
The Apostle Paul gives us some insight into not getting into this situation and feeling.
As this new year is underway, Paul gives us some principles we can put into practice to bring victory and joy into your life.
Recognize a Change Has Happened.
Recognize a Change Has Happened.
Colossians 3:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Since you are risen with Christ?
You have New Desires.
You have New Desires.
Salvation brings on a new outlook on life. It is no longer about us, but rather it is now about Him.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV 1900)
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Colossians 3:3 (KJV 1900)
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
You have New Duties.
You have New Duties.
When you were saved, you died to a sinful life and lifestyle.
Romans 6:6–7 (KJV 1900)
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
However, the reality is that God has reckoned you dead, but the truth is, we are still in a sinful body and sin is very much alive and raging within our bodies.
Therefore, we have a battle. Are we going to yield to our body or are we going to yield to Jesus Christ?
BUT, praise God that one day this battle will be over. We will not only be reckoned dead to sin but we will be literally dead to sin.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
This reminds of the last change that will happen.
Colossians 3:4 (KJV 1900)
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
You have a New Destiny.
You have a New Destiny.
Listen, very carefully, because I want you to get this.
We are in Christ and with Christ. You are eternally saved and possess eternal life. Nothing can take that away from you.
One day, and I hope and pray that it will be very soon, Christ will return and take us to dwell eternally with Him.
1 John 3:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
AMEN!
We should be able to stop the message, because remembering the New things God has given us, we ought to fall in line and live in obedience to God.
Thats what John says in the next verse.
1 John 3:3 (KJV 1900)
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
However, with these changes already happening on our life, there is still a challenge that we are subjected.
Recognize a Challenge is Happening!
Recognize a Challenge is Happening!
Paul uses 2 imperatives, 2 commands.
The first imperative!
Colossians 3:5 (KJV 1900)
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
The Eradication Challenge
The Eradication Challenge
Mortify—To put to death—
This sounds negative, but often a negative response to something is the only valid one.
(Ill. Surgery to remove a ruptured appendix, extracting a broken tooth, weeding a garden.) God is saying that a part of ourselves needs to be out to death and that we have been elected to do the killing!
Paul names the activities that need to be put to death.
Ill. Naming sin—People don’t like it, but it is necessary!
Paul groups our sins into 2 groups.
Both of these groups are violent in nature.
Mortify and Put off vs. 8
The Sensual Sins - Personal Sins that HARM the Body.
The Sensual Sins - Personal Sins that HARM the Body.
Mortify - put to death these personal sins that harm the body.
Appealing to the senses
The sins of pleasure!
a. Fornication—Sexual impurity—of any kind!
b. Uncleanness—A life of impurity, fueled by improper motives.
c. Inordinate Affection—Depraved passions. A mind that dwells on sin. Ill. Usually easily satisfied as the mind always concocts ways to satisfy the flesh! (Ill. The Physical aspect of c. and d.)
d. Evil Concupisence—A lust for the sinful. (Ill. The Mental Aspect of c. and d.)
e. Covetousness—The sin of always wanting more. Ill. Akin to idolatry!
Colossians 3:6–7 (KJV 1900)
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
These very things cause the lost to be under God’s wrath, John 3:36.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
1) These sins bring God’s wrath upon man
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
2) These sins belong to the old life
The only difference between them and us is the grace of God manifested through the blood of Jesus. If you are saved and are living in sin, you will not get away with it! You will either repent or you will face chastisement—Heb. 12:5–11.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
The Social Sins - Personal Sins that HURT Others.
The Social Sins - Personal Sins that HURT Others.
We often try to rationalize and justify ourselves in these sins, but they are still wicked and defiling.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Put off - Strip away the sins that hurt others.
Relating to Others
a. Anger—Sudden outbursts. Needs to be given to Jesus.
b. Wrath—Refers to God’s judgment on sin. This is the sin of playing God and passing judgment on others. Ill. That’s not our place. We are called to bear fruit, not inspect it!
c. Malice—Ill will toward another, includes a desire to injure and get revenge—Rom. 12:9.
d. Blasphemy—Speech which slanders another—either God or man. Ill. Most common form is gossip. When you attack God’s greatest work, man, you are in essence attacking God Himself.
e. Filthy Communications—Foul speech, course humor, obscene gestures.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
f. Lying—Anything less that the absolute truth. When we lie, we have joined hands with the devil—John 8:44.
The Christian is called to put off, literally, cast away from oneself, the characteristics of oneself. We are to do this by whatever means necessary—Ill. Joseph—Gen. 39; Ill. Matt. 5:29–30. We must flee evil in our lives.
C. 9b–11 A Challenge To Be New—
The Embracing Challenge
The Embracing Challenge
Notice the 2nd Imperative!
Colossians 3:10–11 (KJV 1900)
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Christ has made it possible for us to be adopted as children, sons and daughters, of God. We are all—everyone of us—children of God. We belong to the same family—the family of God. Therefore, there is no place for reacting against each other, no place for …
• anger
• wrath
• malice
• blasphemous, insulting, hurting talk
• filthy talk
• lying
Note how Scripture covers everything that could possibly cause feelings and divisions between us:
⇒ race and birth (Greek nor Jew)
⇒ religion and ritual (circumcision nor uncircumcision)
⇒ education and culture (Barbarian nor Scythian)
⇒ social class and wealth and property (bond and free)
Who are you living for? Satan, Self, or Jesus