Peace Through Knowledge/ 2 Peter 1:1-4
Notes
Transcript
Good morning church! If you have your Bible’s, and I hope you do, please take them and open to the book of Colossians. We’re going to continue our march through the book—looking specifically at Colossians 1:21-23 today.
I want to start by extending a huge thank you to all of our VBS volunteers! Rebecca thank you for once again coordinating and organizing this whole thing. I know that you don’t want to be singled out, so I want make you come up here and recap your favorite parts, but thank you. Everyone else, thank you. It’s so encouraging and fun to see the you guys come together and be the hands and feet of the church. I genuinely enjoyed just hanging out with everyone this week and I’m proud of the work you did. More importantly than that though, God knows, God sees, and God works through the work you did. When I pray here in a second one of the things I’m going to ask the Lord to do is to grow the seeds planted and, as our text today addresses, that he will help keep those who are Christians stable and steadfast in him.
Actually, let’s just go ahead and do that. Let’s go to the Lord now and thank him for not just the ability to get through this week—which let’s be honest, 630-830 every night of the week is a lot, so we have much to be grateful for there—but let’s also thank him for the things he did and will do through your efforts. Let’s go to the Lord for just a second in prayer in then let’s turn to Colossians 1:21-23. Let’s pray.
This morning we’re just going to look at 3 little verses which all together are 1 sentence, but this sentence is extremely powerful because of what Paul is doing in it. He is taking what we looked at last week—one of the greatest passages in the NT about Jesus and he’s personally applying it, and at the same time, he’s wrapping up the first section that we’ve spent the last few weeks studying and beginning to transition into the second half of the book. So in this one sentence Paul is doing a whole lot.
These verses really easily and obviously breaks down into 3 different parts, and those 3 parts will make up the 3 points of our sermon today. We’re going to look at 1) Who You were, 2) Who you are, 3) What You Do.
So since Paul is ending this section and it reaches backwards and forwards, let’s start all the way back in v1 and read up through v23 and then we’ll seek to understand it.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
This is God’s Word. Thanks be to God.
As much as I want to recap the first 20 verses I’m going to just let them stand. Let’s start with the first thing Paul shows us in v21 which is:
1. Who You Were
1. Who You Were
As one of my old professors used to say, “Theology without legs is bad theology.” Immediately after exploding into this hymn about who Christ is Paul turns and looks directly at the church at Colossae: “And you.” No transitional phrase, no illustration. The magnificence of Jesus then and you.
Paul’s immediacy here is super practical for us. Because what good is all of these verses that we looked at last week if they have nothing to do with us? So this forces us to ask the question: What does Jesus have to do with me? Do all of these incredible truths we looked at last week have affect on my life, or is Jesus just a nice platitude that helps me be a good moral person? Is there something much more personal about Jesus to me, or is he an add on to an already full & busy life?
But then that causes us to ask the question, if there is something much more personal about Jesus to me, then what does that even mean or look like?
“And you who once were.” Knowing Jesus creates a new reality. We were something before knowing Him, and after we meet Him we become something completely new. If Christ is truly Lord of your life, or as we saw last week, if he is preeminent, then there was a point in your life that “you were.” You may have been raised in church; You may have been born into a family that taught you about Jesus from before you were born, all of that is great and truly a blessing from the Lord, yet you were still outside of Christ. There is not a soul in this room, regardless of their upbringing, who didn’t have a time in there life before Christ saved them. If you have been led to believe that your salvation rests upon your upbringing then hear Paul today say that you were. You were outside of Christ from birth. All of Scripture cries this. Look at
Ps. 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
We could easily keep going but the point remains that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So who were the Colossians? Paul reminds them,
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
They were alienated. In my Bible reading plan I’m in the book of Deuteronomy and the Lord tells his people as they begin to conquer the Promised Land that they are to love the sojourner, or the alien, because that’s what they once where before the Lord rescued them out of Egypt. Alienation carries with it the idea that you are in a place that is not home. You’re an outsider. You don’t belong here.
In the companion letter to Colossians, Paul tells the church at Ephesus just what all this alienation encompasses.
remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Our alienation is first with Christ. We were separated from him, and then in the next phrase we were separated from God’s people. Alienation to Christ & His people leaves us without hope & without God. What part of life is not alienated from God’s original intention?
Have you ever said, or heard it said, they just needed to find themselves or something along those lines? I needed some me time or I needed to recenter? All of those statements carry with them the connotation that I or we are not where we’re supposed to be. We’re alienated and we live in a culture that promotes finding our home in ourselves or our identity, but the problem with those is they really don’t give us a true home or a good one. I, in and of myself, don’t & can’t make a permanent or trustworthy home. In fact, when I do that I only further alienate myself from the God whom I’m created to be with and the people he’s created me to dwell among. All of everyone’s life at one point or another has been alienated from God and each other.
But the bad news doesn’t stop there: they were hostile in mind. In the world we live in we don’t tend to look at the way we think as hostile to God. Maybe indifferent, but hostile? I think Alistair Begg is right when he says, “Man is naturally not apathetic to God; man is naturally antagonistic to God.” And this isn’t just what we think, but the disposition in which we think with. Seriously, take any area of your life—last week we saw taht Christ is preeminent over all things so this means every area of your life—take a look at any area and you’ll see that what you might think is simply apathy is actually antagonism.
Christ demands purity of heart and mind, but just scrolling and having a little look won’t hurt anyone. No one will know because I’ve covered my tracks. Christ demands to be Lord over my finances, but I just can’t afford to be generous or tithe right now. Christ demands to be Lord over my time, but waking up early to meet with Him is just too hard. Christ demands Lord over my weekends, but it’s been a long week and I need to sleep so I’ll just skip church this week—obviously that doesn’t apply to you guys today. But all of those, seem like it’s no big deal. I’m not really denying Christ is the Lord, I’m just saying I need a little break. I need to be wise in how I steward my emotional well being or financial or physical. We like to cover it up with that, or at least I do, but what did I just say? I need a break. I’ve fallen right back into the same temptation as Eve—she saw the fruit was a delight to the eyes and determined for herself what was best. All of the sudden it’s my ways, not God’s ways that are determining what is right or wrong. It’s not just a little apathy, it’s full blown hostility. How do you know it’s hostile? Do you want fight for or justify why you’re right? I do! That disposition proves our alienation and hostility towards God.
What does a hostile mind always lead to? Doing evil deeds. Evil deeds don’t just happen in and of them selves. It always takes thought behind them. What are the evil deeds the Colossians could’ve been guilty of or been tempted towards? It would’ve been the evil deeds that were occuring in the culture around them. Paul actually lays some of them out for us in Col. 3:5-9
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
Anybody in here ever struggle with any of these? Anyone in here still struggle with these? There aren’t some ancient, irrelevant sins, are they? These are absolutely common, reoccurring pressures we face today, but more importantly, they’re proof of our problems before Christ. Even kids—anger, wrath, malice—those things alone show that we, just like the church at Colossae were alien, hostile and doing evil deeds.
So then, here’s the question for you: does this describe you? Maybe you go, that’s not who I was, but who I am. That’s exactly how I exist, how I think, and how I live right now. If that’s you, then there’s some really good news for you. There’s Colossians 1:22
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
If who we were is alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, then in Col. 1:22 Paul shows us who we are because of the work of Christ. That’s our second point:
2. Who You Are
2. Who You Are
If we were to go all the way back to the beginning of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians you’ll remember that he thanked God for opening the eyes of the Colossians to see the hope they had in Christ. This hope stirred up faith and what happens when they take that faith and place it back in the hope that they are looking towards? It transforms them to become people who live out of love. Why is that? Because this hope reconciles. Now, I’ve got a bunch of questions. Let’s start with the first: what does reconciliation mean?
Let’s use Scripture to interpret Scripture. If you were to look in Paul’s companion letter to this book you’d see that he uses the same greek word used here in Ephesians 2:14-16
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
So what Paul shows us about reconciliation in these verses is that reconciliation kills hostility, makes peace, unifies, and frees. I hear that word and I tend to think of reconciling my bank account. I want to make sure that all my expenses match up. I think you can see that here, but it’s a lot more than that, isn’t it?
Now there seems to me an interesting addition here. Why does Paul add in that little phrase about Christ’s reconciliation through His body of flesh? Now there’s a lot of theories as to why Paul included that, but I think Doug Moo’s argument makes the most sense. He said Paul uses this phrase to “focus the attention on Christ’s susceptibility to suffering.” Remember where we are in the passage—right on the heels of this magnificent hymn of who Christ is and how he is preeminent over all things, yet again, Paul takes a few words to remind the Colossians that while he is ruler over all things, he is the God-man who came to His people in weakness and suffering. And it was only through his flesh and in his flesh that He was able to reconcile us to God. If Jesus did this in his flesh through His death, then there isn’t anything outside of the real Jesus that we need to find fulfillment and peace with God.
If this is what reconciliation means, then the next question that Paul answers in this text is why did Jesus do this? I mean it’d have been a lot easier to flood the earth and start anew, right? How many of us in here have some relationships in which we either a) have just totally written the other person off or b) want to write the other person off? If it were up to us, we’d avoid reconciliation because of the cost. It always costs something, doesn’t it?
Paul tells the Colossians that Christ died to reconcile you in order to present you before him. The purpose of reconciliation was your presentation before the Father. The church at Colossae needed to be reminded of this because they were being told that things had to be added to their faith either through tradition or through philosophy, and church I have subtly seen this in my own life. When I sin, I want to either cover up or pay penance for my sin. I think that dang, because of the bad thing I’ve done I better work to balance the scales with God. But Paul says, no, if you want to stand before God and be seen rightly it’s only through Christ’s presentation of you. Because how does Christ present us before him?
Holy, blameless, and above reproach. What does it mean to be holy? The right definition that we grew up with was set apart. It means to be set apart from the rest of the world which carries connotations of the idea of being innocent and pure. It’s seen in right moral action because it is a reflection of who God is. And often in Paul’s letters it is tied to the world blameless, just like it is here.
The word blameless means without blemish. In the Old Testament the people of God couldn’t come near the presence of God because they weren’t holy. They were with blemish. Their sin defiled them. So what did God call his people to do? He had them find an animal without blemish and bring it before the Lord. Lev. 1:3-4
“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
The laying of their hands on the animal as it was sacrificed was to symbolize the transferal of their defilement to something undefiled; their blemish to something unblemished. When we place our faith in Jesus that’s what happens to us. Our blemish is transferred to the unblemished one. Atonement is made and reconciliation is accomplished. Now, God sees us as blameless because of Christ. Here’s why this brings my heart so much hope. There’s a stanza out of a hymn by Samuel Grossman:
What though the vile accuser roar
Of sins that I have done;
I know them well, and thousand more
My God, He knoweth none.
What though the vile accuser roar
Of sins that I have done;
I know them well, and thousand more
My God, He knoweth none.
How often throughout the day or week do you hear the accuser hurl accusations at you? In Christ, because of Christ, we’re blameless.
And we’re above reproach. This word carries with it the idea of being without guilt, which would make sense if we’re blameless, right? How many of you came in here with some sort of guilt on your shoulders? Paul says, Christ died for that in order to present you holy, blameless, and above reproach—guiltless. Don’t carry the guilt that he died for. Leave it with him. He can suffer it. He already did.
Now if Christ died so that we might be reconciled and presented as holy, blameless, and above reproach then that leaves us with a few really important questions. At the end of days, we will be presented before God, but even now all of our life is lived in front of Him. So when that day comes, or even today, as you stand before the living God how will you be presented? Will you look at him and show him your pile of good works? Will you begin to argue and show why you measure up? Because when you make your case, the accuser is going to be standing off to the side roaring of sins that you have done. He’s going to be throwing accusations about how even your good works have wrong motives. Is that how you will present yourself?
Or, will Christ present you because you’ve placed your faith in him and submitted to him as Lord? Will he bring you before God as holy because He is your holiness? With the accusations that the Satan hurls at you stick, or will they bounce off of you because he has absorbed your blemishes? Will you be guiltless because he took your guilt?
Really the question I”m asking is this: Have you by faith trusted in the work Jesus did to reconcile us to God through his body of flesh by his death, or are you trusting in your own works? You see, outside of Christ we’re alienated, hostile, and doing evil deeds, but inside of Christ we’re holy, blameless, above reproach—we’re reconciled. Which camp do you fall in to?
You may hear that and go, I actually don’t know. How can I know? Well, Paul gives us that answer in verse 23. Our third point this morning is this
3. What You Do
3. What You Do
If we’re asking the big question this morning: What is a Christian? Then our answer so far tells us that a Christian is someone who was, but now is someone who is, and because of that this is what they do. Look back to v23 real quick
if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
“If indeed you continue in the faith”. This little phrase has stirred a lot of discussion and led to a lot of ink spilled, and it’s really easy for us to impose our theological framework onto it so that we can answer it. You see it’s the inverse of this statement that causes so much problems. If you continue in the faith you’re good, but what if you don’t?
We need to recognize first off that this is a very real conditional clause. Paul is intentionally warning the Colossians, and by extension us, that as one commentator said, “Continuance is the test of reality.” As another said, “Perseverance proves faith’s genuine character and therefore is indispensable to salvation.” If you want to know whether or not your faith is real, what Paul is saying is that you will continue in it.
Paul is ratcheting up the screws here and I think it’s important that we acknowledge that, but at the same time the rest of the Scriptures give us some incredible hope here. Look at Phil. 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
According to Paul’s letter to the Philippians who brings the good work to completion? Jesus. He keeps them in the faith, yet just one chapter later, Phil 2:12-13
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Same letter, same author. Who does the work? Yes. Jesus & you. Christ starts the work and Christ finishes the work as you remain in the faith. Paul shows this in Rom. 8:30
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Who is lost between calling (which is the moment we’re reconciled in faith) and glorification? No one. He keeps them from start to finish and works through them. Or just for kicks, one of the greatest benedictions in the New Testament:
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
So what does all of this show us? It shows us that, “God does, indeed, by his grace and through his Spirit, work to preserve his people so that they will be vindicated in the judgement; but, at the same time, God’s people are responsible to persevere in their faith if the expect to see that vindication.” Yes it is God who keeps you. Yes you are to keep on persevering. Ok, so if that’s true then the question for us is how do we continue in the faith? What does Paul tell us?
“Not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.” We don’t shift our hope. We continually look back to the hope laid up for us in heaven for all things in life because all things belong to him. Reconciliation to God and others are found through Christ. A future. A purpose. All of it is his, so don’t look for it anywhere else. Joy. Pleasure. Purpose. Community. Contentment. Peace. Take any desire that your heart has and the hope of that desire is ultimately filled in Christ. When you look for it somewhere else you fall back into v21—alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds—but when you look for it in Jesus not only do you find what you’re looking for but you find that he makes you something entirely new. So what do you do? Continue in the hope of the gospel
Who you were. Who you are. What you do. Where do you find yourself this morning in those three points? Alienated. Hostile in mind. Doing evil deeds. Is that you? If so, the call for you this morning is to look at the one who reconciled you to God through his death and believe in him. Trust him and be set apart, be blameless and guiltless. If you once were but now are those things then call for you this morning is to continue in the hope of the gospel. Don’t look elsewhere. Continue to look to him and know that as you do He will keep you. He who began a good work will carry it onto the day of completion, so work out your salvation in fear and trembling for it is God who works in you. If you don’t know where you are in these 3 points then the first thing you need to do is ask God for help. One of the ways he helps is through his people and I want you to know that I’m here to do that. I’d love to meet up with you and help you process this. But for now, continue in the hope of the gospel. Let’s pray.
