Put on Your New Self

Context

Theme “Growing Together”. Ties to: Our mission is to see God’s people of all ages and life stations, growing together in the joy of the Lord Jesus and sharing in his ongoing mission to the word.

Guide: Paul was a missionary apostle — appointed by the risen Christ to share the good new of reconciliation with God with the Gentile world, the non-Jewish Roman empire.

He traveled and preached and founded churches.

After establishing a congregation he would continue his journeys and write letter back to the congregations behind him to give them guidance and encouragement.

This was an essential part of his ministry, because churches in the first century were the first to ever exist and they needed to figure out how to put the gospel into practice together.

The letter of Paul are meaningful to us because although we are an established congregation, we are always seeking to take new steps and will face some similar challenges as churches did way back then. Will benefit from Paul’s guidance.

Today our reading comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, located in modern day Turkey. Dual theme in the letter: the supremacy of Christ; the connecting between believers and Christ. Today listen for second: Christians are united to Christ’s death, resurrection and glorification, though in a hidden way.

Reading

Colossians 3:1–17 NRSV

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all! As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Introduction

Also use for Call to Confession in the TS: New clothes. Old clothes.

Sometimes the old just has to go.

out of style. worn out. not comfortable. don’t reflect who you are anymore.

You need something new.

something that makes you look good, feel good, works for you.

FL new wardrobe for new location, new job, new age.

Long for: A inward change of character.Put on the new self. God’s word to us today is about putting on not just a new appearance, but a whole new way of life.

Exegesis 1: Connected to Christ

Paul teaches the Colossians that they have had a change of spiritual wardrobe. They used to be pagans, idolators, morally and spiritually lost. That is how they looked, acted, felt, thought, and lived.

But now they have a new life in Christ.

New Life: is directly connected to Jesus Christ.

You have been raised with Christ. (Col. 3:1)

You have died with Christ. (Col. 3:3)

Your life is hidden with Christ. (Col. 3:3)

When Christ is revealed in glory, you will be revealed with him. (Col. 3:4)

We can hear: Embedded in Paul’s words is the gospel story of Jesus Christ.

God so loved the world — all of us broken people — that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to us.

Jesus lived a sinless life on our behalf so that he could be a sacrifice for sin.

He took our guilt upon himself on the cross and died.

Then he was buried. But on the third day God raised him to new life.

Through Christ, God offers new life to all who place their faith in him.

Christ ascended into heaven where he reigns, graciously calling everyone to turn toward him.

One day he will return in glory to eradicate evil and redeem all of creation, especially those who trust in him and long for his reign.

Paul’s amazing point: O Colossians, you don’t just believe this message about Christ. You share in it with Christ.

When you placed your faith in Christ became united to him.

SO THAT: that what is true of Christ can true of you too.

Christ died to sin. You have died with him.

Christ was raised to new life. You have been raised with him.

Christ ascended into glory. Your life is hidden in heaven with him.

When Christ comes again in glory, and is revealed. You too will be revealed for who you really are.

His story is your story. You are dressed in him.

Application 1: More than a story, an experience.

If I were to ask whether you believe in Christ, most of you would say Yes. Or at least, I am trying to. I am exploring it.

But we are not content just believing in Jesus. The spiritual life is not just about intellectual assent to doctrines or dogmas.

We want something that changes us. We wish to be done with sin and doubt and to have purposeful and hopeful life with God.

That is what God offers us in Christ. God promises that when we believe in Christ, we also become united to Christ.

Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, glory — becomes more than a narrative. It becomes an enveloping experience. A new wardrobe for a new way of life.

Exegesis 2: Off with the old

First order of business, off with the old way of life.

The things of their lower nature are typified by:

Colossians 3:5 “…sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness….”

Colossians 3:8 “…anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”

[Colossians 3:11 Pauls’ reference to Greek, Jew, circumcision, slavery…the old nature is typified by racism, sexism, classism, and all the self-serving isms that we use to alienate/oppress each other.]

All of these things provoke just wrath of God, just as they are offensive to us. (Col. 3:6)

So Paul says “put them off” like old clothing that don’t fit you any more. Colossians 3:7–8 “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away.”

An ethical change of life, yes. But more. An experience shared with Christ.

Colossians 3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:

Turning from sin is linked to Jesus’ death. With Christ: You died — your sinful nature has died — the old self has died.

Let those old ways of living die with Christ. Christ put sin in the tomb, let him put your sinful life in the tomb.

Application 2: Off with the old

The first order of business is out with the old.

Example.

A favorite pair of jeans. Wore them for years. They were worn out. Really didn’t look good on me anymore. I get you like the old jeans thing…but it looks sloppy.

But I kept them. Attached. Familiar and comfortable. It was my “old self”

Eventually, I realized it just has to go.

When I threw them in the garbage, I realized they did look like garbage.

Sinful self is familiar.

we get comfortable with our faults.

Pride, wrath, envy, avarice, sloth, gluttony, lust…

That’s just how I am.

But if we really look at ourselves, we know we need to change.

These characteristics got to go.

We have to have the courage to let it go. Take it off and throw it away.

Christ was courageous. You can throw that nature onto me.

We unite with him. We put our old nature there on the cross with Jesus.

Leave it there with him. Let it alone. Let it slowly die. Until it is buried with him.

Exegesis 3: On with the new

Paul assures: Getting rid of the old life is matched with an obtaining of the new life.

The things of the higher nature are:

knowledge of God, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude.

God has laid out for them a new wardrobe.

Colossians 3:10 “put on the new self, …”

Col. 3:12…put on…new hearts…

Why because, again, they are united to Christ. Christ rose from the dead free from sin and they should be rising up in a new life too.

Be humble and compassionate and forebearing…why?…because Christ has chosen you.

Forgive each other…why?…because Christ has forgiven you.

Love one another…why? because Christ has bound you together.

Be at peace with one another….why?…because called you into one body…his body.

Teach each other, sing together, pray together, give thanks to God the Father…why…because Christ does these things.

Col. 3:17. Whatever you do — in word or deed — do it in the name of Jesus.

Be united to Jesus, because you are united to Jesus.

Paul’s vision: church is a community where the gospel is not just a story, but an experience of Christ.

Application 3: On with the new

There is a new life inside of you and me and all of us together. God given life. Life that is clothed in Christ.

Vision of the soul. The story is told that when St. Catherine of Siena (14th. a Christian mystic, miracle worker, and seer) was granted a vision of a baptized soul, it was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. Blessed Raymond, her confessor (and biographer), asked her to describe to him as far as she was able the beauty of the soul she had seen. St. Catherine thought of the sweet light of that morning, and of the beautiful colors of the rainbow, but that soul was far more beautiful. She remembered the dazzling beams of the noonday sun, but the light that beamed from that soul was far brighter. … “Father,” she answered, “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the divine grace that made it so beautiful.” (A. Urban, The Sunday School Teacher’s Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism (New York: J. F. Wager, 1908), 177.)

Our souls are made beautiful in Christ.

Our invitation, is to make visible on the outside what God has done on the inside.

Put on Christ and walk and talk and move and do in him. Our new life show.

Not a mystery how:

Be patient, loving, forgiving. Not easy. Itchy scratchy. Soon become our new look.

Church is superficial. No it is striving to be authentic. Show more and more who we really are: united to Christ.

Conclusion

Sometimes we need a new wardrobe.

Most important change is a new identity.

That is what God offers in Christ.

The gospel is not just a story, it is an experience.

Right now is the time to put on Christ.