Putting On The New Self

Colossians 3:1–17 ESV

If then 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 appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 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 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on 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 one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts 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.

Can I have a volunteer to read our passage for tonight?

In life there are many points of tension. When you perhaps want something but know you shouldn’t have it, or you know that in order to do x you have to give up y. In order to get good grades you have to give up freetime for studying. This is something I think we are all familiar with.

When I was a growing up, my mom and dad had certain rules for our house. There were certain things I wasn’t allowed to do because that’s not what we do in the Thomas’ house. Similarly, there were some things that I didn’t want to do that we just had to, because again, that’s what Thomases’ do. I know that this is the same to some degree, of everyone here.

You are an Oda, or you are a Kim…There is a tension. There is a tension between who your mom and dad say you are, and how you want to act.

The Apostle Paul is saying something similar in Colossians. There are certain things that are true for a Christian. There are some things that no matter how we want them to be, they just are.

If you are a Christian, then the bible makes some really strong claims about who you are. If you are a Christian then the bible says there is a reality that you are living in that is true, even if you don’t understand that it is.

This is the reality. That a Christian is a new creation. That they are free from the power of sin that each of us feel.

But even Christians, if we are honest with ourselves know that we still struggle with sin. We still are tempted to lie, to cheat, to gossip and talk in terrible ways saying terrible things against someone else. We still struggle with being angry, we struggle with lust.

How can we fix this? If I am a new creation, a Christian, then how can I not act like a sinner? Is the solution to just work harder? No. It is not about doing, it’s not about what you can do, but what has already been done for you.

So Paul is writing to the Colossians, and to us today, because you are a new creation in Christ, you must be putting off the old, the bad, the sinful, and you must be putting on the new, clothing yourself in truth.

Here are the three points for the passage tonight.

Seek The Things Above

Kill Sin

Put On The New

1. Seek The Things Above

There is a reality of what and who we are that we must know. and there are also commands, things that we must do.

So a reality to know, and two commands to obey. Let’s start with the reality. The first thing, look at verse three.

You have died. That might alarm you at first. But if you a Christian you have died. This means that the person that you used to be, is dead, no more. It’s not a physical death, but a reality of you being sinful and ruled by sin that has changed. The person that you used to be was “guilty” of sin. Like a murderer is found guilty in court so we were found guilty of sin. That sin seperated us from God because how can a good God ever approve of sin?

So it was necessary for our guilt to be carried, just like a murderer being sent to the gallows our punishment too needed to be carried out, and that is what Jesus did. Because of my sin, and your sin, and everyone else’s sin meant that we were all guilty, all sinful, all going to be punished and sent away from God, Jesus came and although he was perfect in every way, although he never sinned, he took the punishment you deserved.

He died, and with him your sinful self died with him on the cross. So if you are a Christian, you have died to sin.

But you have been raised also! Just like how Jesus died and your sin died with him, the power of sin and death could not hold Jesus and he rose from the death. Jesus, the very one who made the heavens and the stars and the earth, could not be held down by the power of death, because he is God of the living and the dead.

So just as Jesus rose from the dead in new life, so you, if you are a Christian have been raised with him in new life. It is no longer the old you, the sinful you, the guilty you who lives, but it is Christ’s life in you that lives. That is why a Christian is a new creation.

And if you have died, and if you have been raised, then your life is hidden with Christ. You are secure in him, your identity is in him, it’s not in what you loved before, or it’s not in your old life, but your life, is hidden safe with Jesus. And because of that, one day, hopefully far from now, when you die you will be with him. Paul says you will appear with him.

That is the security. that you will be with Jesus in heaven with His life, and not seperated from Him in Hell.

The reality is the old you is dead and the new you, who is in Jesus lives.

Now, because of those realities are true, Paul gives us the commands. To Seek, and to Set.

Paul says to seek the things above. To seek means to desire, to want, and pursue, to chase after with your whole heart. Seeking isn’t indifference, it isn’t halfhearted, like jogging across the finish line, but its is something we are chasing after. Seeking is like when you throw a ball for your dog and it searches for the ball with every fiber of its being. It’s running and sniffing, it really wants the ball.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “the heart wants what it wants?” Selena Gomez wrote a whole song about it. She writes that what she wants is all she can think about, it’s all she cares about, she’s acting crazy to get it.

Her desire for it is so intense, it’s relentless. That is the heartfelt affection of something with an intense desire, chasing after it. Now while Selena Gomez is writing about a boy, Paul is saying with this same intent, the same chasing after, the same seeking, you should be focused on Jesus.

Seeking is from the heart, but setting your mind on something is intellectual. You have to focus your attitudes and your thoughts on the things above.

Paul is saying if you are a Christian, seek the things above and set your mind on the things above, that means don’t seek after things below. Sinful things, things that are going to turn your heart away from God.

Seeking the things above mean seeking after Christ, because that is where he is, just look at verse 1. Seeking after the things above is to know his ways, his desires, his attitudes, and for you to change your life to look like Jesus’. Seek true life, not earthly life.

2. Kill Sin

If I am a new creation, why then do I still sin? Why is it so hard to fight temptation? Because we are still in the world. The reason it is so hard to fight sin, why we still struggle with it is because although we are a new creation, we’re not in heaven yet. It’s like when you wash your laundry and it’s clean, but it’s not dry yet. We’re clean, we’re new but we are in an inbetween stage of already, but not yet. God intends us to grow and to become more like Jesus as we go on living.

But while we are living, we must be correcting when we fail. And Paul is saying that This means killing sin. Killing sin doens’t mean “putting sin in timeout,” or “managing it” it means killing it. And why should we kill sin? Because you have already died to sin, therefore put it to death. The sinful you is dead, remember? the old you is done, and you have put on the new.

Which of you after taking out the trash would then bring it back inside after a few days and let it stink up your house? You wouldn’t, because it’s trash, it’s gross, it’s bad.

So if the old you died, why would you invite the old you back?

Why would you want to go back to the sin that was killing you?

You are dead, the sinful you is dead, so put to death your old self daily. How do we do this?

First, believe that its true. If you are dead to sin, then consider yourself dead. Paul even talks about these disordered wants and desires that we have and just how much they are not what God wants for us. God wants us to put them to death because these things are evil.

Look at verse 5,

sexual immorality and impurity. This is any sort of sexuality outside of marriage. What does Jesus say about this? He says even if you look at someone lustfully you have already sinned in your heart.

Jesus cares about your heart, and sin isn’t just what you do with your body but what you do with your heart and your desires. What are you imagining? What are you wanting?

It’s important to understand this. Lusting isn’t looking at someone and noticing that they are attractive, that’s not the issue. But when you step beyond that, and choose to imagine them in a way that is just plain wrong. It crosses the line and something that God made as good, you are now twisting and breaking for your own pleasure. You are turning them into something for you when they aren’t yours.

So what do we do as Christians? Put it to death. Kill the sin or it will be killing you. What does this look like? Don’t go where you used to go. Don’t put yourself into a place, an environment where you will be tempted to sin. Delete that app if it’s causing you to sin, don’t watch that show, say no to opening the door to temptation.

Paul also links coveting which is idolatry. Coveting is wanting something more, finding more pleasure in something rather than God. It’s when you believe that “God isn’t enough so I need this sensation, I need this person, I need this possession to be happy.” That is idolatry, when you value something more than you value God. It’s caring for what is created more than the one who created it. It’s a disordered thinking.

So when we want something so much it takes the place where God should be and then we don’t get that thing we want, we get angry. We get upset, when we should be thankful for what we have.

It’s not inherently wrong to want something, you can want good things. good grades, you can want to get married, but if it ever takes a place in your heart where it shouldn’t, where it’s more important than God or living how we should, that is sin, and we must repent.

So how do we fight sin, how do we kill it? Do we do it by our own strength alone? No, we can’t

We do it by the Spirit of God. We do it through the power that God gives to kill sin. Eph. 6:16-17

Ephesians 6:16–17 ESV

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

What is happening here is the the Christian is equipping themselves to go to battle against sin. You’re putting on armor, a helmet, a shield and a sword.

A sword is meant to kill, so by hearing the word of God, by storing it in your heart, memorizing it, trusting it, that you will overcome sin in your life. It’s through God’s power that we identify sins, we repent, we confess our sins to God, and you use this sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So when you are fighting sin, memorize scripture like

Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true. Whatever is honorable. Whatever is just. Whatever is pure. Think about these things.

Remind yourself to set your mind on the things above.

So we Seek The Things That Are Above, that means we seek Jesus, and we Kill Sin, now here’s the last point of the passage.

3. Put On The New

The Christian life isn’t just about what we need to stop doing, but what we should start doing too. If we are to put off, to take off the old and sinful, then we should put on something else.

Look at verse 12 in chapter 3. Before Paul tells us what to do, he reminds us who we are. He says we are chosen, we are holy, we are loved. We can’t just decide to be these, or to start doing these so we become loved. You having died to sin, and having life in Jesus are chosen by God, holy (set apart) for Him, and loved.

What does our new uniform look like then?

Compassion - having a soft heart. Humility - Thinking not just for yourself but about others first. Patience - putting up with things that may be hard or frustrating. And Forgiveness- forgiving others, just as God forgives you. Just as when you sin and you confess your sin God forgives you, so you should forgive others when they sin against you.

Love one another, as Paul says “Put on Love.”

Paul says do this, study God’s word, and do everything in the name of Jesus.

Doing everything in the name of Jesus means that whatever you do, driving, studying, eating, changing a diaper, do it in a way that is consistent with who Jesus is and what he would do.

So guys, here is the recap.

If you are a Christian, the old you is dead, don’t try to bring him back. The new you has been raised with Jesus.

So Seek the things above, seek after Jesus and set your mind on these things.

Kill Sin, because it is trying to kill you.

And Put on the new self -

These are true only for the Christian. So if you are a Christian take comfort in these things.

If this isn’t you, or if you don’t know if its you, then everything I’ve said may be confusing, or you may feel exhausted after hearing it. If you’ve heard me talk about killing sin, and thought about how you have tried so hard to be better,

to stop doing bad things but just can’t, just know you’re right. You can’t stop on your own.

If you are not a Christian, then you have not died to your sins yet. You are still carrying the weight of sin and no matter how hard you try to be better, or to take off the stinky clothes and put on new one’s it won’t work.

Being a Christian isn’t just changing your behaviour, but it’s God changing your heart.

You are a sinful person, just like everyone else, but Jesus came, lived a perfect life that none of us could, and he took on himself the punishment that should have been ours. It should have been mine, and he died so you wouldn’t have to. He rose from the dead, defeating it, and now he offers true life, eternal life to all who believe.

Don’t leave here tonight thinking you can earn life by trying harder, run to Jesus, confess you are a sinner who needs forgiveness, and pray to Him that you may have new life.

I say these things not because I read it in a book, but because I have lived it. I was where some of you are and I know what it is like to be alone, and to carry that weight.

I grew up attending youth group, going to church, knowing the right things to say to get out of any conversation about my faith. But I struggled deeply with anger, not having the things i thought I deserved, I was depressed, sad that life didn’t look a certain way, constantly comparing myself to others who had things or traits that I wanted. In my sin and in my anger I turned to partying, alcohol, drugs. I looked at things and wanted things I shouldn’t have and I only felt more empty. At first I promised myself I would stop, i knew what i was doing was wrong, but i continued and just like a nerve that gets burned and burned again looses feeling, so i grew numb and callous.

But through it all I knew that those who did such things would die, that these sins i grew to love were killing me. That I would go to hell because I lived a sinful life

I thought i needed to get to a place where Jesus might look at me and be able to fogive me for what i’d done. But It wasn’t until my dad shared with me that Jesus didn’t come to heal those who are healthy, but those who are sick that I began to understand. I couldn’t get to a place to come to Jesus, Jesus came for me. So I prayed, I confessed my sins and asked Jesus to forgive me and to save me from Hell. I asked him to give me new life.

I can’t point to a single day when I knew i was a Christian, but one day I realized that the weight I felt was gone, the sins that I loved weren’t lovely anymore. I found that I loved Jesus and wanted to obey him, I wanted to know Jesus, and I wanted to live my life for him.

You don’t have to clean yourself up in order to come to Jesus, just turn to him.

Let’s pray.

Seek the things above

Kill Sin

Put on the new