Colossians 3:12-14 | From Gutter to Glory

Hello

New Gospel Partners - Liam Halford, Moulden’s, Katelyn Wells.

Colossians 3:12–17 (ESV)

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 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. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 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. 17 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.

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If you havnt been with us over the last couple of weeks as we have made our way through chapter 3 of Colossians - we have been dwelling in these beautiful realities that:

By faith in Jesus - sinners are forgiven, and united with Christ. New Creations - therefore, we are to put off the practices that belong to our former manner of life.

most recently we looked at the two lists which are examples of what is earthly in us, what is sinful that come in verses 5 & 8. - Convicting

Now, if you recall - How we are to do this, by doing what verses 1-4 says - by setting our minds on the things that are above.

By fixing out gaze upon Jesus - his glory, his life, his all satisfying worth - and upon who we now are in him, as dead to sin and alive to Christ. We set aside our old loves - now known to us as sins - by finding a greater love in Jesus.

Now, having addressed what we are to put off - the garments that belong to the old man (Adam), Paul now is going to exhort us what to put on!

12 Put on then, The clothing, the practices that do accord with Christ, and who we now are as new creations.

If you simply take off the old practices, the old clothing, you are just left exposed - and because of the veracity of temptation, you will quickly return to them.

Instead we must put off the old, and put on the new.

You see, many of us I think make the mistake, as Christians, having been saved by grace, where we now see what is sinful in us, and all we do is focus on trying not to do that thing. We assume that - growing as a Christian is just about trying not to sin. - Don’t get me wrong, thats a part of it.

Sanctification is the process by which we are becoming more like Jesus. Becoming more holy - and exhibiting the character of Jesus for his glory. So the goal isnt simply to stop doing the wrong thing, but to imitate Christ in righteousness. Putting off the old self, and putting on the new.

STORY

There was once a boy, a smart and mild child, yet a boy who seemed to have a compulsive tendency to use his hands for evil.

When he was very young, much to his parents horror, thier sweet boy without provocation was prone use his hands to hit or grab or pull his siblings or his freinds.

As he grew up, his hands were used less as weapons, and more as tools to take what wasn’t his - whether it be food from local merchants or the contents of passes pockets that he would sell to fund his own revelries.

Later his hands were the means of lifting the drink to his lips, in endless repitition, and those same hands became the cause of fear for his gentle parents.

So as a young man, it was the destruction of his hands that found him kicked to the street, destitute, unwanted, empty handed.

Yet, in the darkness of that cobbled gutter amidst decaying scent, it was the calloused hands of a stranger that lifted him up with strong arms. That took him, cleaned him, clothed him, fed him… and welcomed him into his home, as if that boy was the son he had always loved. And then that new found father, put that young man’s hands to work alongside him as a blacksmith. Soon - the hands that were once weapons and tools for burglary and debauchery, were instead weilding tools to craft swords and sheilds used in the hands of others to defend the kingdom.

Those hands once idle, now worked, the hands that once took, now used what they had, to give. The hands that once hurt, now protected.

This story, in one sense is false, as false as any other fictional work - but in another sense it is the truest of stories becuase we are all that young boy.

We are all those who have used hands, and tongues and lives for our own glory and satisfaction and as a result, done what is evil.

And for any who are in Christ, we like this young man, are those who have been pulled from the gutter of our own pursuits, and been adopted as beloved children.

and now, rather than just stopping the former habits of life, we are to put our lives to the work of becoming like our new Father.

This is the story of Colossians 3:12-14.

Put on then…

12b as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

As those who are God’s chosen ones… not holy and loveable in and of ourselves.

Instead, we are those who are entirely unholy, and entirely unworthy of God’s affection.

Dead in our trespasses and sins and dwelling in the stench of our own rebellion against God, the resulting gutter of sinfulness.

And then… God came to us:

Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were still weak - dead - destitute in our sins.

Galatians 4:3–5 (ESV)

3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We were spiritually orphans - unholy and unworthy.

But God sent his Son, the chosen, anointed Son, Jesus the Holy one, his beloved Son.

And the chosen, holy, beloved Son of God died in our place, he received what we deserve, so by faith in Jesus we might now receive what he deserves.

So forgiven - we are now the chosen recipients of his grace, declared holy and beloved. Becuase that’s what Jesus is - and through faith in him we are united.

If you are in Christ, you have been adopted. Pulled from the gutter - and embraced as a son. You were an orphan, without home and without hope, now you are a child of God - and He has made his home with you, and you are loved. Your nature has entirely changed, becuase your father has.

John 17:22–24 (ESV)

22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

end of 23 - the same love that the Father has for the Son, is the love he has for us.

End of 24 - that is the love with which he has loved the son for eternity.

God cannot love you more than he loves you now in Christ, and he will not love you less.

He loves you with an infinite, eternal love.

We often assume that when we sin - God loves us less, and when we are holy, he loves us more.

No, he loves you as he has always loved his son.

GOSPEL SEND _ receive it ONLY by Faith!!!!

and now, as those adopted, and loved, rather than just stopping the former habits of life, we are to put our lives to the work of becoming like our Heavenly Father.

So Paul says - Put on, what, well first he gives us 5 virtues:

PUt on compassionate hearts, - Concern for others, especially others in unfortunate circumstances

PUt on kindness, - is that virtue often expressed through many other virtues. It is evident in that person who is freindly, generous, hospitable and considerate.

PUt on humility, - is not thinking less of yourself, but it is thinking of yourself less

PUt on meekness, - or gentleness - gentleness is not weakness - it is controlled strength - Gentleness is that quality by which those who are less powerful than you are not intimidated but feel safe and respected.

PUt on patience, - is the ability to trust in the Lord while you wait, enduring delay, problesms or suffering.

PUT them on~… as chosen holy, and beloved, put them.

Observation: are these things we value? Virtues that we actually see as worthwhile pursuing?

I think the blanket answer is offcourse yes. Yes I want to be kind, and compassionate. Certainly. But really, the question is, what do we value most?

But do we honestly want to be kind, more than we want to be successful?

Do we honestly want to be humble, more than we want to be acknowledged & respected, seen and heard?

Do we honestly want to be gentle, more than we want to be powerful?

Do you really want to be patient, more than you want comfort, now?

Challenge: before our actions change our values need to align with who we are in Christ! Becuase we will strive for what we value. And often, what we value most is that we be successful, recognised, powerful, wealthy, looked to. So - we strive for these things, putting time and energy into getting better and improving and overcoming. Beucase they are what we value most… Do we value what the old man (adam values)? Or do we value what God values? But they are not the virtues that we are called to put on in accordance with Jesus.

In Christ, we have new father, a new nature, so we ought to value, what our Father values. Are these attributes that you value and are therefore are actively trying to grow in?

How: with values realigned, how do we actually do that? How do we grow in them?

We, set our minds on the things that are above… we fix our gaze, the gaze of our lives, upon Jesus!

We arent trying to just not sin, we are trying to imitate Jesus.

In Christ we have been adopted and have a new father, so we are to imitate God, just like Jesus.

If you have seen me, you have seen my father John 14:9

As my father does, i do also John 5:19

Did you notice in this list, the Christocentric nature of them. Where do we see compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience on display?

In the heart of God our Father revealed perfectly in Christ the Son.

How do we grow in these things: we look to Jesus and imitate him.

Like the young man from our earlier story, now adopted, and loved, rather than just stopping the former habits of life, we are to siddle up to our saviour and king and learn his trade.

We do so by looking intently at Jesus, maybe you need to inteintally go and read a gospel or two and consider the heart of God on display in Christ. See:

His compassion and kindness As he was moved to care for those who were like sheep without a shepherd and he healed the sick and outcast in matthew 9. Or how he was so moved with compassion to feed the 5,000 rather than sending them away in Matthew 14.

Would you see His humility and gentleness In how he dealt with the lowly, the adulterors, the children. His humility in john 13 as he put on the garb of a servent and then washed his disciples feet, before dying in thier place as a slave

Would you be captivated by - His patience His constant patience that endured the ignornace and failures of his disciples yet remained with and near them throughout.

in all of this, would you be reminded of his compassion to you, in drawing you from the gutter, his humility as he came and suffered in your place, and his patience as he is shaping you and conforming you for his glory.

Now, look with me at verse 13, becuase herein lies the evidence or the lack thereof of these Christlike virtues. It says:

13 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.

How can you see if you are growing in becoming more like Christ? In compassion, kindness and patience.

well how do you go at bearing with and forgiving those who hurt you or let you down?

‘one another’ speaking to those in the body of Christ, those who are Christian brothers and sisters.

that doesnt mean we shouldnt bear with or forgive those who arent Christians, quite the opposite, but it means that it should start within the church. If we can’t bear with and forgive other family members, it’s unlikely we will anyone else.

Bearing with is forgiveness in advance. - it is knowing that we are relating to other people who like us, are wrestling with the presence of sin. imperfections, and fallible - and being willing to forgive them in advance.

When we do premarriage counselling we tell couples that Marriage is a committment to forgive the other person for the rest of your life together.

It’s a committment to bear with the other persons failures & imperfections. This is what we are called to committ to as members of the body of Christ.

and when we are wronged, ‘or there is a complaint against another’

then we are to forgive one-another as we have first been forgiven. 

Our forgiveness is based on Christ’s forgiveness of us. If we are waiting for the other person to make it right, we will never forgive them. Because they can’t take back what has been done. Instead we forgive them because Christ has forgiven us.

This means that forgiveness always costs you something. You must absorb the cost of the other persons sin.

AGAIN - just like Jesus - This is what Grace is! Christ absorbed the pain of our sin, he bore our guilt! So that we might receive his love. This is what it is to turn the other cheek. When you are slapped, justice would say, slap them back. Grace, instead takes the punishment that the other person deserves. 

C. S. Lewis observed, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea,” “until they have something to forgive.” Becuase forgiveness is painful… don’t be fooled into thinking its not.

but this is what we are called to becuase Jesus paid the ultimate price to forgive us of our sins.

And what compelled this sacrifice of our saviour.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

As we imitate Jesus, like putting on the new clothes of the new creation, above all, or over the top - like an overcoast to finish off the outfit - we are to put on love.

Love for God, and love for others

Love that compelled Jesus through the main of the cross.

1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

He has pulled you from the gutter of sin and set you free to grow become more like him for his glory!