Put on Love

Are you raised with Christ? - 3:1-4

Colossians 3:3–4 ESV

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.

Colossians 1:3–4 ESV

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,

Colossians 1:1 ESV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 3:1 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.

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism is not only a picture of Christ’s atoning death, but of our own to self and sin!

If we are saved, it is not only raised FROM spiritual death, but TO spiritual life!

If you have not been raised with Christ, then you are yet dead in sin and trespasses; you are a zombie

Put to Death what is earthly - 3:5-11

This list echoes the ‘deeds of the flesh’

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

covetousness is idolatry

“I want”

Isaiah 14:12–15 ESV

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Genesis 3:6–7 ESV

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Wrath is coming - 3:6

Why do believers continue in patterns that are the cause of Jesus’ suffering?

If we believe that the Lord is returning,

Do we not realize that believing in the 2nd Coming of Christ Jesus is believing that all these things will be destroyed?

Is it not then painfully obvious that they aren’t even worth our time and energy?

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Ecclesiastes 1:12–14 ESV

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Luke 12:18–21 ESV

And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Put to death, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, that which is earthly in you… because it’s just not worth the hype, the time, the energy, the resources, your life or your witness.

Because we are ONE in Christ - 3:11

Colossians 3:11 ESV

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

All the earthly motives and actions only serve to tear down and divide.

This is wholly antithetical to the atonement of Christ.

Matthew 18:6 ESV

but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Put on Love - 3:12-17

Again the echo from

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Above all these…

Colossians 3:14 ESV

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

col 3:

gal 5:

Mark 12:30–31 ESV

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 22:40 ESV

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Love is Choice

The heart wants what the heart wants...

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:1 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.

forgiveness

Colossians 3:2 KJV 1900

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The heart wants what the heart wants

Colossians 3:12 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

col 3:2

Psalm 37:4 ESV

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Colossians 3:1 KJV 1900

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Choosing what is good and right and expecting emotion to follow is not the same as fake it til you make it; it is predicated on what is good and right.

peace

So then, Love God supremely and people genuinely! Paul is saying nothing beyond that.

The Word of Christ

Colossians 3:16 ESV

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.

“Regarding the things I say, I should supply even the proofs, so I will not seem to rely on my own opinions, but rather, prove them with Scripture, so that the matter will remain certain and steadfast” - John Chrysostom

I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.

All who believe have been raised to new life with Christ. May God help us to set our affections on things from above; to be changed by His Word, to exhibit His love to others, and to put to death remaining sin in us.