Putting Off to become a "Normal" Christian

Introduction: It is good to be back with you again tonight. I am thankful for the privilege of sharing God’s Word with you, and I appreciate another opportunity the Holy Spirit has given that we may become more of what He desires

Last night we looked at God’s Blueprint for the “Normal” Christian Life by focusing on our position in Christ. Tonight we are going to look at what it means to put to death things in our life that hinder us from becoming what God intends.

Open: To start, let’s talk about what the word normal means. According to the dictionary, normal means “conforming to a standard, usual, typical or expected.

Now let’s ask the question, “Can what is defined as normal change over time?” The Answer is: Yes it can! Not only can it change, but it has changed.

The old standard: 1st place gets a trophy; the NS: everyone gets a trophy!

The old standard was civility in public conversation; the new standard: politicians cuss as much as they can get by with

The old standard was the family taking the evening meal together with conversation; the new standard is on your own, or at a restaurant with everyone on their phone or mobile device

The old standard was boys are boys and girls are girls; the new standard is gender fluidity in a non-binary system

Transition: Now let’s look at the meaning of Normal in light of God’s Word. We can use the same definition: conforming to a standard, usual, typical or expected. Let’s ask the same question: Can God’s Normal (His Standard) change over time? The answer is: absolutely not!

It is discouraging enough when a minority number of our society redefines what normal means, in spite of the objections of the majority. But I think it is even more discouraging when God’s people live as if He had changed or lowered His standards for us. When we live as if this was true, when we allow His standards to erode, sub-normal becomes the new normal, and what was normal is now considered exceptional.

A corrective to this slide is to rediscover the Biblical Normal for believers and to live out a Normal Christian Life without regard to societal awkwardness or even discomfort within the body. Trigger Warning: If you begin to live a Normal Christian life you may be called a zealot or a fanatic by other Christians!

Let’s read the Text together and then look at what needs to be put to death. Read Text - Colossians 3:1-17

The Process of becoming a “Normal” Christian involves putting to death our worldly thoughts ()

Explanation: The act of salvation is a finished transaction that Jesus accomplished all by Himself. He did not require, nor will He accept any help from one of us in the area of Salvation. The act of being Justified is a one-time application that God does for us when He credits the Righteousness of Jesus to our debt of sin.

The process of becoming more and more like Jesus (sanctification) is just that: a process over time. Unlike Salvation which is entirely of God, sanctification is a process that we as believers take part in. As believers, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. He resides in us, and He empowers us to live a life that is pleasing to God. But, and this is vitally important, the Holy Spirit does not magically make us like Jesus without any input or action from us. The Holy Spirit does not “force us” to make the right decisions, He does not prevent us from thinking wrong thoughts or keep us from saying things we will regret. In short, we are not robots who become programmed at Salvation to just get more and more like Jesus.

In this section of the passage (vv. 5-11) Paul is explaining to these Colossian believers the expectations in the area of putting off - actions they would take to remove ungodly thoughts and actions from their lives. Paul is giving instructions in command language, not as suggestions. He is telling them to mortify their members which are upon the earth (v. 5). The word mortify means to “put to death.

Used metaphorically meaning to deaden, to deprive of force and vigor. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary NT, Spiros Zodhiates, p. 1007)

This verb tense in the Greek refers to something that was done in the past, but is in the active sense for the present. That means even though as believers who died to self when we came to Jesus (in the past), we have to keep dying to self (in the present) in order to live for Him.

Paul gets specific when he tells the Colossians the things they are to put to death. He begins with the internal when he commands them to mortify fornication (sexual immorality, impure thoughts), uncleanness (impure actions), inordinate affection (passions, wild, uncontrollable desires for the wrong things), concupiscence (evil desires, cruel and perverted intentions ), and covetousness (idolatry). Paul tells the believers it is their responsibility to take action (in cooperation with the Holy Spirit) and remove these things from their lives

Illustrate: Many of us have the desire to be healthy, and it is a good desire, one that God would have us fulfill. But even with great desire to lose weight, along with the understanding that it’s a good thing, it doesn’t happen automatically. We are required to get rid of the food items (or portion sizes) that are contributing to the problem. We have to quit eating at the buffets, we have to avoid buying the fudge rounds and chips ahoy, and we have to stop eating an entire bag of chips at 10:30 at night!

Argument: Looking at this list, the majority of which take place in the thought life, it is hard to equate them with a person who is a believer in Christ. But Paul was well acquainted with the human heart, and was aware of the believer’s struggles with the old nature. He knew that sinful thoughts needed to be removed by the way of killing, and that this is not something to be played with.

A problem many believers have is believing that it is simply OK to manage sin, to not let it have too much control of our lives. If we are lustful Christians it’s OK as long as I don’t act on the lust or obsess with it. If we are idolaters, it is not a problem as long as we worship our idols in a low key manner, and keep Jesus in the picture by coming to church once a month or so, just to keep up appearances. If we can just keep our issue (whatever it is) under the surface, everything will be all right

No, it is not all right! The biblical expectation is that we put it to death! We have been given the mind of Christ (), and He does not expect to share His space with thoughts that bring the wrath of God upon those who entertain them.

The Process of becoming a “Normal” Christian involves putting to death the sins of the tongue ()

Explanation: Paul continues by reminding these Colossian believers that while these things were part of their pagan past, they had no place in their new lives as believers. He acknowledges that ye also walked and that they lived in them. Both of these have verb tenses in the past. This previous life was over. This was their previous habit, but now they were to do away these things.

Paul then gives a vice list of actions that the Colossians were to put to death. As believers they were to rid themselves of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying. The are negative actions that will harm the community of believers.

Illustrate: Figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding. Harding wanted a better shot at winning so she hired thugs to break Nancy’s legs so she couldn’t compete. An outright act of spite inspired by anger.

Argument: We would never approve of an action like that, but we are often guilty of being spiteful to brothers or sisters in the church, just on a smaller scale. If we slander a person’s character, tell untruths about them to put ourselves in a better light are we not just as guilty of harming them?

Christianity is not a solo sport. A believer in Christ is a member of the family unit called the local church, and we are responsible to each other. God has placed the members within the church as He sees fit, and He has designed the process of growth by having the different members working together, and encouraging one another. ()

A Normal NT Church, filled with redeemed individuals living a Normal Christian life will be a place of encouragement and mutual building up, not a place of discouragement, isolation, or slandering of the brethren. God was serious when He inspired Paul to warn against injuring the community of Jesus ()

Application: The Apostle James warned of the dangers of the tongue. He tells us the tongue is an unruly member that cannot be tamed (). We cannot do this by will power or by trying harder. We grow in grace when we surrender more of ourselves to Jesus by putting to death that which opposes His nature.

The Process of becoming a “Normal” Christian involves putting to death our worldly prejudices ()

Explanation: Paul continues to stress the unity of the members by reminding them of the barriers that were removed by Christ. Paul accomplishes this by showing that former categories are dissolved through the Gospel. He declares:

the former division of the world between Jews and Greeks: no longer valid!

the division between between circumcised and uncircumcised: no longer valid!

Greeks looked down on barbarians & really bad barbarians - no longer valid!

Free men and citizens looked down on slaves - no longer valid!

Illustrate: Socio - economic prejudices. A member at SPBC told Buddy, a new believer who had been a drunk, “we don’t want your kind in here.”

Argument: Paul is reminding these believers that each person is a person made in the image of God (v. 10b) and worthy of respect and dignity. We are in sin when we pre-judge a person based on ethnicity, gender, or geographical place of origin. One thing I have noticed is that we are hard, and I mean hard on folks from the North.

Paul is addressing this command to believers, and if we are Christ-followers who say we believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word, why do we struggle with accepting other ethnicities? Do we not believe that we are all related through our common ancestors? (Adam & Eve) Do we not believe Scripture when it declares that humanity is from one blood? ()

Application: We live in a divided nation. We are divided politically; we are divided by ethnicity (white / black); and we are divided economically. What this mixed up, divided group of haters needs to witness is the Church of Jesus united as brothers and sisters. And the only way this will take place is when we give priority to this final point:

The Process of becoming a “Normal” Christian involves focusing on the Ultimate Goal ()

Explanation: Paul reminds the believers that the issues that are causing them anxiety and doubt and division are done away with in Christ. It should not come as a surprise to us, but Paul seems to always bring the focus back to Jesus. It really is all about Him.

Argument: The phrase in Christ is used right at 100 times in the New Testament. Paul uses it in Colossians at least a dozen times, and it is a powerful reminder of who we are and who we belong to. It also serves to remind us that all of these things we are commanded to put to death have no business being present in the life of a believer.

As we bring this service to a close, I want you to honestly consider those things in your life that need to be put off. If you truly have a desire for personal and corporate revival, understand that God will not send it unless His people are walking close and clean. We cannot harbor sexual immorality in our hearts and expect the blessings of Jesus. We cannot slander one another, and express contempt for a fellow believer and expect God to move. We cannot look down on a group of people because they have a different ethnicity or come from a different social station and then expect God to send the Spirit of Revival.

God will not move among us while there is willful sin in the camp. As we enter into this time of response and prayer, I encourage you to do business with God. The Holy Spirit is convicting some to put off a specific sin that belonged to the old way of living. Maybe its something you have tried to get rid of before, but it didn’t seem to work. It’s very possible you attempted to do it on your own through will power and determination. Why not let the Holy Spirit take it from you?