The Believer’s New Clothes

Spurgeon said Scripture is like a lion. Whoever heard of anyone defending a lion? Turn it loose and it will defend itself! The Word can defend itself because it is alive. What scripture has been alive to you this week? Did any of it come from song? Our text today and tell us to sing. Let’s do! And as we do, let it be as our text today instructs: with thankfulness in your heart to God.

Colossians 3:1–17 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 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.

The question will be today: am I? Last chapter we saw the picture of being buried with Christ and being raised again with Him. That means alive. But if that hasn't happened, the next chapter cannot apply. Chapter 3 starts conditionally: if then you have been raised with Christ. If not, you are dead in your trespasses and sin. You need to be brought to life by the saving power of Jesus.

Every so often life hands us what we might refer to as ‘our new normal’. Some of those transitions are wonderful and joyful: marriage… birth…graduation… But some of those are more difficult: chronic illness… death of a loved one…

The Christian’s new normal starts when we are ‘raised with Christ’. And navigating this requires the same intentional, on-purpose, kind of thinking and acting that any of the others do. When you brought that baby home from the hospital, when you started that new job, you made sure you dotted every t and crossed every i so everything was right.

In order to make sure everything is right, we look to God’s words to us: 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. So there is starts: Things above - yes. Things on earth - no. What might that be like? Let’s start with the things we stop.

Put to death, then… When you were married, you no longer went on dates with someone who is not your husband or wife. When you started that new job, you no longer went to the old place of employment every day. It is natural that a new beginning means the end of old things.

The first list is base desires. The second is attitudes of the heart. But neither list was intended to be dealt with separately. And each list reflects desires and attitudes. Here’s what I mean: When we put away sexual immorality, we do well. That is obedience. But while our actions may no longer be sexually immoral, it is possible for our attitudes to remain there. More specifically, what we approve of, tolerate and allow. When we celebrate, instead of repent of, sexual immorality, we are embracing it. Not doing it, but embracing it. You say, preacher… But if your <family person> is in a sexually immoral relationship and you celebrate it instead of repenting of it, you have not put to death sexual immorality. You have embraced it. Same with obscene talk…comedians.

Put off the old self with its practices

Now let’s put on, clothe ourselves with, a beautiful adornment that shines in verses 12-15:

Compassion

Kindness

Humility

Meekness

Patience

Forgiveness

Love

Harmony

Peace - that is peace among us. with each other.

Thankfulness

All these are attitudes that REQUIRE action. They are things that show to the world who we are because they can SEE THEM. Do you remember the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes? He was fooled. He was like one who has walked the isle and been dunked but never put off the old self and put on these new beautiful clothes. He thought he has what he needed but was left naked and ashamed.

Bearing with one another - as God has been to me, so I will be to others. Not as they have treated me, I will treat them. Do you think God trusts you? I hear often: I’ll forgive them but I’ll never trust them again. I get that people will show you who they are. And if they show you they are lost, we are to deal with them differently. The list Paul gives is for how to deal with fellow believers. But if they are a believer and have wronged you, forgive them as God forgave you. Completely. Withholding no part of the forgiveness. Bear with me. The bible says you have to.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly! Be in the Word. Know the Word. Live the Word.