Colossians pt7

In verse 9 of the passage we looked at last week, Paul says to “put off” the old self. So, if we are to do that, what are we to put on? That’s an important question.

In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus tells a short story about a man who has a spirit removed from his life, but who never replaces it with anything. Eventually, that spirit returns with 7 others, and the man is in worse shape than he was in the first place.

This is an allegory for the Christian life. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He begins a cleaning out process. Old desires and habits that were killing us begin to die, but so often, we don’t replace them with new desires and practices. And after a season, the old ways and habits come back with a vengeance- and they are often magnified and, worse, shrouded in false religiosity. We wind up worse than we were in the first place.

Paul does not want the church at Colossae to end up like this. He wants them to reject the practices of the deceitful people among them, but he also wants them to take up the practices that Jesus called His people to…so that they can be whole…and strong…and useful for the Kingdom.

(Read Colossians 3:12-17)

When you look at this passage, after the previous section, it is like going from the fury of a storm to the peace that descends after the storm has passed.

First, look at the description of who we are- God’s chosen ones, holy, beloved.

That is your identity. That is who you are. I have a very close friend, who I talk to when I am of a troubled mind. He knows me very well, and when we talk he makes a point to speak life into me…and one thing he always reminds me of is who I belong to. His favorite phrase to use is “you are God’s son.” When we find our identity in who God says we are, rather than who others say we are, we can face down anything. When we take refuge in our place in God’s Kingdom, we are renewed. He becomes our source.

And look at what that source produces:

compassion and kindness

humility

meekness

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Social Relationships in the Church (3:12–14)

The new clothing of the Christian begins with personal attributes: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Their inclusion suggests the need for long-suffering with others in the group. The entire context is slanted toward harmony in the church. Since the letter does not reveal a problem in the church, either these are always appropriate or they addressed a problem otherwise unknown to the modern reader. Significantly, Paul focused on the individual who is to have patience, rather than the one who caused a problem. The place to begin in any group tension is with oneself rather than others

patience and bearing with one another

forgiving one another- the word used here is the same word that is used in association with Jesus forgiving sinners- charizomai- and calls for us to pursue the same pattern- taking the initiative to forgive and release someone of their offense, even before they realize it- because that is what we experienced with Jesus’ work on the cross

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Social Relationships in the Church (3:12–14)

The text says, “whatever grievances you may have against one another.” It obviously speaks to the offended party, not the offending one. It may be that the offending person had little, if any, awareness of what he had done. The offended should take initiative in enduring and forgiving, rather than waiting for the offender to apologize. By enduring and forgiving, the conscience is cleansed and the matter forgotten. The burden is lifted, and the offended can think and act like Christ even toward the offender. Harboring resentment and ill will toward another does little good, and to do so is beneath Christians. Anyone can hold grudges, but the mark of Christians is that they do not

Love

And what do these produce- unity, peace, and thankfulness

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Harmony in the Church (3:15)

The peace is to “rule” in the congregation. The term for “rule” is often translated “umpire.” That was its original use and may well be the meaning here. However, the term became associated more broadly with any judgment to be made. The fact is, the congregation was to do nothing without the peace of Christ as the environment which overshadowed the action. Such peace also gave a sense of validation to the activities of the church. The specific place of rule was in the believers’ “hearts.” In typical fashion for the Old Testament and often for the New, the term signifies the general core of one’s being. It is the decision-making and valuing aspect of persons.41 Since the term is plural and distributive, the heart of each member is implied. The individual hearts had to be at peace for the congregation to be at peace

I know you may be surprised by this, but when you are pursuing the things of God, and putting them into practice, the results are STUNNING. And they spill over into so many areas of your life. When you begin to be right with Jesus- putting His teachings into practice- you begin to be right with others as well.

And that is crucial for a church, because we are called to be one body- committed to one Savior and pursuing His plan above our own agendas. That can be hard- because in the flesh we are usually seeking our own way- but when the “peace of Christ rules in our hearts” (v15) we begin a journey of change and transformation that ultimately makes us able to live at peace, even in the midst of disagreement or conflict.

And that’s where the idea of thankfulness comes into Paul’s letter. And it is a unique one- using a word for thankful that appears nowhere else in the NT. It is a specific call to become thankful people, believing that all things are from Jesus, and being grateful for His gentle and sovereign hand guiding our lives.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Harmony in the Church (3:15)

Paul ended this exhortation with the command to become thankful. Colossians contains many references to thankfulness. This particular word, however, does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The Colossians were to become thankful persons. The combination of thankfulness and peace is a logical one. Generally a lack of peace results from self-seeking or dissatisfaction with things as they are. Thankfulness points one to the realization that all things are provided in Christ. There is no room for ill will or bitterness if thankfulness prevails. The epistle provides ample reasons for thankfulness

And what’s key to grab onto here is the next couple of verses- (Read v16-17)

We cannot LEARN what Jesus wants, without being taught by the resources He has given us. Look at verse 16:

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”- this means we are to be regularly and constantly in the scriptures- richly indicates a consuming dedication to word…what we spend our time on

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Freedom of the Word of God (3:16–17)

The entire context points to the freedom of the word to determine the actions, motivations, and decisions of the group. It, like the peace of God, becomes a measure of church life. Before every activity, the church should answer two questions: Is the peace of Christ present in the congregation at this point? and Is this consistent with, and will it promote knowledge of, the word of Christ

“Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom”- we are also learning from one another- we cannot ever be so arrogant that we think a fellow believer has nothing to offer us- if someone follows Jesus, they have something to teach me, and if we disagree, then let’s discuss it…because we may BOTH be wrong!

“singing pslams and hymns and spiritual songs”- which tells us the importance of worship in our lives and why what we sing should be truth- how often do you find yourself singing parts of a worship song? you are repeating truth to yourself

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Freedom of the Word of God (3:16–17)

Those who sing do so because they have felt the transforming power of God in their own lives, and they sing with an awareness of that grace.

“with thankfulness in your hearts to God”- so these actions direct us BACK to God- so we are putting the old self off and embracing the new self- the new identity- child of God!

But here is the critical part. We cannot just KNOW things. We have to put them into action. And this is the important part. Far too many followers of Jesus neglect the connection between knowledge and action.

(An important truth I have been learning: Exodus 14:14- if I am in the right, God will handle the wrong)

When we learn what God expects, we are responsible to put it into practice. When we don’t put it into practice, we are giving the Enemy a opening to wreak havoc. As Christians and as a church, we must seek to be aligned with Jesus, more than anyone else!