Colossians 3:1-17

Intro

This is an identity issue

We have died and are now in Christ, being renewed back into the image of our creator

Our identity is in Christ

Over the last chapter or so Paul has been making a really strong and wonderful argument: that we are united to Christ and have eternal life in him.

He has been showing how, because of our unification to Christ, we have died along with him on the cross. Who we once were no longer exists. Whatever identity we thought we had is gone. Our identity is not wrapped up in our personality (annoying or funny), or our mental health (whether good, bad, or other), or our politics, or anything else. That person who once had that identity is dead and gone.

No, but just like we died with Christ, we were also raised with him when he was resurrected. And when we were raised with him, we were raised up as new people with a new identity, and that identity is: Christian, “little Christ.” We are raised up as true disciples of Christ, people redeemed and recreated and raised up to new life.

This is really an issue of identity, and the beautiful truth is that our old selves are dead and we have been made into new creations.

This chapter is dealing with the fact that because that is true, because we have a new identity, our lives should look different.

Colossians 3:1–4 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. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 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.

If our old selves are really dead and gone, we should stop acting like our old selves.

Likewise, if our new selves have really been raised, we should start acting like it.

Put off the Old

We stop acting like the old self like this:

Colossians 3:5–11 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

The old identity has already died, now we need to put to death its practices too.

As God is renewing us, we need to act like it. He is working powerfully in us, but its not like a surgery with anesthetics. It isn’t just a “wake up completely different” type of experience most of the time. A lot of the time, even though we have a new identity, there is still a lot of work to be done to make our actions match our identity.

But putting off our old selves is only half of the work we are called to.

Put on the New

We must also put on the new selves, including acting like it.

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

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

And I want you to notice something important here: this new self isn’t alone. All of the “new self” practices are related to the church.

We are called to bear with one another, forgive one another, love one another, be peaceful, and Paul says we were called to all of this “as one body.”

Putting on the new selves looks like doing all of this together, and by coming together to teach each other and sing with each other and be thankful together.