Living the Transformed Life

A. B. Simpson was right when he wrote: "There must be a new man before he canwear his new clothes.” You wouldn’t put on clean clothes to go out to supper with your family, or put on clean clothes over a dirty, sweaty, smelly body that’s worked out in the yard, and garden all day without first bathing, and showering.

The Colossian Christians had put on Christ so they are now ready to take off their old garments and put on those clothes which reflect their new life in Christ.

Here before us Paul describes the excellency of the Christian life as it is to be lived here on earth. The believer is to live like a citizen of Heaven. This to Paul is normal Christian living. He pleads for a complete change of clothes from what the Colossian believers had been wearing.

We must do the same. Now that we are new in Christ we must dress the part. For the new man there must be a new wardrobe.

I. THINGS THAT MUST BE ABANDONED, Colossians 3:5 “5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

"Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth." The NIV renders it: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature."

Again in verse 8 Paul declares: "But now ye also put off all these." The double discipline Paul demands for believers is this - "Put to death" in verse 5 and "put off" in verse 8. This is a decisive and finalized action on the part of those in Christ.

Paul is asking these Colossian believers that on the basis of their union with the risen Lord, to begin to discipline their lives in those areas where they have not as yet appropriated the power of Christ for victory.

The word "mortify" means "put to death" which is never an easy thing to do. The process is painful for it goes right against what many of us want to do. MacLaren writes of the word "mortify:" "A single word such as "slay" or "kill" might have been better still." That is why one translator has it: "Keep on killing that which is already dead."

The grim catalog of sins that we must continuously put to death are the outer sins of deed in verse 5 and the inner sins of desire in verses 8 and 9. Let us look at them.

First on Paul's list is “fornication" (v. 5). Phillips has it: "sexual immorality" or as other translations have it: "unusual sexual relations." Paul S. Rees states: "It is difficult for many of us to realize the extent to which the pagan society of a city like Colossae was given over to sensuality and unchastity." He quotes William Barclay who reminds us that "relationships before marriage, and outside of marriage, brought no shame and were the normal and acceptable practice." Sounds much like our nation of today.

Next listed by Paul is "uncleanness." (v. 5). This refers to any word, look, thought or deed which is impure. Phillips calls it "dirty-mindedness."

Another item on Paul's list is "inordinate affection" (v. 5). The meaning here is uncontrollable passion or unbridled lust.

Next Paul mentions "evil desires" (v. 5). This seems to refer to all unholy or sensual longings. The last item listed by Paul in this first group of sins is "covetousness" (v. 5). The conjunction "and" signifies special force and should read: "and especially, covetousness." Weymouth renders it "greed" while Phillips has it: "the lust for other people's goods." Paul was right in equating "covetousness" with idolatry for that is precisely what it is.

Having finished his first list of sins in verse 5 the believer is to have abandoned, Paul now gives a second list of ugly sins of the temper and tongue as found in verses 8 and 9 that the believer in Christ is to discard. He declares: "But now ye also put off all these.." (v. 8). Permit me to list them.

There is "anger" (v. 8). This refers to any revengeful passion against another.

There is "wrath" (v. 8). This refers to a quick temper or an explosive outburst. Phillips renders it: "furious rage" while MacLaren believes it differs from anger in so far as it may be called "anger boiling over."

There is "malice" (v. 8). This has reference to ill-will against another. Lightfoot describes it as "the vicious nature which is bent on doing harm to others."

There is "blasphemy" (v. 8). This is translated "slander" by Moffit, "evil speaking" by Weymouth, "cursing" by the NEB and "evil thoughts or words about God" by Phillips.

There is "filthy communication" (v. 8). This refers to any shameful or unclean speech which comes out of the mouth. Weymouth has it: "foul-mouthed abuse" and Williams renders it: "abusive filthy talk."

There is "lying" (v. 9) It refers to deception through falsehoods whether large or small.

So there you have Paul's list of sins which according to Paul Rees "require no prostitute's bed, but may be indulged in, in the middle of a church board meeting." These sins we must put off and put to death. In the same manner that we would discard an old, dirty clothes, so we must get rid of, cast off, slay, disregard, lay aside those unchristian passions and unholy practices of the old life.

And how is this possible? How can we be finished with sin whether it be anger or adultery? Here's my answer: It is only possible when we submit to the Lordship of Christ and permit the power of Christ to control all of the wild passions of our lives.

I heard about a Christian lady who who made a request of her pastor if he would speak to her husband about becoming a Christian. The pastor did, but in the conversation with her husband he was told that the wife had a terrible temper. The husband said to the minister, "If this is what Christianity does to a person, I want nothing of it." The pastor immediately relayed the husband's complain to the Christian wife.

When she heard this and realizing that it was true, she fell upon her knees in penitent prayer. She asked the Holy Spirit to deal drastically and decisively with this sin of temper which had so long grieved Him. The Spirit of God did this very thing. There was an immediate change.

The next week when the husband accidentally knocked over his wife's prize lamp, he instantly put his hands over his ears to drown out the expected scorching rebuke by his wife. But there was no rebuke to be heard. After a momentary silence, he heard her say, "Don't worry about the lamp, dear! What's a lamp? We can always replace it with another."

The husband could scarcely believe her reaction. Now listen to the outcome of the story, a few weeks later he made a profession of faith in Christ who beautifully had been seen in his wife's life."

This is precisely what takes place when we submit to the Lordship of Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way with our lives. I beg of you, submit your life to Christ's control and permit His power to enable you to experience this transformed life that Paul is here writing about.

Consider not only those things which must be abandoned, but also,

II. THINGS THAT MUST BE ADOPTED, Colossians 3:10 - 14 “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.”

In verses 10-14, Paul sets forth both the new wardrobe believers are to wear and the new behavior believers are to exhibit. He now calls for a new pattern of behavior. It is what MacLaren calls "the white robe of Christlikeness."

Consider with me those items which should make up the wardrobe of those of us in Christ.

We are to put on compassion. The KJV has it: "bowls of mercies" (v. 12). Berkeley has it: "tenderness of heart" while Phillips prefers "merciful in action." The new man in Christ must have a heart of compassion, a sympathetic tenderness toward others who are hurting.

We are to put on kindness (v. 12). The word is rendered by some to mean "sweetness." It is a sweetness of disposition, a goodness of heart for others. What a splendid virtue for believers to wear.

We are to put on humility - "humbleness of mind" (v. 12). I like the way Berkeley renders it: "humble mindedness." We are to be clothed with a low estimate of oneself.

We are to put on meekness (v. 12). Such is not weakness, but as rendered by most translators it means "gentleness of spirit." It is the opposite of rudeness.

We are to put on longsuffering (v. 12). A better word would be "patience." Phillips renders it: "be most patient and tolerant with one another." Such patience will be exhibited in a twofold manner according to verse 13: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another." In other words, when tempted to sound off or strike back we should refrain from doing so.

The final thing the believer is to put on is love. Notice the words of verse 14: "And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness." Phillips calls love "the golden chain of all virtues."

Do the people who live around you, who work with you, do they really know that you love them?

During the days of D. L. Moody, a young lad was asked the question: "Why do you travel all the way across the city of Chicago to attend Mr. Moody's Sunday School? He hesitated a moment and then he said: "Because they love little boys like me over there."

I believe there's something in that story for all of us. The longer I live I believe this statement is right on target: People can only be loved into the Kingdom of God."

Then, thirdly, from the things to be abandoned and the things to be adopted, Paul turns our attention to those

III. THINGS TO BE APPRECIATED, Colossians 3:15-16 “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.”

Two benefits emerge from verses 15 and 16;

First, the transformed life gives us the Peace of Christ. We read in verse 15: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts." More literally it should be: "the peace of Christ" or "the peace that Christ gives." Paul is speaking here of that peace that is able to keep us calm in the face of all problems and circumstances. Remember, the peace Christ imparts to us is the very peace He possessed which kept Him calm in the face of persecution and certain death.

The word "rule" means to arbitrate or to act as umpire. Paul desires us to let the peace of Christ be the umpire in every battle we face and in every inward struggle we experience. Let it settle all disputes in which we find ourselves.

The second benefit we receive is the Word of Christ.

Paul writes in verse 16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord"

It is important to note that the phrase "the word of Christ" refers both to the word concerning Christ and the word proceeding from Christ. It is the words spoken by Christ and the gospel given by Christ. Lightfoot believes the words refer to the presence of Christ. I like Phillips rendering at this point: "Let Christ's teaching live in your hearts."

It is Paul's earnest desire that the teachings left by Christ will have full and complete control of our lives, that they will find a dwelling place in our hearts. This will make us rich in wisdom so that we in return can admonish and instruct others along the Christian path.

And the loving principle that must rule our lives in all of this is given by Paul in verse 17: And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

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