Colossians 3:7-11 - Putting Away the Old Life
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Introduction:
My youngest son, Zane, has a tendency to get dirty.
He has certain clothes that he likes a lot better than others. He also has certain socks he likes better.
And so after playing outside and getting filthy, we take him in for a bath and he has nice clean clothes on.
Yet, sometimes, he finds a way to sneak those old clothes back on when we aren’t paying attention. He might come by and we notice a smell that we shouldn’t be smelling on a boy who has been freshly bathed with clean clothes!
Unfortunately, many of us do this same thing in our spiritual lives however. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ and given a clean body and clean clothes. We are forgiven and made new. Yet, we still have the flesh that seems to want to try on those old garments time and time again. Those sins of the flesh continue to show themselves.
Join me as we read God’s Word and see Paul admonish us to put away the old life:
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.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Today we are going to discuss three ways the we should put away the old life. The first is:
I. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old Walk (7-9a)
I. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old Walk (7-9a)
Colossians 3:7–9 (ESV)
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...
In these too you once walked. He has just mentioned sexual immorality, covetousness, and idolatry and now he is about to open up another list of sins. He admits that the Colossians used to walk in these sins but he has commanded them put them to death in verse 5 and now he urges them to put them all away in verse 8.
By using the word walked here, Paul means that the Colossians were not only doing sin, they were living in sin. But now that they are believers - they are not to continue living that way.
Paul admonishes them to put away this sin. He tells them to put them all away actually! The Greek for this is apotithēmi (ap-o-teeth-eh-me). This Greek word is actually where I came up with the introduction. The word literally means to take off. It was used for taking off and discarding old and worn out clothes. Paul tells the church to take off their old ways and discard them like an old set of tattered clothes. The old ways need to be put away and put to death and never to be put on again.
It is at this point that we are given another list from Paul. Last week we had a list of 5 major sins that he went through. And this week we have yet another list of sins that Paul gives us. This time it is a list of 6 sins. Let’s go ahead and break them down one by one as well so we can understand what he is telling us to put away or discard in our lives.
The first is:
1. Put off Anger
I think that most of us understand what anger is. Anger is something that can be sinful and can be righteous. Obviously most of us consider Jesus getting angry and turning over the tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13).
Jesus didn’t sin in this anger. It was a righteous anger.
The anger that Paul mentions here is a smoldering anger. It is chronic anger and settled feeling of hatred. It is a deep-rooted bitterness. This type of attitude of the mind and heart is unfitting for the believer.
James goes a step further explaining this as well:
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Believers are to be slow to become angry. When man or woman gives themself to chronic anger bad things happen. Which brings us to the next word Paul mentions.
2. Put off Wrath
While anger is a state of bitterness and resentment, wrath is the resulting action from the anger. Anger is like the pot that is right about to boil and wrath is what happens once the boiling point has been reached. Some people seem to hover right around boiling point daily. These people are dangerous people. One small thing can tip them over the edge and their wrath becomes evident.
Wrath is really nothing more than a sudden outburst of anger that was already brewing.
I tend to think of anger and wrath like a volcano. An active volcano can blow at any time. There is hot lava that is ready to overflow and burn all of those around it. All it takes is one external force to set it off.
The book of Proverbs is filled with Scriptures warning against anger and most them speak of the folly and foolishness of anger.
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Anger and wrath destroy relationships as well. That is why Paul warns us about smoldering anger and needing to have reconciliation when an argument or disagreement has occured.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
We need to be quick to reconcile and repent and talk things out. Holding them in only cultivates anger and wrath and gives the devil an opportunity.
Next we come to:
3. Put off Malice
This isn’t quite as common of a word that we use today. It is well translated as wishing to do harm to someone or at least desiring that harm befall a person. One who has a malicious heart will rejoice when someone suffers and suffer when that same someone rejoices.
This type of thinking chokes out the joy in your life. Malice usually arises because of an unresolved issue. When you have let the sun go down on your anger time and time again, malice starts to creep up into your thought patterns and begins to control your life.
Flee from this.
In this same vein we see we are to:
4. Put off Slander
Whereas malice is wishing that someone has something bad happen to them, slander is actively trying to bring bad upon that person. It is speaking against someone in such a way as to damage their reputation. It takes it worst form in deliberately spreading false information about another behind their back.
The word translated slander here is actually blasphēmia (blass-pha-me-a). This is the same Greek word that is translated blasphemy when talking about God. We see the judgment from blaspheming God throughout Scripture. But when we slander man we must see it as a big deal as well. Obviously blaspheming God is much worse than blaspheming man. However, we must understand that when we slander man we slander one who has been made in the image of God.
Next time you feel the urge to speak ill of someone, remind yourself that they are made in the image of God. This is even moreso for those who are brothers and sisters in Christ. We should not slander anyone - but to slander a fellow believer is to slander one who is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
5. Put off Obscene Talk
Next we get to obscene talk. The Greek word for this can mean foul language or filthy talk. It encompasses a whole host of vocabulary that is not fitting for the believer in Christ.
James clearly addresses this in chapter three of his epistle.
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
Our mouth is a dangerous weapon my friends. Possibly even more dangerous than any physical weapon. We need to be sure to use our language to build up the kingdom of God and not tear others down.
Listen to James further explain the importance of righteous speech:
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
James lets us know that it is not proper to use the same mouth for praising God and also use it to curse men. We are not be double-tongued.
Do you catch yourself being quick to say things that are hurtful and harmful to others? Are the jokes that come out of your mouth improper for that of a believer? Would you speak of the same subjects with your friends, work colleagues, and even family if Jesus was in the room with you?
Jesus told us that we can tell a lot about a person by what comes out of their mouth.
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Hear His strong rebuke to the Pharisees as he speaks to them. What comes out of the mouth is what is overflowing in the heart. So often we excuse ourselves by saying that we didn’t mean what we just said. Or we excuse others in the same way. Yet Jesus lets us know what comes out of our mouth is what is brewing in the heart. The words we say are a result of what is going on in our hearts.
If we catch ourselves saying things that are not godly we need to repent and ask Christ to cleanse us from the inside out. Only He can truly change us.
6. Put off Lying
Finally we come to lying. This is closely related to slander that just saw a bit ago. It means departing from the truth. It is embracing falsehood in either word or deed. When we lie we are are embracing the heart of Satan.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Lying is the very nature of Satan and evil.
Theologian Sam Storms gives us three reasons we may lie:
To Get What We Want
For Power
Because of Pride
There is so much truth to this. We may lie because we covet something. We might lie because we want that promotion. And we may lie because we want people to think more highly of us so we exaggerate or make up something to shine more of a light on ourselves.
Proverbs is filled with warnings against lying. Here is one of them:
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
God hates lying but rejoices in the truth and faithfulness of believers.
Warren Wiersbe once said:
Lying involves the intent to deceive for the purpose of personal gain. An old proverb says, “Half a fact is a whole lie.”
Warren Wiersbe
My friends, may we be a church of truth. There is no room for deception and half truth’s in the life of a believer. We should be known as the most trustworthy and dependable among our nation. As the old proverb taught - a half truth is a whole lie.
Believers should put off the old walk. The old sinful walk needs to be cast off and we need to follow Christ in truth.
Scripture References: Matthew 21:12-13; James 1:19-20; Proverbs 29:11; Ephesians 4:26-27; James 3:6,10; Matthew 12:34; John 8:44; Proverbs 12:22
II. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old Ways (9b-10)
II. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old Ways (9b-10)
Colossians 3:9–10 (ESV)
...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.
Put off the old self. This is similar to the put them all away that we saw in verse 8. Like an old set of clothes we should put off what is old and put on what is new. We should completely remove what was old. We have died to sin and we have been raised to new life with Christ. We are born again.
Daryl Ellis in his commentary on Galatians offers a clear teaching regarding the old self and the new self here.
The “old man” refers to the unregenerate state and is not equivalent to the sinful nature, which will always be with us in this life. The “new man” means our regenerate state. Putting off the sins of the old man is the activity needed to help the new man have victory over his sinful nature.
Daryl Ellis
We must understand that when we are born again, the old self has been forever removed. However we still are cursed with the sinful nature of the flesh. It is not our old self that rears its head. Our old self is dead. But it is the lusts and sins of the flesh that we must continue to fight.
It is important that we fully realize that we need a new self and not a better self however. Our world today tries to dress the old self up with new clothes. The problem with this is that the stench of sin from our old self stains those new clothes.
A good example of this danger is seen with false teachers such as Joel Osteen. Osteen came out with a book called Become a Better You. For those of you who don’t know, Osteen has the largest church - well, not church and maybe better stated congregation - in America boasting some 45-50,000 members and a primary auditorium that seats over 16,000 people. Sadly, his church is not an actual church. Between prosperity theology and secular humanism - his congregation has become more of a self help organization than a church. A couple of chapters help show the error of his book we mentioned:
Discovering Your Destiny
Learning to Like Yourself
Have Confidence in Yourself
Sadly, the self is exalted here. While the Bible says to crucify your self, die to your self, put away your old self - Osteen says to embrace your self. The old self loves messages such as this though. It exalts humanity as moves man to the center of the universe. Messages exalting the self like these seem to suggest that you can add Jesus to your life and then things will be better.
Yet, we are commanded to put off the old self. This happens through true salvation and a dying to your old self. It is a work of Christ in you. And as he removes your old self and gives you a new self He begins a great work of sanctification in you.
Colossians 3:10 (ESV)
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
We see this great work at the end of verse 10. Being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. The image of God - Imago Dei - was tarnished by the fall of man. We are still made in the image of God. However, sin has marred this image. Yet once a believer is saved - God begins sanctifying them. God begins making them look more like that original image. One day we will be given a new transformed body and will be completely sanctified and made holy (Phil 3:21). We will be back to that original Imago Dei. Although the flesh continues to decay, the new self is being renewed by Christ.
In the meantime, keep following Christ and put away your old ways and your old walk. Lastly...
Scripture References: Philippians 3:21
III. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old World (11)
III. As a Believer in Christ You Should… Put Away the Old World (11)
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
The first two distinctions are actually combined. The Greek being uncircumcised and the Jew being circumcised. This was a huge distinction in Biblical times as Gentiles despised Jews and Jews despised Gentiles. A Jew would not go into a house and eat with a Gentile. A Jew would even signify their disgust toward Gentiles by shaking off the dust from Gentile lands when they came back home.
Next we get to two other distinctions that have some similarities. Barbarians were those who were not Greek. They were foreigners and were considered uncultured and even intellectually inferior.
The Scythians were even more savage than the barbarian to the Romans and Greeks. They were an extreme example of a barbarian and were likely slaves. The word originated from someone who lived in Scythia which was a region just north of the Black Sea. This region was thought to be a very uncivilized area.
Paul then discusses slave and free. We obviously understand the difference between these two. One is given the freedoms and liberties of a citizen while the other is not.
But why does Paul end this section with such statements? For the sake of unity.
I do find it interesting that Paul ends this section with a statement on unity. He notes that the Gospel demolishes all barriers. There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free. These were all huge societal and religious barriers to unity. These differences divided these groups in a mighty way. Yet Paul speaks of these differences as insignificant. It doesn’t matter what your social order is or what religious observances you have obeyed in the past. What matters is that you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ. What matters is that you have put on the new self and taken off the old self as verses 9 and 10 mentioned.
We live in a world that majors on the minors. Things that seem to matter to people such as skin color, traditions, hobbies, and interests seem to dominate relationships and create divisions throughout our world. Gone are the days of measuring a person by the content of their character as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said. Instead our culture asserts that we are going to measure people by the color of their skin or where their neighborhood is or what their interests are. We live in a world that is bent on dividing over things that have no eternal significance.
I think we see unity epitomized in the book of Revelation:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
Brothers and sisters, as this verse lets us know - there will be people from every tribe and nation and tongue worshiping God in heaven.
All who are in Christ have put on new self and taken off the old self. The the things that matter to this world should no longer matter to you. How someone looks or what their social status is should not be important. We should not be treating people differently just because they appear different or have different interests. We don’t show favoritism because someone has political or financial clout in our society. And we should not put someone down because God has shown favor in a particular way in our society as well. We understand that the things of this world are going to pass away and what matters is their character, integrity, fruit of the Spirit and most importantly - their relationship to and walk with God.
My friends, the family of God should be a place of peace, forgiveness, community, and a place to belong. Our church leaders should be chosen based on Biblical virtues and not take into account social status or financial wealth.
Paul made it clear that in the church at that time, some of the elders and deacons may very well be slaves in their society. They may be leading a church with wealthy slave owners!
The Gospel is no respecter of persons. We are commanded to live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of man.
How beautiful is this ending that Paul gives us. Put away the old world.
Scripture References: Revelation 7:9
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, I want us to remember what we discussed a couple of sermons ago about being heavenly minded.
You can only know what direction you are to go if you know the destination in which you are heading.
I pray that this concept of being heavenly minded instead of earthly minded has come back into your mind as we have addressed putting away the old life.
Let us not try to put stained garments on the new self Christ has given us.
To summarize our three points from today:
May we walk in Christ’s ways as we wait for the world that we long for - namely heaven.
Let us pray.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please let me know.
Have a blessed week.