Strengthen The Inner Man
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Strengthen the New Man
Colossians 3:10–11 (KJV 1900)
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Because we are alive in Christ, we must seek the Things that are above. And, because we died with Christ, we must put off the things that belong to The earthly life of past sin. The result is that we Can become like Jesus Christ! God wants to renew us and make us into the image of His Sonl
The Greek verbs translated put off and put un vv. 9-10) indicate a once-for-all action. When we trust Christ, we put off the old life and put on the
new. The old man has been buried, and the new nan is now in control. But the verb translated renewed is a present participle-."who is constantly
being renewed." The crisis of salvation leads to the process of sanctification, becoming more like Jesus Christ.
The Greeks had two different words for new. The word neos meant "new in time." We use this word as an English prefix in such words as "neo- orthodoxy"
and "neoclassicism."
The word kainos meant "new in quality, fresh." Sometimes the two words were used interchangeably in the New Testament, but there is still a fundamental difference. The believer has once and for all put on the "new man" " (neos), and, as a consequence, he is being renewed (kainos). There is a change in quality, for he is becoming like Jesus Christ. The "new Man" is Jesus Christ,
the last Adam
(1 Cor. 15:45
1 Corinthians 15:45 (KJV 1900)
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
the Head of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV 1900)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
How does this renewal come about? Through knowledge.
The word knowledge was one of the key terms in the vocabulary of the Gnostics. But their so-called spiritual knowledge could never change a person's life to make him like Christ.
The better he gets to know Christ, the more he becomes like Him (Phil. 3:10).
Man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). This involves man's personality (intellect, emotion, will), and man's spirituality (he is more than a body). When man sinned, this image of God was marred and ruined. Adam's children were born in the image of their father (Gen. 5:1, 3). In spite of the ravages of sin, man still bears the image of God (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9).
We were formed in God's image, and deformed from God's image by sin. But through Jesus Christ, we can be transformed into God's image
We must win auntie And Lease lad wen of the Wand of Cad wa
As we grow in the knowledge of the Word of God, we will be transformed by the Spirit of God to share in the glorious image of God (2 Cor. 3:18
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
God transforms us by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
and this involves the study of God's Word.
It is the truth that makes us free from the old life
(John 8:31-32
John 8:31–32 (KJV 1900)
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
God's purpose for us is that we be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29 This refers to character, the spiritual quality of the inner man.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
When we see Jesus Christ, we shall be like Him and have glorified bodies (1 John 3:1-3 but while we are waiting for Him to return, we can become like Him and share His holy image. This is a process of constant renewing as the Spirit of God uses the Word of God.
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Human distinctions and differences should be no barrier to holy living in the church. In Jesus Christ, all human distinctions disappear (Col 3:11 In Christ, there are no nationalities ("neither Greek nor Jew"). There is no recognition of former religious differences ("circumcision nor uncircumcision" ). The Gnostics taught that circumcision was important to the spiritual life (Col. 2:11f). But Paul made it clear that this traditional act of
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
physical surgery gave no advantages in the spiritual life.
There are also no cultural differences in Christ ("barbarian, Scythian"). The Greeks considered all non-Greeks to be barbarians; and the Scythians were the lowest barbarians of all! Yet, in Jesus Christ, a person's cultural status is no advantage or disadvantage. Nor is his economic or political status ("bond or free"). Paul made it clear that a Slave should try to get his freedom (1 Cor. 7:20-23
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.
23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
but he should not think he is handicapped spiritually because of his social position. All of these human distinctions belong to the "old man" and not the "new man." In his letter to the Galatians, Paul added, "There is neither male nor female; and thus erased even differences between the sexes.
"Christ is all, and in all," was Paul's conclusion.
"For ye are all one in Christ Jesus"
(Gal. 3:28
Galatians 3:28 (KJV 1900)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
It is wrong to build the fellowship of the church on anything other than Jesus Christ, His Person and His work. Ministries that are built on human distinctions, such as race, color, or social standing, are not biblical. One of the pieces of evidence of spiritual growth and the renewing of the mind is this willingness to receive and love all who sincerely know Christ and seek to glorify Him. The Gnostic "super saints" were trying to isolate the Colossian believers from the rest of the church, and this was wrong, Even though physically we do not lose our national heritage when we become Christians, we do not use that heritage as a test of what is spiritual. "Christ is all and in all' is the emphasis in this letter.
"That in all things He might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Because we are complete in Christ, we can look beyond the earthly differences that separate people and enjoy a spiritual unity in the Lord. The Gnostic false teachers, like the false teachers today, tried to rob God's people of the richness of their oneness in Christ. Beware! We are alive in Christ; therefore, we should seek the heavenly. We are dead in Christ; therefore, we should slay the earthly. We can become like Christ; therefore, we must strengthen the New Man and permit the Spirit to renew our minds, making us more into the image of God.
This section completes Paul's exhortation to the Christian to live a holy life. It continues the illustration of garments: "Put off . . . put on" (vv.8-10). He exhorted his readers to put off the graveclothes of sin and the old life, and to put on the "grace clothes" of holiness and the new life in Christ.
The emphasis in this section is on motives. Why should we put off the old deeds and put on the
qualities of the new life?) Paul explained four motives that ought to encourage us to walk in The newness of life (Rom. 6:4).
The Grace of Christ (Col. 3:12-14)
Grace is God's favor to undeserving sinners. Paul reminded the Colossians of what God's grace had done for them.
Moses help us to understand the meaning of salvation by grace: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in hath the Lord brought you out [of Egypt] with a mighty hand" (Deut. 7:7-8a).
This miracle of the divine salvation did not depend on anything that we are or that we have done; for God chose us in Christ "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). If God saved a sinner on the basis of merit or works, nobody would be saved) It is all done through God's grace that it might all bring glory to God.
Of course, election is a "sacred secret' that belongs to God's children. It is not a doctrine that we believers explain to the unsaved. "The Lord knows them that are His' (2 Tim. 2:19), so we must leave the working out of His eternal purposes with Him. Our task is to share the good news of the Gospel with a lost world. God set them apart (3:12). That is the meaning of the word holy. Because we have trusted Christ, we have been set apart from the world, unto the Lord. We are not our own; we belong completely to Him (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Just as the marriage ceremony sets apart a man and a woman for each other exclusively, so salvation sets the believer apart exclusively for Jesus Christ. Would it not be a horrible thing, at the end of a wedding, to see the groom run off with the maid of honor? It is just as horrible to contemplate the Christian, living for the world and the flesh.
God loves them (3:12). When an unbeliever sins, he is a creature breaking the laws of the holy Creator and Judge. But when a Christian sins, he is a child of God breaking the loving heart of his Father. Love is the strongest motivating power in the world. As the believer grows in his love for God, he will grow in his desire to obey Him and walk in the newness of life that he has in Christ. God has forgiven them (3:13). "Having forgiven you all trespasses" (Col. 2:13). God's forgiveness is complete and final; it is not conditional or partial. How is a holy God able to forgive us guilty sinners? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has forgiven us "for Christ's sake" (Eph. 4:32), and not for our own sake.
Chosen by God, set apart for God, loved by God, and forgiven by God. They all add up to GRACE! Now, because of these gracious blessings, the Christian has some solemn responsibilities before God. He must put on the beautiful graces of the Christian life. Paul named eight graces.
Put on..
• Tender mercies (Colossians 3:12
Colossians 3:12 (KJV 1900)
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
The Greek uses the term bowels of compassion, because the Greek people located the deeper emotions in the intestinal area, while we locate them in the heart. As believers, we need to display tender feelings of compassion toward one another. (See Phil. 2:1f.) This is not something that we turn on and off, like the TV set. It is a constant attitude of heart that makes us easy to live with
Put On ..
• Kindness (3:12).
We have been saved because of God's kindness toward us through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:7; Titus 3:4). We, in turn,
ought to show kindness toward others. "Be ye kind one to another" (Eph. 4:32) is God's command. One of the most beautiful pictures of kindness in the Bible is King David's treatment of the crippled prince, Mephibosheth. (See 2 Samuel 9.) David's desire was to show "the kindness of God" to King Saul's family because of his own love for Saul's son, Jonathan. The young man chosen was
Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, a poor cripple. If David had acted according to justice, he would have condemned Mephibosheth; for the man be- longed to a condemned family. But David acted on the basis of love and grace. David sought Mephibosheth and assured him not to be afraid. He invited Mephibosheth to live in the palace as a member of his family, and to eat at the king's bountiful table. This is the kindness of God! You and I have experienced an even greater kind- ness, for as Christians, we are God's children and shall live with Him in heaven forever!
Put on
• Humbleness of mind (3:12).
The pagan world of Paul's day did not admire humility. Instead, they admired pride and domination. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of humbleness of mind (Phil. 2:1ff). Humility is not thinking poorly of one's self. Rather, it is having the proper estimate of one's self in the will of God (Rom. 12:3). The pore on a "it humbleness of mind thinks of others
Put on...
• meekness (3:12).
Meekness is not medicine, and a colt that had been broken. In each instance, there is power: a wind can become a storm; too much medicine can kill; a horse can break loose. But this power is under control. The meek person does not have to fly off the handle because he has everything under control.
Put on . . . long-suffering (3:12).
This word is literally "long-temper." The short-tempered person speaks and acts impulsively and lacks self-control. When a person is long-suffering, he can put up with provoking people or circumstances without retaliating. It is good to be able to get angry, for this is a sign of holy character. But it is wrong to get angry quickly at the wrong things and for the wrong reasons.
Put on..
• forbearance (3:13).
This word means "to hold up" or "to hold back." God is forbearing toward sinners in that He holds back
His judgment (Rom. 2:4; 3:25). Meekness, long- suffering, and forbearance go together.
Put on ....
• forgiveness (3:13).
This is the logical result of all that Paul has written so far in this section. It is not enough that the Christian must endure grief and provocation, and refuse to retaliate; he must also forgive the troublemaker. If he does not, then feelings of malice will develop in the heart; and these can lead to greater sins. It is Christlike to forgive (Eph. 4:32), and forgiveness opens the heart to the fullness of the love of God. The very instant we have a complaint
against another person, we should forgive him in our hearts. ("Family forgiveness" is another matter. We should go to the offender and seek to help him in love. See Matt. 18:15-35.)
Put On…
• love (3:14). This is the most important of the Christian virtues, and it acts like a "girdle" that ties all the other virtues together. All of the spiritual qualities Paul has named are aspects of true Christian love, as a reading of 1 Corinthians 13 will reveal. Love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit and the other virtues following joy (v. 16), peace (v. 15), long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, and meekness (v. 12).
When love rules in our lives, it unites all these spiritual virtues so that there is beauty and harmony, indicating spiritual maturity. This harmony and maturity keep the life balanced and growing.
The Religious systems could never produce this in the human heart