1 Colossians 3:5-17 Hero of it All CO1107

February 20, 2011 p.m.

“THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” INTRODUCTION: The Gospel is not just about salvation… 1. What I mean by that is this: The Gospel is not merely a message about justification for individuals. It is more. 2. The Gospel (Good News) is about Jesus Christ and what (1) He has done for us in the past and (2) what He intends to do for us in the future. a. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ b. Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) c. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again… d. Past…present…future… e. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5) 3. The Gospel, according to St. Paul and the other New Testament apostolic writers, includes these Four Facets of Redemption:

2 a. The Story of what Christ has done to save us For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18) b. The New Life that Christ promises to impart to us Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) c. The Philosophical Worldview of our Living for Christ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:1415) d. The Promise of the Restoration of all Things by Christ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25) 4. Paul has all four of these facets of redemption in mind when he writes his letter to the Colossians: a. First: Our individual rescue for sin and hell by Christ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) b. Second: A New World Restored to Glory by Christ 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. (Col. 3:1-4) c. Third: A New Philosophy/worldview Rooted in Christ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Col. 2:8) d. Fourth: A New Way of Living in Reference to Christ

3 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. (Col.3:17) 5. James D. Hastings: The Great Texts of the Bible. a. “The Indwelling Christ”; pp. 519-520. b. The passage from which the text is taken contains one of the noblest ethical exhortations in the New Testament. The subject of the Epistle is Christ. From first to last it is “Christological” in the fullest sense of the term. It is addressed to those who profess to have accepted Christ; it asserts what that profession must involve. In a very true sense the doctrine or philosophy of the Christian life, which St. Paul is convinced is the true philosophy of humanity, is summed up in one word, the word “Christ.” St. Paul seems to say: “You tell me you have accepted Christ, you profess to believe in Christ; you must therefore realize what this profession means, for it is only when you are filled with, and inspired by, an adequate conception of the doctrine of Christ that you can lead, and that you can induce others to lead, a truly Christian life.” For St. Paul knew that the life of every man and of every society must inevitably be the expression of some individual and social philosophy. If there is one book in the New Testament which more than another asserts that it does matter what we believe, and that life and conduct, both individual and social, are ultimately ruled by ideas and convictions, it is this Epistle to the Colossians. Now the apostle seeks to set forth the true idea of the Christ, as against the false conceptions that were current. He knows that the true conception of the personal Christ is expressed in the Jesus of the Gospels. In the Gospels we learn the principles which inspired Him, and of the power with which God endowed Him. At once, so urges the apostle, follows the inevitable conclusion; the whole human race must walk (for it has received the power to walk) in newness of life. 6. Paul is countering the false ideas of the Colossian Heresy – a mixture of Gnostic Philosophy, Jewish Ceremonialism, Spiritism and Asceticism: a. Four False Philosophies unable to lead us to God, rescue us from sin or change us and our world. b. But Paul’s New Philosophy is “Christ” c. James D. Hastings: Great Texts of the Bible, p. 520-521. It is ideas that rule. It is ideas that influence and change the conduct both of the individual and of society. History is full of proofs of this. And “the Word of the Christ” embodies the ideas of the Christ, the ideas which Jesus of Nazareth brought into the world, or upon which He laid special stress. A modern writer on sociology has shown that in lands where the doctrine of the Incarnation has either never been accepted, or where belief in it has been lost, there we find an inadequate conception both of the worth and of the possibilities of man, and that this inadequate conception has resulted in slavery, in regardlessness of the value of human life, in unnecessary human suffering, in the degradation of woman, and generally in the debasement of humanity. 7. I must confess that I am uneasy with only two of these four facets of the Gospel, so prevalent in our world today and made popular by evangelical writers and internet pastors. a. A “half Gospel” – personal salvation and renewing the culture (world)

4 b. Absent are two intermediate phases that bridge justification and restoration i. A Christian Worldview (Philosophy) ii. A Renewed Lifestyle of Holiness (Sanctification) c. To this intermediate stage, Paul now turns in Colossians 3:5-17. 8. The Gospel does me little good if it will not first, deliver me from sin’s penalty (justification); second, deliver me from sin’s practices (sanctification); and, third, deliver me from sin’s presence (glorification). 9. Put another way: When Jesus “saves,” He does so in a full-orbed and life-transforming way. a. He justifies me by His righteousness b. He sanctifies me by His Spirit c. He transforms my worldview by His Word d. He restores my world by His Gospel mission and His Second Coming 10. In Colossians 3:5-17, Paul turns to the subject of living in Christ a redeemed life (style). What Lloyd John Ogilvie calls “Life in Jesus’ Style” (Colossians: Bible Comm. for Laymen; p. 165). There is a great deal of talk these days about life-style. The term is a new way of describing how we live out our basic convictions, our life-style is the manner in which we relate to others, spend our time, and express our individuality. It’s the characteristic mode of our communication and distinctive application of our values. Life-style is ethics, priorities, and acquired customs all rolled into observable behavior. We can usually tell what a person believes is important by his style of life. Life in Jesus’ style is life as He lived it and now lives it in us. He is both example and enabler of a quality of life. 11. I am aware that popular teachers have told you that to speak of such things is “moralism” or “legalism.” So… a. You are steeled up inside to resist this message. b. You think of me as a “harsh man” who does not preach “grace.” c. You prefer to hear about justification but not sanctification. 12. Well…here is my response: a. First: If what I am saying is moralism or legalism, then Paul was a moralistic legalist because he writes about holiness in every epistle he pens. b. Second: I am not called to preach “grace” to you, but to preach Christ to you: For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:22-24) And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of

5 power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) c. Third: You cannot take justification without sanctification without forfeiting salvation. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13) 13. Remember: The Indicative (Col. 1-2) married to The Imperative (Col. 3-4) 14. R. C. Lucas: Colossians: BST; pp. 140, 143. The first imperative of Christian spirituality concerned an individual’s personal devotion to Christ: the second his study and growing understanding of the will and purposes of Christ. The third imperative had to do with ‘evil within’, the plague of the human heart. The fourth imperative has to do with evil ways inherited from the past, the pagan lifestyle from which the Colossians had been redeemed. 15. Paul follows a simple outline to describe the new life of holiness in Christ: a. Put off…put on… b. Like a new set of clothes c. Christ: The Robe of Righteousness d. Put off the Old Self (Colossians 3:5-11) e. Put on Christ (Colossians 3:12-17)

I. THE NEW LIFE INVOLVES PUTTING OFF THE OLD SELF (Colossians 3:5-11) 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. (Col. 3:5-11) A. The Old Life Must Be Challenged (3:5-9) 1. 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

6 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. (Col. 3:5-9) 2. Note this: Colossians 3:1-4 gives us the perspective from which daily Christian life should be lived. a. 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. (Colossians 3:1-4) b. “your life is hidden with Christ in God” c. Now, Colossians 3:5ff. informs us of the principles and practices of daily life in Christ. 3. Paul points to a couple of overriding principles: putting off and putting on. (3:8, 9, 10) a. parenesis: “Exhortation” b. parenetic: hortatory, persuasive, encouraging c. Greek: parainesis: to advise or exhort d. “parenesis”: sections in New Testament Epistles focused on exhortation or Christian living 4. Often carrying in them lists of things to do or not to do: a. James D. G. Dunn: Colossians NIGTC; p. 211. The doubled motif of “putting off” (3:8, 9) and “putting on” (3:10, 12) suggests the adoption of a pattern of parenesis fairly common in the earliest Christian churches. Lists of virtues and vices were common in ethical systems of the ancient world, the imagery of putting off/on was quite widely current. b. We sometimes react to a list of things to do: “I don’t want another list of do’s and don’ts!” c. Let’s think before we react… i. The Ten Commandments are a list of do’s and don’ts. Is God wrong to give such a list? ii. Paul’s parenesis is as inspired in Colossians as the Decalogue is in Exodus and Deuteronomy. iii. God obviously does not think that lists of duties are antithetical to the Gospel. d. By the way: How many of you have rules for your minor children? Would your kids consider those rules “another list of do’s and don’ts”? e. Paul’s list of discipleship duties and moral exhortations are part of Gospel Living. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in

7 zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21) 5. To begin to live consistently in Christ you must first challenge the old way of thinking and living… 6. Step One: Put to death your self-defining sins of your unconverted life. a. 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. (Colossians 3:5-7) b. Two major areas of focus: sex and religion c. The sexual sins common to Greco-Roman culture: i. Sexual immorality (porneia): unlawful, illicit sex ii. Impurity (akatharsia): indecency, uncleanness iii. Passion (pathos): lust, uncontrolled sexual passions iv. Evil desire (epithumia): desire for forbidden things (sex) d. The materialism common in Greco-Roman culture i. Greek (pleonexia): the yearning for more, covetousness, avarice, insatiable desire for wealth, ruthless greed ii. Idolatry (eidololatria): idolatry; false worship of false gods iii. Greed is idolatry (worship of Mammon) iv. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24) B. The Old Mind Must Be Changed (3:10-11) 1. Step Two: Put away your sinful disposition that feeds these sinful patterns: a. Thoughts lead to actions b. 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. (Col. 3:8-9)

8 c. The sins of the heart that cause sinful actions: i. Anger (orgn): wrath, ire, tempers (root of “orgy”) ii. Wrath (thumos): rage or lost temper iii. Malice (kakia): spitefulness, wickedness, badness, ill-intent iv. Slander (blasphemia): blasphemy, defamation, impugnation v. Obscenity (aischrologia): aischros (shameful), logia (speech) vi. Lying (pseudechomai): to give a false report d. These are sins against personal relationships that ruin confidence, trust, mutual respect and intimacy. 2. Please note the connection between contempt (2:8-9) and sexual immorality (2:5-7) a. They always go hand-in-hand b. Dallas Willard: The Divine Conspiracy; pp. 150-152. Anger and contempt are the twin scourges of the earth. Mingled with greed and sex, these bitter emotions form the poisonous brew in which human existence stands suspended. Few people ever get free of them in his life, and for most of us even old age does not bring relief. To cut the root of anger is to wither the tree of human evil. That is why Paul says simply, “Lay aside anger” (Colossians 3:8). But contempt is a greater evil than anger and so is deserving of great condemnation. Unlike innocent anger, at least, it is a kind of studied degradation of another, and it also is more pervasive in life than anger. We can be angry at someone without denying their worth. But contempt makes it easier for us to hurt them or see them further degraded. When it really gets going, it becomes filthy. Our verbal arsenal is loaded with contemptuous terms, some with sexual, racial, or cultural bearing, others just personally degrading. Filthy language and name calling are always an expression of contempt. The current swarm of filthy language floats upon the sea of contempt in which our society is now adrift. c. Interesting: The Greek word for anger is orge and is the root of our word “orgy” d. i.e., Greco-Roman orgies were parties where sex was used to show contempt for others and to degrade another human being. e. Example: Take note of more and more sex on TV. You’ll find that it increasingly is not only illicit sex, but degrading sex – men using women in a dominant manner or women using men in a manipulative manner. f. Sexual immorality and contempt usually go together. 3. Paul’s exhortation: “Rather than take off your clothes in contemptuous indecency, why not take off these attitudes so as to put to death these sins?” a. Greek verb apekduomai (“put off”) means, literally, to “strip off clothes” b. The clothes? “The old self”: the pre-Christian way of life i. …to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires… (Ephesians 4:22)

9 ii. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6) 4. Here is Paul’s logic: “Put off to put to death” a. Put off the sinful disposition of the heart in 3:8-9… 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. (Col. 3:8-9) b. Then you can put to death the sinful lifestyle in 3:5-7… 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. (Colossians 3:5-7) c. How so? Because once we starve the fleshly nature of these sinful attitudes, the fleshly actions will wither and die. 5. Wm. Hendriksen: Colossians: NTC; pp. 148-149. Lay aside all these vices, says Paul, just as one discards a worn-out garment or one that no longer fits the person who has been clothed with it. 6. Immorality, Greed and Contempt no longer “fit” us as new creatures in Christ. a. Why? Because we have “put on” Jesus Christ! b. Jesus makes us misfits in the world! c. That is Paul’s point here in this text… …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. (Colossians 3:10-11) 7. So…we’ve got to dress to match who we are…new life…new self…new Christ… 8. Paul states that Jesus is renewing the image of God in us through a knowledge of Christ at the center of our lives. …and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10) So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:42-49)

10 9. So much so that what defines us now is… a. Not race: “not Greek or Jew” b. Not religion: “(not) circumcised or uncircumcised” c. Not ethnicity: “(not) barbarian (or) Scythian” d. Not social status: “(not) slave (or) free” e. But rather “Christ is all, and in all” f. i.e., “It is Christ that means everything to us and that which defines us in that Christ is in each of us.” 10. So…learn how to put on more of Christ…

II. THE NEW LIFE INVOLVES PUTTING ON JESUS CHRIST (Colossians 3:12-17) 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. (Colossians 3:12-17) A. The New Self Must Be Clothed (3:12-14) 1. 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. (Colossians 3:12-14) 2. Paul completes the contrast: “put off”…“put on”… a. First: we put off the old man and put on Christ at our baptism. i. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12) ii. Put off: cleansed from a life of sin (in Adam) iii. Put on: identified with God (in Christ) b. Second: we put off the old man in repentance and put on Christ (new man) in faith

11 c. Third: we continue to “change clothing” all through our life in the process of sanctification 3. Paul gives yet another list of virtues to illustrate the nature of the New Self/New Man/New Life in Christ. a. A contrast to the list of vices in 3:5-9 b. The Antidote to a life of contempt and immorality i. Compassionate hearts, not greed ii. Kindness, not wrath iii. Humility, not anger iv. Meekness, not malice v. Patience, not obscenity vi. Bearing with one another, not slander vii. Forgiveness, not lying viii. Love, not sexual immorality 4. F. F. Bruce: Colossians: NICNT; p. 279 a. As those who have put on the new man, the apostle continues, put on those qualities which are characteristic of him. Those qualities, as we consider them, are seen to be the qualities which were preeminently displayed in the life of Christ; no wonder, then, that when Paul in another place wishes to commend to his readers the whole body of Christian graces, he sums them up by saying: “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” b. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:8-14) a. The Key: Putting on Christ to put on love… i. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Rom. 13:14) ii. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:14) 5. Here is a call to live in Christ rather than in Adam: to let the love of Christ pour through you.

12 6. This begins with a new birth: from Adam to Christ a. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22) b. Puritan Thomas Goodwin: “There are but two men who are standing before God, Adam and Jesus Christ; and these two men have all other men hanging at their girdles.” (F. F. Bruce; p. 274) c. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3, 5) d. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17) 7. But this also continues in our new life: We put on these virtues as we grow in salvation. a. Yes…this is a list of “do’s” – an inspired list of imperatives (commands). b. Yes…you must do them. Your effort and your obedience are required. c. Yes…this is part of Gospel life, not moralism, or legalism, or works’ righteousness. d. Yes…it is challenging, but you have been given grace to obey, develop, and grow in Godliness. e. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil 2:1213) 8. So…in order to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, more and more, we must put in ourselves more and more of Jesus Christ. 9. “Put on…put in…” (verses 12, 14 = put on; verses 15-17 uses the word “in” 4 times) 10. Just as the old mind led to the old sins of the old life, so the new soul leads to the new holiness of the new life… B. The New Soul Must Be Composed (3:15-17) 1. 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. (Colossians 3:15-17) 2. Paul sets forth Five Christ-centered practices that will compose your soul in grace and empower it to act in obedience to God. a. First: The Peace we should have in Jesus Christ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. (Colossians 3:15a) b. Second: The Gratitude we should have for Christ

13 i. “And be thankful” (3:15b) ii. “…with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (3:16) iii. “…giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (3:17) c. Third: The Word of God in which we should richly dwell i. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”… (3:16a) ii. Read, memorize, meditate, study, hear preached to you. d. Fourth: The Worship in which we should engage, in Christ. i. 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. (Colossians 3:16) ii. psalmos: Old Testament inspired Psalms iii. humnos: Theological hymns about God iv. ode: spiritual songs of our Christian experience v. A well-balanced form of worship e. Fifth: The Honor of Christ that should drive all we do i. 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. (Colossians 3:17) ii. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) iii. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. (Colossians 3:23) iv. The motive for all we do: The glory of Christ 3. Please note something here that is very important: All these five exhortations are addressed in the plural. a. i.e., they are addressed to the local church b. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Col. 3:15) c. Note: “…to which indeed you were called in one body.” d. These things only strengthen us, in their fullness, when we are united to one another in the local church. e. John Calvin: Colossians: Commentaries; v. 21; p. 216. The clause, to which ye are called, intimates what manner of peace this is—that unity which Christ has consecrated among us under His own direction, meaning by this, that we cannot be in a state of agreement with God otherwise than by being united among ourselves as members of one body. 4. The peace of Christ is strongest in the local church

14 The gratitude in Christ is prompted by life in the local church. The Word of God is best received and learned in the local church The Worship of God is fullest in the singing of the local church The Name of Christ is best set forth in honor in His local church 5. Isolated Christians, even among their small circle of friends or in their Bible study groups, soon lack the peace, grateful hearts, Word, worship and purity of motive that Christ has placed within the context of the local church. 6. The New Life of the New Self only grows to healthy maturity in the incubator of the local church. 7. Proof of this is undeniable…

CONCLUSION: 1. Remember, I told you several weeks ago that the question you must ask all teachers of new ideas is the question of “How?” Just how does your new philosophy, new theology, new system, new gospel really work? How? 2. Well, Paul tells us how to live the New Life in Christ dressed in the Robe of Righteousness. a. Put off the old man (life/self)…put on the new man (life/self)…Jesus Christ b. The old sins must be challenged (3:5-7) c. The old mind must be changed (3:8-11) d. The new self must be clothed (3:12-14) e. The new soul must be composed (3:15-17) 3. And He gives us the curriculum for doing so: a. Repent…put off the old life b. Believe…put on the new man (Christ) c. Be baptized…put off the body of flesh and robe yourself in Jesus d. Become part of God’s New Community of New Men e. Allow the church to minister to you: peace, gratitude, Scripture, Songs of Worship, love for Christ's glory. 4. Tell me: Do you think there is any correlation between our low view of the church and lack of participation in it, and… a. Our sexually immoral society and lives? b. The greed that drives our nation? c. The idolatry growing exponentially around us? d. The culture of contempt in which we live?

15 e. Our failing marriages, families, children? f. Our lack of peace, gratefulness and joy? g. The way the Word is neglected and worship wars rage? 5. I do. And I contribute all these evils to our neglect of the “recipe” set forth in this third chapter of Colossians. 6. We are not putting off the old man nor putting on Christ. We are Christians who do not fit their own clothing. And we are miserable because of it. 7. So…how do we fix the problem? We go back to church and let God’s means of grace transform our lives to match our souls. 8. Timothy Dwight captured this truth in his hymn: “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord” I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode, the church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood. Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways, her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven.