The Supremacy of Christ is Demonstrated in Our
Personal Purity
Colossians 3:1-11
October 28, 2001
Intro:
A. [Catch-22 of Incompetence, Citation: Hank Simon, Belleville, Illinois; source: New York Times News Service, Belleville [Illinois] News-Democrat (1-18-00)]
Most incompetent people don’t know they are incompetent.
In fact, researcher Dr. David A. Dunning of Cornell University reports that people who are incompetent are more confident of their abilities than competent people.
Dunning and his associate Justin Krueger believe that skills required for competence are the same skills necessary to recognize that ability.
Krueger writes in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, "Not only do [incompetent people] reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it."
That is the way we are spiritually without Christ.
Our sin not only separates us from God, it blinds us to our predicament.
1. We may have been fooled by Satan into thinking we’re good people, but the truth is that we are incompetent and can never earn our way into heaven.
2. When it comes to salvation, we are all incompetent of earning it—only Jesus can save us.
3. And when it comes to making ourselves pure, we are incompetent.
B. Let’s read through our text and then we’ll go back and break it down…[read text]
C. When Christ comes into our life, He purifies us.
1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1. Paul says that Christ purifies us from all sin.
a. It is not the other way around: we don’t purify ourselves through better living.
b. We don’t purify ourselves through harder effort.
c. We can’t do that; we don’t have the power to purify ourselves.
d. We don’t have the power to will ourselves into a godly person.
e. But Christ has that power.
f. Christ can and does purify us from all sin.
2. So let me ask a question: What sin does Christ purify us from?
a. Does it mean sin before we are saved? Certainly it means that Christ purifies us from all the sins we committed before we were saved.
b. But does it mean just sin before we are saved? What about sin after we are saved? Yes, Christ forgives us of sin after we are saved.
c. But is that what purify means? Does purify mean forgiveness?
d. The Greek language here refers to purity, chastity, purging, etc….
e. So the word purify cannot just mean forgiveness.
f. Certainly when we are forgiven, we are purified.
g. But if we are chaste we do not continue in sin--to truly be purified we are purged of the sin before we commit it and need to be forgiven.
h. To be truly purified, sin is cleansed from our life so that it doesn’t even enter our life and before it needs to be forgiven.
3. So can you purify yourself?
a. Can you work real hard and purify yourself?
b. Can you set up your own rules and regulations on yourself and keep yourself from sinning?
c. You’ve tried it—how successful have you been?
4. So today we are going to look at how Christ purifies us.
5. We are going to see how Christ is superior to rules and regulations.
6. Rules and regulations cannot save us and they cannot change us into Godly men and women no matter how hard we work at them.
7. Today we will see how only Christ can make us into what we need to be.
8. 1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
9. So today in the first 11 verses of Colossians 3, we are going to see six ways that Christ purifies us; first…
I. Christ purifies our priorities.
Colossians 3:1, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
A. What are the things that we set our hearts on?
1. The things we set our hearts on are the things that matter most to us.
2. The things we set our hearts on are the things that we think are the most important.
3. There are so many things that we can commit ourselves to in this world that we cannot commit to everything that’s out there and so we have to make priorities.
4. We have to determine which things are most important to us.
B. However there is often a disconnect between what we want our priorities to be and what they really are.
1. For example, most of us here today would say that we really want God to be our first priority, but is that really what happens?
2. I would suggest to you that usually our job is our first priority each day and then our family (seeing to their needs) and our homes (things that need to be done around the house), and then ourselves (rest or relaxation or entertainment) and then when is there time left for God or His body, the church?
3. You see the trouble is that there is often a disconnect between what we say or want our priorities to be and what they actually are.
C. So what do we do about it?
1. Our first inclination is that we need to have more time with God so we make a plan to figure out how to do that.
2. We try to rearrange our schedules and lay out some rules and structures so that we change our priorities.
3. But how often does that work?
4. Usually we put our foot down and say that God and His church are going to be our first priority and we work and work at it only to find ourselves back in the same place several months down the road.
5. No usually we have to keep coming back and readjusting our priorities and our time over and over again because we just can’t seem to stick with it.
D. So what is the problem?
1. Why is it that even though we want God to have first place in our life, we just can’t seem to keep Him there?
2. The reason we can’t get our priorities straight is because we can’t change what’s in our hearts.
3. No amount of discipline can change the heart.
4. No amount of rules or daily regimens or structures or time management can change the heart.
5. Only Christ can change the heart!
6. When Christ truly comes into a person’ heart, He makes all things new!
7. He changes the heart to where He is the priority; we can’t change our heart—only Christ can do that!
8. When Christ is truly in our hearts, He will change what’s in the heart!
9. That only makes sense, doesn’t it?
E. So why do we continually look for ways to try to change ourselves and our priorities instead of looking for ways to let Christ into our hearts?
1. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2. If we have indeed been saved; if we have indeed been raised with Christ, we need to set our hearts on things above.
3. If we are saved and Christ is indeed in our hearts we need to set our hearts on things above and not on things below.
4. Things below are structures and guidelines and time management to try change our own hearts.
5. We need to set our hearts on Christ, on heaven, and Christ will make us new from the inside out.
6. That may sound strange, it may sound too basic, it may sound impossible; but please hear me when I say that instead of trying to rearrange our own priorities we need to focus ourselves on Christ and Christ alone and HE will rearrange our priorities!
7. Only Jesus can purify your priorities!
II. Christ purifies our thinking.
Colossians 3:2, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
A. Again, this is just like our hearts, but it is our minds.
1. Paul says we need to set our minds on heavenly things.
2. Paul says not to set our minds on earthly things.
B. What are earthly things and what effect do they have on us?
1. Earthly things include everything in this world that will not last.
2. What things on this earth will last? Faith, hope, and love.
3. Obviously those things don’t include jobs, houses, clothes, or cars.
C. Do you see that this is one of the main reasons that we get all fouled up in this life?
1. Paul is talking to believers, but they were allowing earthly things into their minds.
2. There are earthly things that get into our minds and there are evil things that get into our minds.
3. There is absolutely nothing we can do to keep earthly and evil things from entering into our minds.
4. Our eyes and ears are constantly see and hearing earthly and evil things that will wind up on our minds.
5. What are you going to do to keep those things out of your minds?
6. Are you going to try to set up rules and regulations and limits on yourself to try to control what enters your mind through your eyes and ears?
7. Those things may or my not help, but you will never be able to completely stop seeing and hearing earthly and evil things unless you put our your eyes and ears.
8. But even then, you WILL NOT be able to stop Satan from putting evil thoughts into your mind.
9. Even Christ was tempted and you will too—no matter how much you try to control what goes into your mind.
D. So what can we do about our thoughts?
1. Focus on Christ!
2. Think about heaven!
3. Think about faith, hope, and love.
4. When Christ is truly allowed into our minds HE will change what is in our minds.
5. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
6. Again we can’t control what enters our minds, but we can control what our minds dwell on; what we continue to think about.
7. Paul says look for the positive, the truthful, the noble, the excellent, the things above: Jesus!
8. When we fill our minds with Jesus, He will control our thoughts.
E. You think you can control your thoughts?
1. Then why are you so negative?
2. Why do you think so critically of others?
3. Why do you worry so much?
4. Why do you get down so often?
5. You can try to control what goes into your mind all you want to, but what do you always have to keep trying harder?
6. Trying harder will never set your minds on things above; only Jesus can purify your mind.
III. Christ purifies our hope
Colossians 3:3-4, For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
A. Where is your hope?
1. Are you hoping to get rich?
2. Are you hoping to get your car paid off?
3. Are you hoping to get your house paid off?
4. Are you hoping to get a better job?
5. Are you hoping to retire early?
6. Are you hoping to buy something that is finally going to make you happy?
B. And what do those hopes actually do for you?
1. Are they making your life happy and joyful?
2. Are they making you excitedly expectant?
3. I’d propose to you that those things do just the opposite.
4. The hopes for earthly things simply depress us and make our lives negative.
5. And without hope, there is no life.
C. So what do we do about it?
1. We set our hearts and minds on things above.
2. We place our hope in Jesus Christ alone!
3. Now that is easy to say, but more difficult to do.
4. When the transmission is broke down, is our hope in a bank account, a warranty, or in Jesus Christ alone?
5. When the doctor gives us a bad diagnosis, is our hope in the doctor or the insurance company or in Jesus Christ alone?
6. When the law suit is threatened, do we trust in our lawyer, or is our hope in Christ alone?
7. When faced with college bills for children, do we hope in a pay raise, or is our hope in Christ alone?
8. Where is our hope?
D. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.
1. Any other hope will let you down.
2. There is obviously no other hope for eternal life (as Paul says in this verse) than Christ alone.
3. But in order to have the hope of eternal life in the next, we must make Jesus our only hope in this life as well.
4. When Christ enters our life, we know that we are utterly 100% dependent upon Christ in this life as well as the next.
5. Christ alone meets our needs—not our bank accounts or our jobs.
6. Christ alone meets our needs—not doctors or insurance companies.
7. If you put your hope in anything or anyone else, they will let you down, but Christ alone is worthy of all your faith and hope!
8. Christ purifies our hope.
IV. Christ purifies our behavior
Colossians 3:5-8, Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
A. Do you see that this is the way that it must be?
1. We try so hard to make ourselves into good people.
2. We try so hard to be good people.
3. We try so hard to be like Jesus, but the truth is that only Jesus can be like Jesus.
4. No matter how hard we try, we are never going to be like Jesus.
5. Only Jesus can be like Jesus.
6. We cannot try to control our behavior and make ourselves into a godly person in our hearts.
7. It has to happen the other way around!
8. Christ has to come into our hearts and when Christ purifies what is in our hearts, it will naturally purify our behavior.
9. Only Christ can transform our behavior.
B. Paul says that when Christ comes in and purifies our behavior, then and only then can we put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature.
1. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death sexual immorality.
2. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death impurity.
3. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death lust.
4. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death evil desires.
5. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death greed.
6. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death idolatry.
7. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death anger.
8. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death rage.
9. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death malice.
10. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death slander.
11. When Christ comes in and purifies our heart, we will be able to put to death filthy language.
12. We do not have the power to purify our own behavior.
13. Only when Christ has purified our hearts will we be able to purify our behavior.
14. It has to happen from the inside out.
15. Hard work can not purify us.
16. Rules and regulations cannot purify us.
17. Only Christ can purify us from the inside out.
18. Christ purifies our behavior.
V. Christ purifies our image
Colossians 3:9-10, Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
A. So you see what happens now?
1. Since Christ has purified our priorities…
2. Since Christ has purified our thinking…
3. Since Christ has purified our hope…
4. Since Christ has purified our behavior…
5. Now our image is changing into the image of Christ.
6. you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator
B. Do you think you can do that yourself?
1. How many times have you told yourself that you’re going to start doing better and you’re going to change yourself?
2. How many times have drawn an "X" on that calendar and said, "From this day forward, I’m going to stop doing this and start doing that and I’m going to change myself into a better person."?
3. How many times have we said we are going to show God and everyone around us that we are going to change?
4. Now thinking of how many times we do that, how many times has it worked?
5. Have you been able to control your behavior and transform yourself into a godly person?
6. Only Christ can come in and transform us into a new creation by transforming us from the inside out. Only Christ can make us into a godly person.
7. Only Christ can make a difference in us where people will say that we have a whole new image—only Christ can give us the image of Christ.
VI. Christ purifies our affections
Colossians 3:11, Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
A. And once Christ has purified us, we will look at others differently.
1. Once Christ has purified our priorities…
2. Once Christ has purified our thinking…
3. Once Christ has purified our hope…
4. Once Christ has purified our behavior…
5. Once Christ has purified our image…
6. We will look at others differently.
7. We will look at others and see that we are all equal.
8. There is no red, yellow, black, or white.
9. There are no religious and non-religious people.
10. There are no rich and poor.
11. There are no democrats and republicans.
12. There is only people in need of a Savior.
13. There are only saved people who are our brothers and sisters in Chariest.
14. And there are people who desperately need to be purified by Christ.
15. We love the ones who are saved—we rejoice that Christ has worked in their lives the way He has in ours.
16. And we love the one who still need to be save—we earnestly seek to have them be purified just as we have been.
17. We love them all and let God sort them out!
B. Are you able to do that on your own?
1. Can you love everyone as Christ does?
2. Do you treat everyone the way Christ would?
3. How many times have you said that I’m going to be a better person to the people I meet and how many times have you been successful?
4. It is only when Christ has purified our affections that we are truly able to love people the way that we should.
5. You see the only way to love people the way that we should is to allow Jesus to live in your heart and allow Him to do what He does best (love people) through you.
6. If Jesus is living in our hearts, we know that He wants to love people.
7. And if He’s living in our hearts, we just need to learn to let Him love through us.
8. We just need to learn to allow ourselves to be used to touch people the way Jesus wants to touch them.
9. Only Christ can purify our affections and cause us to see people the way Christ does.
10. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Conclusion:
A. [God Loves the Sinner, Citation: David Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia]
Acceptance; Fatherhood of God; God, love of; Grace; Love
Recently my 21-month-old, who had just learned to say, "Daddy," had been struggling with asthma and an ear infection for two weeks. He coughed and sneezed continually, and his nose ran like a faucet.
Each night when I came home, he ran to meet me at the door, smiling, coughing, nose running, yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!"
I was not repulsed by his runny nose or close range sneezes in the least (he "slimed" every shirt I own!). I love him deeply and enjoy his love for me.
I’m reminded that though I am sick with sin, God loves me deeply and desires that I run to him as a son crying, "Abba, Father."
1. We don’t have to change ourselves to get Him to love us!
2. He already is desperately in love with us!
3. Even though I am sick with sin, God loves me deeply and desires that I run to him as a son crying, "Abba, Father."
4. Do you need to run to your Daddy today?
B. Song of commitment: "Change My Heart, O God"
