Now That You Know the Truth - WHAT YOU GONNA DO
“What Christians Should Do”
Colossians 3:1-11
Introduction
The purpose of the Epistle is to combat errors in the church and to show that believers have everything they need in Christ. You see … the church had been infiltrated by religious relativism (a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them) some believers attempting to combine elements of paganism and secular philosophy with Christian doctrine.
In Chapters 1-2, Paul has maintained that Christ is “all-sufficient” in matters of salvation and overcoming sin
Oh, yes He is … and Paul records in Colossians 2:10 “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
That’s why no weapon formed against you will prosper.
Beginning now in chapter 3, Paul gives some basic and practical admonitions that pertain to living a life in Christ. When carried out, these “Basics For Living In Christ” that we will discuss this morning, will assure us of Christ is sufficient in everything we need for this life and the one to come
Having said that, I would like to use as a subject for this sermon:
Now That You Know the Truth - WHAT YOU GONNA DO
#1. SEEK THE HEAVENLY. Which simply means … set (to direct with fixed attention) your mind on things above
Walk with me [v.1-2]
Well preacher, why is this so important? Well, It is essential if we desire [repeat] to be “transformed”. I don’t know if you realized it or not but as Christians we should be transformed … we should show a sign. We shouldn’t be the same as we were before we got saved. I know you don’t believe little old me, and I not going to waste my time trying to pump you up and motivate … I’m just going to let you read it for yourself. Then you actions or shall I say inaction will be between you and God.
Walk with me Romans 12:2
“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.”
Let me give you one more point under this caption “Set you mind on things above”. This is important because it is necessary if we want to be able to “live according to the Spirit”.
Well the same rules apply as before … let me let you read it for yourself.
Romans 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. [v.6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
But the question is:
Now That You Know the Truth - WHAT YOU GONNA DO
Well preacher, I know what the Bible says but …
ØMy lights are off
ØCar note is 3 months past due
ØIf I don’t come up with some money by Monday, BELLSOUTH is going to cut my phone off too
How am I going to seek things above when I got all of these problems … all of this mess going on below?
May I submit to you this morning that … not that I am trying to get in you business or anything, trust me I got enough problem of my own. But just maybe you are going through because you have not got your life in the proper perspective. Perhaps you are going through because you don’t know how to “seek those things which are above”.
Well the rules haven’t changed … you are going to have to read it for yourself. Walk with me to Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Well that is fine and dandy preacher … but I need some specifics. Well… not that I am trying to get into you business … but a lot of folk spend too much time trying to fix stuff that they had no business messing with in the first place. In other words, it wasn’t broke up you touch it. A lot of you are going through right now because you don’t know who Christ really is.
Yeah … we will sing a song What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and grief’s too bear, what a privilege it is to carry everything to God in Prayer.
But … I don’t believe many of us know or truly understand the sufficiency that we have in Christ.
Let me give you one more reason why you should “Seek Those Things Above”
Walk with me [v.3-4]
We are dead (v.3)
Well what do you mean I’m dead? Well this is a picture of water baptism. You see … this death occurs when one is baptized into Christ, which is a burial into His death in which we are “crucified with Him”
Walk with me Romans 6:3-6 [stay right here in Romans]
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [v.4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [v.5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: [v.6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Watch this
You see … Christ not only died for us (substitution), but we died with Him (identification). Christ not only died for sin, bearing its penalty; but He died unto sin, breaking its power.
What does that have to do with you … well, because we are “in Christ” through the work of the Holy Spirit, we died with Christ. This means that we can have victory over the old sin nature that wants to control us. So our death frees us from the grasp of sin.
Well preach all this dying stuff -- why is it important to die
Walk with me
Romans 6:7-13 “For he that is dead is freed from sin. [v.8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: [v.9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. [v.10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. [v.11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. [v.12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. [v.13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Hold on the story does not stop there
So don’t get down in the mouth about being dead. Remember that Scriptures told us in [v.1] that we are also “raised with Christ”. Which occurs when one comes forth from baptism. Colossians 2:12 says
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
And why were we raised … as we discover when we read Romans 6:4, we were raised so that we might “walk in newness of life”
Bottom Line:
“For ye are dead” means we should have as little desire for this world as a dead person has. Why, because this is not our home. The Christian’s real home is where Christ lives. Understanding this spiritual death will give us a different perspective on our lives on earth. To “set your affection on things above” means to look at life from God’s perspective and to seek what he desires. This is the antidote to materialism; we gain the proper perspective on material goods when we take God’s view of them. The more we see life around us as God sees it, the more we live in harmony with him. We must not become too attracted to what is only temporary.
Matthew 6:19-21
[v.19] Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
[v.20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
[v.21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Walk with me [v.3]
Our life is “hidden with Christ in God”. Well what do you mean preacher … walk with me Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Which simply means that we have denied self, crucified self, so it is now Christ who is to live in us!
My last and final reason for why we should seek those things above is found in [v.4]. Walk with me.
When Christ appears in glory, so will we!
Notice this. The first three reasons for us to “seek the heavenly” were based upon what has happened in the PAST. This motivation is predicated upon what is promised for the FUTURE!
And what a wonderful promise that is! But to obtain that promise requires not only that we set our “minds” on things proper, but that we properly deal with our “bodies” as well.
Which leads us to our second point
#2. SLAY THE EARTHLY. Yes we are dead and hid in Christ yet living in Christ requires some action on our part -- We must Slay, Mortify, Kill the earthly lust.
Walk with me [v.5-7]
These scriptures tell us that we must “put to death” the sensual sins. You know those sin that appeal to the “lust of the flesh”
ØFornication (A general term for any illicit sexual intercourse; includes adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality
ØUncleanness (In a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, extravagant living
ØPassion (inordinate affection, KJV)
ØEvil desire (evil concupiscence, KJV). Desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust.
We must also “put to death” the sensual sins. Those which appeals to the “lust of the eyes”
ØCovetousness. Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, materialism. Described by Paul in our text as being equivalent to idolatry!
oFor covetousness puts things in the place of God
oWe are to set our minds on things above (where God is), but when we covet material objects we have our minds on things below, making such objects our idols!
“Mortify therefore your members” means we should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to evil desires: sexual sin, impurity, lustful desires, and materialism. Just like diseased limbs of a tree, they must be cut off before they destroy us. We must make a conscious, daily decision to remove anything that supports or feeds these desires [TV, books, magazines, you know your problem], get rid of it and to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power.
Now That You Know the Truth - WHAT YOU GONNA DO
Well … we talked earlier about motivation. Just I said then, I will say now. I should not have to motivate you to “put to death” these sensual sins … you should want to do it for yourself. But just in case you don’t, I want to show you what the scriptures have to say about it.
Walk with me [v.6 -7]
You should want to be motivated because … you want to avoid the coming wrath of God! Now if that don’t scare the literal burning hot hell out of you … then I don’t know what will.
Now it’s one thing to do these things when we “lived in them”, but in Christ we have “died to them”! That is why we can say the places I use to go … I don’t go no more. The things I use to say, I don’t say them no more. I think that it is even fair to say the clothes I use to wear …
Brothers and sister we must “put to death” not only our sensual sins but we must also “put off” the Social Sins
Watch this …[v.8-9]
Don’t know if you know it but we have to put off our Sins of the “emotions”
ØAnger (Greek orge {or-gay’} Movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but esp. anger
ØWrath (Grk., thumos {thoo-mos’} Passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
ØMalice (Grk., kakia {kak-ee’-ah} Malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure
We must also put off Sins of the “tongue”
ØBlasphemy (Grk., blasphemia {blas-fay-me’-ah} Slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name; sinful and reproachful speech damaging to divine majesty
ØFilthy language (filthy communication, KJV) Foul speaking, low and obscene speech
ØLying (Grk., pseudomai {psyoo’-dom-ahee} to lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods; to deceive one by a lie, to lie to
You see ... Paul here compares the new life to a change of clothes: “Put off the old sins as you would take off a filthy garment, and put on the new life of holiness.”
But notice that we are able to do this because in Christ we have already put off the old man; that is, in Christ the body of flesh (the sinful nature) has been put off through His true circumcision on the cross.
You see … Physical circumcision to the OT Jew meant entering into a covenant relationship with God. Our spiritual circumcision in Christ means the old nature has been put off, and we may now walk in newness of life.
What does that mean -- well that brings us to our last and final point
#3. STRENGTHEN THE CHRISTLY
Walk with me [v.10-11]
For we have put on the new Man. In baptism into Christ, we “put on Christ”
Galatians 3:27
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Thus, in PRINCIPLE we also put on “the new man” who is renewed “according to the image of Him who created him” What we have done in PRINCIPLE (Co 3:10), we will need to do in PRACTICE (cf. Co 3:12)
Well simply, Paul is saying in essence that we must complete in PRACTICE what we started in PRINCIPLE. In other words, put your money where you mouth is. Make sure your walk matches your talk.
How do we do that preacher?
Watch this:
The Greek verbs translated put off and put on (Col. 3:9–10) 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 man is now in control. But the verb translated “renewed” is a present participle “who is constantly being renewed.”
Well a Christian is to put on the new self (new way of life or disposition). Hence our conduct should be in accord with our new position. This “new self” needs constant renewal or refreshing it is being renewed (continually), in order to keep it victorious over sin. Paul also expressed this idea of continual renewal in
2 Corinthians 4:16
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
Ephesians 4:23-24
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; [v.24] And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Bottom Line: [v.11]
In Christ distinctions are removed. These include
ØNational distinctions (Greek or Jew;);
ØReligious distinctions (circumcised or uncircumcised);
ØCultural distinctions (anyone foreign to Greek culture was a barbarian, and a Scythian was a wild, savage nomad)
ØEconomic or social distinctions (slave or free).
If a Greek, an uncircumcised person, a barbarian, a Scythian, or a slave became a believer, he was a “new creation” a “new self”, just like a Jew or free person who became a Christian.
Why… For Christ is all, and is in all.
Thanks be to God that, normal human distinctions are overruled and transfigured by one’s union in Christ.
Thanks be to God that all barriers are destroyed in Christ, all believers are truly “created equal.”
So it is to be expected that each believer regardless of his nationality, former religion, culture, or economic standing should do away with his former sinful practices and should live in accord with his “new self.”
Why: Because one of these days. Christ is coming back to receive His church without spot or wrinkle.
“Since you are risen with Christ, set your mind (affection) on things above!”
In other words, let your earthly practice be worthy of your heavenly position.
Once you were dead in sin, but now you are dead to sin. Christ is in you, the hope of glory, and someday soon that glory will be revealed.
Paul is in essence saying “Live up to what Christ has done for you!” This simple principle of Christian living is more powerful than all the rules and regulations men can devise. “You are made full in Him”, now live out that fullness in daily life.
Oriental, Greek, and Roman religions said little or nothing about personal holiness. A person could bring sacrifices, say prayers, and go away from the altar to commit terrible sins, and nobody would think he or she was inconsistent. Not so with Christianity! The new life within demands a new life without.
Since we have died with Christ, we should put to death (“mortify,” v. 5) impure behavior (Rom. 6). “Don’t live the way you used to live,” Paul cautions, “the way the unsaved crowd lives. Christ is your life, and you died with Him. Now, let His life show through you day by day.”
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 Christly and permit the Spirit to renew our minds, making us more into the image of God.
Question:
Now That You Know The Truth - What You Gonna Do
Matthew 16:24-26
[v.24]. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
[v.24]. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
[v.26]. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Are you will to die today so that you may live forever?
Invitation to Christian Discipleship:
The Door of the Universal Church is open.
