Living in Christ
What
does this new life in Christ look like? It is far different than a life
lived according to traditions of men or worldly philosophies. This new life
is dramatically different.
Text:
Colossians 3:1-11
Body:
I.
Seeking the
Heavenly
Colossians 3:1-4
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things
above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory.” NKJV
·
“Raised with Christ” –
Baptism is the line that separates the saved from the lost. (Acts 2:38)
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
NKJV
After baptism, one is a new creature. (Romans 6:3-4) “Or do you not know
that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life.” NKJV
·
“Things above” –
Eternal, heavenly, spiritual (Philippians 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy –
meditate on these things.”
NKJV
·
Seek implies
effort and work. (Romans 12:1-2) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God.” NKJV
·
Set your mind, attention,
affection on things above.
“A gospel preacher had
announced on his broadcast that his topic next Sunday would be “Heaven.” He
received this letter which wonderfully illustrates where the Christian’s
heart should be. ‘Next Sunday you are to talk about “Heaven.” I am
interested in that land, because I have held a clear title to a bit of
property there for over 55 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me at
a tremendous sacrifice. I am not holding it for speculation, since the
title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot. For more than a century
I have been sending material out of which the greatest architect and builder
of the universe has been building a home for me, which will never need to be
repaired because it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never
grow old. Termites can never undermine its foundations for they rest upon
the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No
locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious person can
ever enter that land where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and
already ready for me to enter and abide in peace eternally, without fear of
being ejected. There is a valley of shadows. But I am not afraid, because
the best Friend that I ever had went through the same valley long, long ago
and drove away all its gloom. He has stuck by me through thick and thin
since we first became acquainted 55 years ago, and I hold His promise in
printed form, never to forsake nor leave me alone. He will be with me as I
walk through the valley of the shadows, and I shall not lose my way when He
is with me. I hope to hear your sermon on “Heaven” next Sunday from my home
in Los Angeles, California, but I have no assurance that I shall be able to
do so. My ticket to heaven has no date marked for the journey – no return
coupon – and no permit for baggage. Yes, I am ready to go and I may not be
here while you are talking next Sunday, but I shall meet you there some
day.”
Source Unknown
·
Lay up treasures in heaven.
(Matthew 6:19-20) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal.”
NKJV
·
“For you died” – Dead
to the rule of sin (Galatians 5:24) “And those who are Christ’s have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
NKJV
Walk in the light rather than darkness.
·
“Hidden with Christ”
(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.”
NKJV
·
Heavenly anticipation fuels
and sustains the Christian. (I John 3:2) “Beloved, now we are children of
God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that
when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
NKJV
II.
Put to Death
the Earthly
Colossians 3:5-9
“Therefore put to death your
members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the
wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you
yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are
to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out
of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old
man with his deeds,” NKJV
A.
We must not
let sin reign in our bodies. (Romans 6:12-13) “Therefore do not let sin
reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not
present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present
yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.” NKJV
·
“Fornication”
– Every kind of unlawful or illicit sexual intercourse (I Corinthians 5:1)
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such
sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles – that a man has
his father’s wife!” NKJV
·
“Uncleanness” –
Immorality, improper sexual conduct, a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19)
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness,”
NKJV
·
“Passion” –
Uncontrolled desires that enslave a person (I Thessalonians 4:4-5) “that
each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and
honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”
NKJV
·
“Evil desire” –
Craving for what is forbidden
·
“Covetousness” –
Greed (Matthew 6:24) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
NKJV
Greed is idolatry because it
puts our minds on things below, not things above. (Luke 12:15) “And He said
to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not
consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’ ”
NKJV
·
The future wrath of God
motivates us to put to death these earthly desires. (Galatians 5:21) “envy,
murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice
such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
NKJV
B.
We must put
off the following sins. These sins were troubling the Christians at
Colossae.
·
“Anger”
– A settled feeling of hatred (James 1:20) “for the wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of God.” NKJV
·
“Wrath” – Rage;
outburst of emotion
·
“Malice” – Ill-will;
vicious attitude (Ephesians 4:31) “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger,
clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
NKJV
·
“Blasphemy” – Slander;
malicious gossip
·
“Filthy language” –
Foul, indecent language; harmful (Ephesians 4:29) “Let no corrupt word
proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that
it may impart grace to the hearers.”
NKJV
·
“Lying” – A willful
intent to deceive by words or silence
·
Why? Because we have put off
the old self and have been raised a new man.
III.
Renew the
New Man
Colossians 3:10-11
“and have put on the
new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who
created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in
all.” NKJV
·
The “New Man” is put on in
baptism. (Galatians 3:27) “For you are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus.”
NKJV We “put on Christ.”
o
His compassion (Matthew
9:30) “Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did
not want anyone to know it.”
NKJV
o
His holiness (I Peter
1:14-15) “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former
lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct,”
NKJV
o
His humility (John 13:4-5,
14) “rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded
Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
14 If I
then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash
one another’s feet.” NKJV
o
His justice (John 5:30) “I
can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous,
because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
NKJV
·
This new man must be
continually renewed in the knowledge of the image of Christ. (II
Corinthians 4:10) “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord
Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
NKJV
Conclusion:
Our
Heavenly Father expects changes in the lives of His people. I may be able
to come to Jesus “Just As I Am,” but I cannot remain “Just As I Am.” We
must always be moving in the direction of Christ and His Word.
Bobby
Stafford February 12, 2017 Colossians: Lesson 9 Colossians 3:1-11
