Paul’s second response to the teaching that threatens Colossian faith offers a description of the Christian life, what life in Christ is about. Paul is moving from all doctrine focus to a practical focus. Much like other letters he wrote (Romans, etc.)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Colossians 3: 1-11

Complementary Passage: Romans 12: 1-2

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

• Introducing the essential structure of his approach to this new life (verses 1-4)
• Paul goes on to characterize what a life in Christ is not (verses 5-11)
• Describing what characterizes life in Christ both within the congregation, curch (verses 12-17)
• and within the home (Colossians 3: 18 – 4: 1). We will look at only 2 parts in this sermon.

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ (verses 1-4)

• Remember: live this new life since you are in Christ, this new life is real and powerful, but so is sin, and will overpower us if we don’t keep presenting ourselves to God daily as servants for righteousness (Romans 6: 11-19)
• Responsibility: Keep seeking. Preoccupation with the eternal realities that are ours in Christ is to be the pattern of the believer’s life. Jesus says this (Matthew 6: 33)
  • (Set your heart) Your heart characteristic traits: Tenderness, kindness, meekness, patience, wisdom, forgiveness, strength, purity, love. The fruit of the Spirit.
  • (Set your mind) Think on these things, all present tense so implies continuous action for us to do. The Bible is our source of knowledge about the character of God and the values of heaven. So know scripture!
• Resources: Christ is at the right hand of God right now to benefit us. It’s a place of honor, place of power that we can use. (Psalm 110: 1, Luke 22: 69)
• Reason: You have died to this world system (Galatians 6: 14). It took its place at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 5: 5/17). New creature in Christ. The penalty of sin which is spiritual and physical death and forever separation from God has been forever changed; it holds no claims on us anymore. But remember that the presence and power of sin can still affect us, but it cannot condemn us (Romans 6).
• Revelation: When Christ is revealed at the second Coming, we will be revealed with Him in his glory (Revelation 19: 11-16 – The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast)
  • Christ as  your life – our life!!! Not only gives us life but He is Life. (Galatians 2: 20)
  • Key to living this risen life is to have a life centered on Christ, the Son, not on this present world, is the center of believer’s universe.

Put to Death (verses 5-9)

• We are no longer slaves to sin, we have died to sin’s penalty but its power is strong and our flesh is weak, so we must continually put sin to death by yielding to the HOLY SPIRIT. (Romans 8: 13)
• Sin is still potent, but we can have success against it. It demands the Spirit power. We can resist it and it will flee from us, but we must be in the spirit power. The way we can do this is by being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5: 18). You must allow the word to richly dwell in your life too. (Colossians 3: 16)
• HOW?? Believers must make a decsive resolution to put sin to death, by bringing the flesh under subjection to the Spirit. It is not a physical injuring of your body like many who walk through the market square whipping, scourging their bodies. But a mental decision to deny the impulse of sin. Paul makes the argument that we need the elimination of everything in the believer’s life that is contrary to godliness. (Romans 8: 13). This battle is common in all of us. Even Paul had to deal with it. (Romans 12: 1-2). The body follows what the inner dissipation compels you to do.
• How to Battle This: Selfish desire above obedience to God = greed which amounts to idolatry which God hates. When people sin, it is at its basic they are doing what they desire, rather than what GOD desires for us to do. We are worshiping ourselves instead of God, which is idolatry. Greed comes from a lack of contentment. A contented person will not desire to violate another person sexually or covet anything the person owns. Contentment comes from trusting in God to provide all we need.

The Progress of the New Man (verse 10)

• Possession of the new self does bring the believers new life but not instant maturity.
• The flesh constantly dangles the garments of the old self in front of the new man and urges him to put them back on. This battle will last your whole life time. Our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4: 16). The process of renewal brings increased knowledge.

Implication for the Church (verse 11)

Verses 9-10 deal with individual believers on putting off the old self. Verse 11 deals with the body of Christ which needs to put off the barriers that separate people.

• Christ unites all believers that are in Him. The racial, religious, cultural, and social barriers that separated people were deep seated and formidable as in our day. Greek (gentile) vs. Jew did not associate with each other. Standard practice of the Jews were not to enter a gentile home, nor eat meals cooked by gentiles, etc.
• Christ broke these barriers down (Ephesians 2: 15-16). It was unthinkable to have a group of believers together made up of Jewish, Greek and Barbarian. But Christ did.

Conclusion

What is my take away from this passage? Three main points:

1. What you think on, dwell upon, leads to actions which leads to habits. (Ephesians 4: 18)
2. We are transformed!!! So live like it. Since sin’s penalty is broken, we have the power in our life from Christ to overcome the temptations of sin each and every time, but the old self wants to sin. We don’t have to put on the old self anymore. But put on the new! Resist the temptations.
3. We are to grow in our knowledge of Christ, by dwelling in the Word, studying the Word, reading the Word, sharing with others, praying hard, devoting yourself to Christ. You must make the decision to grow or not…

Don’t be a barbarian!!!