Christ our Life (Colossians 3 verses 1 to 17)

Introduction

The big question in our world today is ‘Who am I?’. As individuals and as a society we are constantly exploring what makes us ‘us’- what our true identity is.

There are lots of different ways I can answer the question ‘Who am I?’: Father, Husband, Minister, Friend; and the list goes on. However, as a Believer, I have the blessing of knowing my ultimate identity is ‘in Christ’. As a Believer my life is in Christ and all that He has done for me- and this must transform me completely.

In God’s Word today we see that having established that fullness of life comes from the fullness of Christ, Paul turns his attention to the practical implications of living a full life united to Christ by faith. He begins by describing the identity Believers now have in Christ and then the lifestyle that follows from that identity.

In other words, the life we live for God is because of the life He has given us in Christ. The Christian life is an ongoing process of ‘putting off’ old vices that characterized life before Christ, and a ‘putting on’ Christlike virtues. This is driven by God’s grace and the life He has given us in Christ’s victory at the Cross. It is as we learn of God’s love for us that our hearts are changed and we are moved to obey Him from the inside out.

So we see that if we are to live a full life in Christ then we must:

…focus on Christ…

…deal with our sin…

…remember who we are.

Today we see that a Believer’s lifestyle will reflect the victory Christ has already won on our behalf- who we are and what we do is gloriously transformed by who Christ is and what He has done. Indeed, there is no aspect of our lives or relationships that will not be impacted by what Christ has done for us at the Cross.

Focus on Christ

As you get older, the simple things in life seem to bring you greater pleasure (or irritation). For example, there is nothing more satisfying than a perfectly caught lawn- look at those perfect straight lines(!).

Now such a perfectly cut lawn doesn’t happen by accident. It requires concentration and focus. And all it takes is one beep of a horn or one greeting from a passer by for concentration to be lost and a rogue piece of lawn to be missed- disaster (!). Like so many things in life, the perfect lawn means keeping focus.

In a similar way, the Christian life is about focus on the right things. In verses 1 to 4 we read:

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 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ 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.

Here we see that Believers, those united to Christ, are to continually focus on Christ and His victory at the Cross. All that we are and have because of Jesus must be our focus as we live for God in this world.

 

The Christian life is not about trying really hard to be very good people. Instead, it is life lived being captured by the enormity of what God has done for us in Jesus. As we ponder Christ and all that He has done for us we will be changed- we will want to give our all to the One who gave His all for us.

As Believers we will only ever live full lives when we keep our focus on Christ and the new identity we have in Him. So what is this new identity?

Essentially, we are new people with a new purpose. We are no longer enemies of God, lost in sin, living for ourselves and heading for eternity without God’s grace. Instead, we are totally forgiven and reconciled to God. We have died to sin and been welcomed into God’s family through Christ’s death and resurrection. And we are assured of eternity in God’s glorious presence. We now belong to God and His Kingdom and so our lives must reflect that reality.

As Believers we now possess many benefits and blessings because of our special connection to Christ. All that belongs to Christ, belongs to His People. Some of these blessings, however, will not be fully realised until Christ’s return. Until then our thoughts and actions are driven by the truth of the Gospel and the reality of our identity in Christ.

So Jesus our Lord and His Kingdom (which we now belong to) must shape how we live. We no longer live for this world and its passing pleasures and false promises. Now we live focused upon where we belong (in heaven, not this world) and to whom we belong (Jesus Christ is our King- no one else is!).

 

This means our minds and our hearts are transformed. As we understand that we now belong to God and His Eternal Kingdom, our thoughts and our desires align with God’s eternal plans. Now it is King Jesus who sets our values and shapes our desires. Now we live in this world with an eternal perspective.

As those who belong to the King and His Kingdom it will show in every aspect of our lives. Now we pursue a deeper knowledge of Christ and all that belongs to living with and for Him.

So are we allowing Jesus to engage our hearts and to shape our minds?

How much time each day do we spend thinking about Jesus and what it means to belong to God?

Do we see our plans and ambitions, our talent and our time, our identities and our hopes for our children with God’s perspective? Or does the here and now, the world’s ideas and desires dominate?

In verses 1 to 4 Paul tells Believers that their life is now a life that is hidden with Christ- they are united with Jesus and have a safe and secure identity which cannot change. Jesus promises that their past has been dealt with and their future is one of expected perfection in the new creation.

So where is our hope today? What are we trusting in to give us meaning and security? Our thoughts give us away so what do you constantly think about?

Paul calls us to think about Jesus- who He is, what He has done and what this means for us. In Jesus we are now Children of God whose old way of sin is gone. In Jesus we are now Children of God called to display the family likeness by putting on the royal robes.

So, we must make a decisive break with our past sinful tendencies. In Christ God has dealt with our sin and given us a new identity and so we must…

Deal with our sin.

I hate shopping for new clothes. You see I Just don’t like the way my new clothes feel when I try them on. I have just got comfortable in my old jeans but they aren’t much use now that they have dirty stains that even Persil can’t remove. And my old shoes were just fitting me right but they aren’t much use to me now that they have holes in them.

Sometimes in our lives it can be the same with sin- it is comfortable, enjoyable. And we live at peace with our sin because we don’t realise the harm it is doing. Or maybe we would like to give up a sinful habit but we just aren’t sure if we can- it is easier just to not deal with that sin and hope it will sort itself out.

Well today I trust the words of verses 5 to 12 will give us hope and power to deal with our sin. In verses 5 to 12 we see that as Believers, those united to Christ, we are to deal with our sin because Christ has dealt with our sin. Having told us of our identity and new life in Christ, Paul begins to unpack the practical implications of that truth for us.

In verses 5 to 12 Paul is reinforcing the key idea that the old practices of the sinful self have no place in the life of those united with Jesus. So there must be a decisive break with sin and our old sinful habits and tendencies. The command here is simple: kill the sin in our lives before it would kill us.

 

This is extreme language indicating the extreme measures that are required. Don’t ignore it and don’t allow it to fester in your heart. Don’t compromise with sin. Rather, put it to death. This battle with sin is part of the life-long process of God changing us, making us holy, and fitting us for Glory

In verse 5 we see we have a responsibility to put sin to death continually:

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 

Notice that the five sins mentioned are sins that seek to replace devotion to God and His perfect will for the Believer- in this case the proper place of sex in marriage. Any sin in our lives, at its core, is an act against God and His perfect will for us. And so it can only be killed by looking up and setting our hearts and minds on Christ and our identity in Him.

In verses 8 to 10 we read:

⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ 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. 

In Chapter 3 Believers are called to bring their behaviour into line with their new identity in an ongoing process. Paul is urging us as Believers to take off the old self and the sinful practices that come with it and to put on the new self.

To put on the new self means to be renewed in the knowledge of Jesus and to be shaped more into His likeness- how we see things and how we see people will change, our values and attitudes will change, how we speak will be grace shaped and filled with truth and love. This new self breaks down our barriers and stereotypes because we are learning and re-learning that ‘Christ is all, and is in all.’

We are covenant people and so we are to be united as a family of God’s Chosen People. And so, we must…

Remember who we are.

You have forgotten who you are and so you have forgotten me. Remember who you are.

Mustafa to Simba, The Lion King.

 

In verses 12 to 17 we see that as Believers, those united to Christ, we are to remember who we are in Christ. In Christ we are chosen, loved and welcomed into the family of God. And so, we must behave like a Child of God in the Family of God.

In verse 12 the Believers at Colossae, and us today, are reminded who we really are:

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

We are chosen, made holy, dearly loved. All of this is by God’s grace. We haven’t done anything to earn His love. God loves us just because He loves us!

This reminder sets up the commands that follow. We are now God’s Children and we are to behave like a Child of God in the Family of God.

When we reflect and meditate on these truths we are free to be distinct from the culture around us and to put on the beautiful clothing of Christ. The clothing that Paul mentions in verse 12 is counter-cultural clothing, it was in Paul’s day and it is today:

Compassion: In a world that is apathetic or superficial in its care we are called to suffering with people, being moved to our very core with concern for each other and our world.

Kindness: In a world that can be harsh all to easily we are called to be people of grace, generosity and goodness.

Humility: In a world filled with people only interested in their own importance and primarily concerned with self-promotion we are to seek God’s will and the good of others before our own interests.

Gentleness: In a world of pretenders and people seeking to show off their power we are called to display Christ. We have the power of the All Mighty but we are called to show strength under control, not to show off but to show Christ. Gentleness is about allowing God control.

Patience: In a world of instant gratification and demand for instant everything we are called to trust in God’s timing and God’s will for us and our world.

 

 

In verses 12 to 15 we see that Believers are called to a holy lifestyle, consistent with their new identity. Believers have been chosen by God and stand before Him as His beloved holy ones. They are to live up to what they are in Christ.

So, the grace that we have been shown in Christ must be shown to others- as Children of God we must behave like God’s Children in God’s family. As Believers we must make unity possible through our behaviour: we must not give up on one another, and we must not hold grievances against one another- because this is how God has behaved towards us. We do this all in the context of love (for truth, for each other and Christ) which promotes true peace in the Church.

And we do all this with an attitude of gratitude and by keeping God’s Word central to all we do. Without God’s Word it would be impossible to keep our focus on Christ and our calling to live for Him. And gratitude reminds us of our utter dependence on Christ as we seek to live for Him as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

As we leave this place today we must go pondering this truth: A Christian’s life will reflect the victory that Christ has already won on our behalf. There is no aspect of our lives or relationships that will not be impacted by Christ’s victory.

Being rescued by Jesus and having complete assurance as the result of His finished reconciling work must change us. He is now our Lord. We have been raised with Christ and therefore need to live lives that reflect that. This impacts our ambitions and desires, our words and deeds. It especially affects our relationships with fellow Believers. For this to happen, we need to depend on Christ and continually remember who we are in Him: chosen, holy, dearly loved. So let us stay focused on Christ as we deal with sin and let us remember who we are as we live full lives in the fullness that Christ provides.