Word of Salvation – Vol.40 No.01 – January 1995

 

Kill What Is Foreign To Life In Christ

 

Sermon by Rev. W. Wiersma on Colossians 3:1-11

 

Dear Congregation, Young and Older.

Just because we are saved by the grace of God in Christ, in spite of our sins, that is no excuse to go on sinning.  Just because Christ is our holiness and goodness, as Paul teaches in 1Corinthians 1:30, that is no reason for us not to fight against sin in ourselves.

The Apostle Paul is very clear about the believer’s obligation to live a life that is in harmony with God’s will.  But, as we read in Romans 1:5, our obedience to God is to be an obedience that comes from faith.  And that’s the kind of obedience which the Lord is talking about in Colossians 3.

The basis of true Christian living is the life which God’s people have in Jesus Christ.  As Scripture teaches, by faith we are joined to Christ.  By faith we have part in Christ’s death.  By faith we have part in Christ’s resurrection and life.  By faith we are to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom.6:11).

So, what we as Christians should be busy with is with Christ.  We should give a lot of attention to the life that we have in Jesus.  And that’s the message of the first part of our text: “Since you have been raised with Christ, since you have a share in the life and glory of Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”

Remember that your eternal life, your everlasting riches, your lasting investments or inheritance – in other words, your gold-edged security – are all stored in Christ.  That’s where the focus of your hope and excitement should be.  In investor’s language, your future depends on the movement of Christ and his kingdom – so keep close track on where that kingdom is going.  Set your mind and heart on the things above, on the things that belong to the eternal kingdom, rather than on things here below, which are all temporary.

Brothers and sisters, we need that kind of reminder and encouragement.  Being the earthly creatures that we are, we tend to get more excited about the things we can see and feel than about the things we can only know about by revelation and faith.

So take time to think about, and to meditate on, and to get excited about Christ who is your real life.  Remember, that while it is true that little of the life and riches which you have in Christ can be seen now, the day will come when the full extent of our dignity and wealth in Christ will be revealed.

In Christ we are the sons and daughters of the living God.  Now, if that is true, and if that is a living (though invisible) reality to you, won’t that effect the way you see yourself?  And will that not influence the way you think about what you ought to be doing with your life?

If you know that you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, should you not do away with everything that belongs to the kingdom of sin and darkness?  Paul writes that we must not give in to the things of the flesh, that is, to things that belong to our old nature without Christ.  Instead we should go for the things of the Spirit, that is, for the things that belong to our life in Christ.

So we must do away with the things that are part of our old self; part of that old self that thinks it can manage better without God; that thinks that real pleasure and satisfaction are found outside the will of God.  We must do away with things like sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, and doing whatever we feel like doing whenever we feel like it.

These are the things which the unbelieving world is promoting.  These are things which are attractive to our old silly and rebellious nature.  But they are an abomination to God because He knows how obscene and destructive these things really are.  And the anger of God is against everything that is harmful to mankind, harmful to us.

God’s will is good and wise.  God’s commandments are there for man’s protection and benefit.  And God hates destroyers.  God hates the lie which says that evil is good, and God is bad.  God hates greed, by which people try to get as much for themselves as possible, at the expense of their neighbours.

Now they might think that they are providing for themselves.  They might think they are building up security for the future.  But in fact greed is idolatry.  It fosters trust in things that rust and rot, instead of fostering trust in the everlasting God.

Now, says the Apostle, you used to live in this way, when you didn’t believe in Christ and did not know God as your Father.  But you should not now go on living in this way, which is totally contrary to living on the grace and faithfulness of God in Christ.

Now that’s what it is all about, remember.  The Christian faith is about the life which you have in Jesus Christ the Son of God who came to deliver us from falsehood, destruction and despair; the Saviour who gives life abundant.  And that life in Christ should not only effect what we think about life and fulfilment and pleasure, it should also very much influence the way we see and treat each other.

Without faith in Christ we see only people; people with all their faults and shortcomings.  And without faith in Christ we despise people for their shortcomings and imperfections.  That’s where anger, rage, malice, slander and shocking language come in.  That’s our sinful and self-righteous way of reacting to our imperfect neighbours.  That’s our way of getting at people who somehow irritate and upset us.

All we can see is what they do wrong.  And we allow that to get to us.  We think about it, we stew and fret about it.  We tell ourselves that we can’t stand this kind of thing.  We can’t take it.  And life becomes one big heap of misery for us.  We convince ourselves that everything is wrong, and it is all the fault of people who do it all wrong, while we do everything so right.

If only they were as well mannered, as considerate and gracious as we are!  No, of course we don’t ever say that, do we?  We are too humble for that.  We just think it.  But we are not being honest, are we?  Either about them or about ourselves.  And we are certainly not behaving as faithful disciples of Jesus when we think about and treat people around us like that.  And we are not really living the new life we have in Christ, we are simply indulging the old nature and life.  So stop being dishonest with yourself and with others.

Have you not confessed that your old self, without Christ, got you nowhere but into trouble?  Is your faith not in Christ, in what you have in Him, rather than in what you are by yourself?  OK then, let this new self in Christ dominate your attitudes and your behaviour.  Instead of looking for things to get upset about, instead of looking for reasons to criticise and reject people, think of reasons why you, as a Christian, should love them.  Don’t foster hatred, be a peacemaker.

Don’t live by the ways of the world which throws up all kinds of fences and barriers.  Don’t promote arrogance and party spirit, don’t support class struggle or racial tension.  Rather, try to see things from Christ’s point of view.  He came and gave His life on the cross so that anyone and everyone who looks to Him shall have eternal life (John 3:14-17).

He does not say, this is only for Jews, not for the Greeks.  Jesus does not say, this life that I give is only for the circumcised, not for the uncircumcised.  He does not say God’s love is only for the civilised and not for the uncivilised; only for people of a particular colour or race and not for those outside.  No, it is for all mankind.

Now, what the apostle is saying in verse 11 is not that there are no differences.  Of course there are differences among people.  All kinds of differences.  But we should not allow any differences between people to be a barrier to preaching the Gospel of Christ, or a barrier to showing them love and acceptance.

What determines true Christ-like behaviour is not what people are or do, but what God in Christ has done, and is to us.  That’s why we must pay more attention to the life which we have in Christ.  That’s why we should allow that heavenly life that we have in Christ to influence our thinking and behaviour more and more.  Remember, that in Christ we are the children of God.  We have eternal life.  And because we are the children of God and have eternal life we should want to behave as the children of God.  We must work at that.  We must give time and effort to growing in that life in Christ.  We must read the Scriptures, we must get to know Him better.  We must take time to give God thanks for the amazing wealth we have in Christ.  And don’t say you haven’t got time.  Is it not true that you can find time for everything you really want to do?  How much time, for instance, do you spend watching TV, being influenced by the propaganda of the kingdom of darkness, which is what a lot of entertainment programmes are?  How much time do you spend on shopping or sport or relaxation?

It’s a question of priorities isn’t it?  How much does the life in Christ mean to you?  How highly do you rate it?  Do you appreciate the amazing wealth we believers have in Christ?  In Him we are God’s children.  In Him we are heirs to everything.  Everything belongs to God, right?  So, everything belongs to Christ.  And so also, everything belongs to God’s children.  One day we will see and enjoy it in full.

So, why fret about earthly and temporary inconveniences?  Why worry about earthly possessions?  Why not rather rejoice in the Lord Christ and praise God who is committed to making all things work together for the good of His children?

Rejoice that in Christ, God is your Father.  And with such a Father we are able to love.  To love God and to be generous and kind to our neighbour in Christ’s Name.

Amen.