The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 31, 2016
Colossians 3:1-11
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
One of the things that I consider to be an important part of my ministry is to help people learn and understand the definition of some of the big words that we use here in church— words such as justification and sanctification. The “working definition” of the word justification is, “Declared: Not Guilty!” Justification emphasizes what God has done for us, what God has accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary’s hill. The word sanctification means, “to set apart as holy.” Sanctification emphasizes what God does in us. Through His holy Word and through His holy Sacrament God gives us both the motivation and the ability to let the faith which He has created in our hearts shine brightly in our lives. I always emphasize that since justification is 100% what God does for us, our justification is perfect and complete. However, since we are involved in our life of sanctification, our sanctification is a process— a process that will continue until the very moment we are taken Home to heaven.
The reason I like everyone to learn and understand the definition of these big words that we use is two-fold. First, I want people to know what we’re talking about when they hear these words in church or when they read them in their Bibles. Secondly, I want people to be able to recognize false teaching when they hear it. Many many false teachings are the result of misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches concerning justification and sanctification. Many many false teachings are the result of confusing or mixing sanctification with justification.
As we conclude our short sermon series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians we see how the apostle Paul highlights both justification and sanctification in very practical terms as he reminds his brothers and sisters: When Guarding Against False Teaching— Always Emphasize the New Life in Christ! There are three things we want to see on the basis of this text. First let’s see that this new life is already ours. Then let’s see that this new life changes the way that we live our life. Finally let’s see that this new life changes the way that we treat the people around us.
Paul begins our text by reminding us that we have already been given a glorious new life in Christ. Look at what he says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
This is the Biblical doctrine of justification put into very practical and very relevant terms. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God has declared all of mankind, “Not Guilty!” And then through either the Sacrament of Holy Baptism or through the power of His holy inspired Word God took everything that Jesus achieved for you (Pointing to the cross) and He gave it to you as your own personal possession. Now think about what that means. Through faith you died with Christ. Through faith you were raised with Christ. Through faith you have been given a new life in Christ. This new life is yours because Jesus’ work of salvation is complete!
Because you are justified, because you have a new life in Christ you also have a totally new perspective on life. It is an eternal perspective! That’s why Paul says to you today, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” On the timeline of eternity our life here on this earth is but barely the blink of an eye. While we are to be thankful for all the earthly blessings the good Lord gives to us, we realize that this life is not where we focus the majority of our time, our efforts or our resources. Our true life is “hidden with Christ.” Our new life is “concealed” from the eyes of those who are still spiritually dead in their transgression and sins. (See Ephesians 2:1ff) But one day— when this world and this life come to an end— all of that will change! Look at what Paul tells us in verse four, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” That’s our eternal perspective on life! As Christians we already know that we have been “Declared: Not Guilty!” by God Himself. As Christians we already know that we have been given a new life with Christ. But as Christians we also know that our new life in Christ will only be “visible” to absolutely everyone after Christ returns to this earth in all of His power and in all of His majesty and shares His eternal glory with us!
This new perspective that our new life in Christ gives to us then literally changes the way that we live our own life. As the justified children of God we strive to live a sanctified life. Paul describes this sanctified life in very practical, very relevant terms when he says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
It’s not difficult to understand why the life of an unbeliever is marked by one or by all of the sins Paul mentions here. When there is no saving faith in a person’s heart, when they do not have a “new life with Christ” all they have is this life. And so they indulge in “whatever belongs to their earthly nature” as Paul says here in our text. What they do not realize, or what they choose to ignore is the warning: “Because of these the wrath of God is coming.”
What we need to remember this morning, however, is that these words were not written to unbelievers. These words were written to the Christians in Colosse. These words were written to Paul’s dearly beloved brothers and sisters in the faith. These words were written to remind God’s people— both then and now— that because they are justified, because they have been given a “new life with Christ” this new life will change the way they live their own life. We know all too well that even as Christians we still have that old sinful nature lurking inside of us. That’s why we need to listen to what Paul says to us this morning, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” Don’t try to just clean up your old sinful nature and make it seem more presentable to others. Put it to death! Don’t try to re-train your old sinful nature so that it “behaves”— at least in public. Put it to death! Whether we realize it or not, whether we want to admit it or not, we would all do well to remember that whatever belongs to our “earthly nature” also needs to hear the warning: “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
Just as our “new life with Christ” changes the way that we live our own life, so also our “new life with Christ” changes the way that we treat others— especially our brothers and sisters in the faith. Paul puts this aspect of our sanctification into very practical terms when he says to us, “But now you must rid yourselves of all things such as this: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed (Notice that this is the process of sanctification) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Again, it does not surprise us at all when unbelievers treat other people poorly. It does not surprise us at all when unbelievers allow “anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language” and “lies” to be a part of how they deal with the people around them. What does surprise us is when we realize how easy it is for “anger” and “rage” to taint how we treat the people around us. What does surprise us is how often “malice” and “slander” takes place even among brothers and sisters in Christ. What does surprise us is hearing “filthy language” come out of the mouth of someone who professes to be a Christian. What does surprise us is how easily some people will tell a “lie” in order to stay out of trouble.
As Christians we are to treat all people with respect and honor— especially our brothers and sisters in the faith. The “new life with Christ” that we have been given, the justification that we enjoy, leads us to make sure that “anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language” and “lies” never infect the way that we treat others— and again, especially our brothers and sisters in the faith. We cannot lose sight of the fact that what Jesus did for us He did for others— yes, even Joe, even Sally.
If you go down to any Christian book store you will find plenty of self-help books that claim to show you how to become a better Christian husband or how to become a better Christian wife; how to be a better Christian parent or how to be a better Christian child; how to be more successful or how to be more happy as a child of God here on this earth. If you listen to many of the preachers on television you will hear sermons that emphasize things such as, “Look deep down inside of yourself. You already have the power to become a better person. You already have the ability to become a better Christian. All you have to do is….” and then they’ll give you a whole list of things you can start proudly checking off on your own. What is all too often misunderstood is that no matter how much we try to “clean up” our old sinful nature deep down inside our old sinful nature is just as horribly sinful as it always has been and given the opportunity our old sinful nature will lead us right back into the shameful behaviors it enjoys so much.
That’s why it is so important to emphasize the new life that we have been given— in Christ! Our new life is not the result of anything we have done or anything we can do. No, rather, our new life is purely the result of what God has done for us! That’s justification. At the same time, once we have been given this new life in Christ, that new life will indeed produce changes in us. It changes the way we that live our own life. It changes the way that we treat others. That’s sanctification.
Until the very moment that Jesus returns to this earth all of God’s people— including us— will need to continually guard against false teachings. Sometimes false teaching is very blunt and very easy to recognize. Sometimes false teaching is very subtle and yet very insidious. My prayer is that our quick overview of Paul’s letter to his brothers and sisters in Colosse has helped you to see that when you are guarding against false teaching the most important thing of all is to stay focused on the cross. (Pointing to the cross) By staying focused on the cross we will naturally emphasize Christ and Christ alone.
To God be the glory!
Amen