Put away the Old – Put on the New.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
In our physical lives we tend to make resolutions to get better in things pertaining to our lives.
If we are overweight, we resolve to lose weight. In doing this there are things that we need to do and there are things that we should not do.
We need to stop eating things that are bad for us and eat things that are healthy. Also we need to do exercises that will aid our losing excess weight and help us to be healthier and fitter.
The same applies if we are trying to get our finances right. We need to stop spending what we cannot afford and this means budgeting properly.
With our relationships, we need to change our attitudes and our actions and do certain things that will enhance our relationships and stop doing the things that would destroy them.
The object of all this, is that things need to change, if we are to get better.
We cannot get better and stay the same, there has to be change.
Our text begins, “If ye then be risen with Christ”.
Being risen, means that we must have been dead. We know that scripture supports this, Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.…
Colossians 2:13 12 And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
14 having cancelled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!…
Now there is a complete difference between someone who is dead and someone who is alive. It is an unmistakeable difference. One is animated, responsive, and the other is lifeless and unresponsive.
By observing these two, there is an obvious and noticeable contrast.
When a person is born again of the Spirit of God, they are made alive spiritually. 2 Cor 5: 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
A new person is born and this new creation has a different nature. Once we were dominated by the old nature, now we have a new nature and the new should dominate the old. Our lives and actions were ruled by our old desires and now they should be ruled by new desires. Paul tells us how we are to do this.
Col 3: 1 seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Putting off and Putting on.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man,
What this means to us, is ceasing to do the things that are not right and starting to do the things that are.If we are in Christ, our lives should be dramatically different than they were before, when we lived for ourselves, when we lived in accordance to our sinful nature.
When people see us and observe our manner and conduct, it should be obvious to them that we are different. If we say that we are in Christ, then there should be fruit of that being manifest in our lives.
To put off the old things and put on the new, Gal 3: 27 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Rom 13: 14. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
To put on Christ and to seek those things from above is to recognise the things in our lives that are not of God and to repent and turn away from them and change direction.
What Paul is saying here to the Colossians and through them to us, is that every day, the new you should be better in every way, every day.
This is sanctification. (Being made holy). Our salvation through faith in the death of Jesus Christ is the means of our justification, putting on Christ is the means of our sanctification. (Day by Day).
Now, there is no argument against the fact that we were lost in sin and that Christ took our sin upon Himself, dying on the cross at Calvary and paying the ultimate price of death so that we could be forgiven.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; In the same way there is no argument as to what we should do now.
Col 2: 6 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him,
From the words of an old gospel song, “Without Him, I can do nothing, Without Him I’ll surely fail, Without Him I would be drifting, Like a ship without a sail.
We are never left alone to deal with this, we are in Christ and Christ is in us. When the Holy Spirit brings to our attention something that needs change in our life. It is up to us to take heed and change it.
Eph 2:2 1 As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
3 We all lived among them at one time in the cravings of our flesh, indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.…
Our lives should be being transformed daily by the renewing of our minds.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Paul goes on to exhort them to act in a way that is in accordance with walking in Christ. Those things that would mar our walk and those things would make us more like Christ.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
This message in Colossians is a very hard but necessary lesson for us to learn.
When we get saved, when we first receive Christ as our saviour, there are obvious things that we know must change. Stealing, Cheating, Lying, Bad language, Sexual immorality, etc.
However it is very easy for us to carry on in the ways that we were used to. We fall into the trap by thinking that this is how God made us and so continue in our old ways, justifying it because that’s what we are.
What Paul is saying here is that things must change. We cannot continue in our old ways, we must examine ourselves in the light of the Word of God. We must do the things that are in accordance with our new life in Christ.
To become more like Jesus. There are things that we must cease doing and there are things that we must begin doing.
Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
We must be clear that what is not walking in Christ, is being born of the Spirit then continuing to walk in the flesh.
We can believe the Gospel and then continue by picking up all the Christian jargon and talking the talk but not walking the walk. Saying all the right things but not changing anything. Pretending to be changed, without actually being changed. Which leads to hypocrisy.
There is a song written by Rodney Griffin and Babbie Mason and the lyrics go like this.
You know, your walk talks, and your talk talks, But your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
How should we be behaving as men and women of God?
How does God perceive me, and how do others who know I am a Christian perceive me and my actions?
We need to constantly be conducting a self-evaluation to ascertain if our actions and life reflect the actions and life of a godly man or woman.
The bible has a lot to say about the way we walk and talk. It is in so many ways how we conduct ourselves as Christians. It is our conversation and our lifestyle, how we live and act amongst other people, whether it is our Christian brethren or amongst the unbeliever..
By using the phrase, “Talking the talk” what we are saying, is this, is our conversation, or the way we communicate ourselves, or the way we express, or verbalize ourselves, consistence with what we profess to be? (Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – men and women with new life.)
By using the phrase “walking the walk” what we are saying, is this, is our lifestyle, the way we live or behave ourselves, consistent with what we profess it to be?
The bible gives a great deal of guidance on the way we are supposed to walk, or the way we behave ourselves as Christians. In other words, our behavioural attributes.
As Christians we are expected to live a very different lifestyle than those in the world. Our actions and reactions should be distinctly different than the unbeliever.
Our lives must testify to the truth of the Gospel. We are to be a witness to the fact that a relationship with Jesus Christ, changes lives.
People would rather see a sermon than hear one.
3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
John was happy that the Christians he was addressing were not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, the old ceremonial laws, which still declared that the way to God was by observing and keeping these laws.
Paul was addressing the same thing when writing to the Colossian believers. He was warning them not to be lured away from what they had been taught. That they should not get entangled with the yoke of bondage, from which they had been set free.
We need to continue in the truth which we heard in the beginning.
There are many false doctrines out there. Many doctrines that say they teach the truth but do not.
2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
”What is this sound doctrine?
Jesus Christ, as the only salvation. Jesus Christ as the only mediator between man and God.Jesus Christ as our supreme example. The salvation comes through Grace alone, by Faith alone, in Christ alone and we are to trust in the Word alone for the Glory of God alone.What does this sound doctrine preach?We are to walk in love.
Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.”
We are to let our behaviour be of a loving nature. In our actions and reactions, let there be love demonstrated. Let love be a part of our life’s attributes or characteristics. Let every act of our lives be dictated by love to God and man.That is, let our lives be characterized by love; “As Christ also hath loved us.” We are to show the same love for one another which he has done for us. He showed his love by giving himself to die for us, and we should show similar love to one another.We read this in the great passage of scripture on love.
In 1 Cor 13:1Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Cor 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Cor 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1Cor 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1Cor 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.
Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. This is not just talking the talk but walking the walk. Claiming to be spiritual is not the same as being spiritual. The Gnostic teachers were claiming to have wisdom, humility, claiming to have the true knowledge and means to reach spiritual perfection.All this is merely an outward show.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
However Paul has shown that there is salvation in none other than the supreme, pre - eminent Christ. The one in which ALL the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. The one who is the express image of the invisible God.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Jesus said in John 14:15, If ye love me, keep my commandments.
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
The question to us is this, are we living a life in obedience to God’s commandments, is our lifestyle in consistency with the commandments of God?
What does that mean?
It means we are to live a life that imitates the life of Jesus. We are to model our life after his. We are to follow his pattern of conduct, actions, behaviour, and lifestyle. We must be conformed into his image. To reflect His image, as He reflected the image of the Father.
1 Peter 2:21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”
John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
We must walk the way that Jesus walked and imitate Him.
1John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
We are to walk in the light.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
We should love one another.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
We should trust in God and should act upon God’s promises and trust Him.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are to walk honestly.
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, (unbelievers) and that ye may have lack of nothing. (or have to depend upon others)
1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation (lifestyle, behavior) honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
How important it is to live honestly before our fellow man and especially before God.
To live honestly means to be dependable, reliable, trustworthy, unpretentious, truthful and sincere.
As Christians we are to set the example for the way man should conduct and behave himself.
We are to walk worthy of God.
1Thess 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
Not bringing reproach on Christ.
We cannot continue to ignore our shortcomings. As the Holy Spirit highlights those things in our lives that are wrong, we must take steps to put them right.
Christ never promised that it would be easy and the Apostle Paul knew this very well.
Romans 7:19-25 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The difficulties in discerning truth in our day is becoming more and more cloudy in the light of what is happening in our society.
For example, the modern ways of looking at sexual behaviour, both pre sexual and extra marital sex and attitudes towards sex and marriage in the light of scripture is deteriorating rapidly. This is quite obvious in light of the changes in laws on same sex marriages and the acceptance of homosexuality as normal
behaviour. This is being exacerbated by the fact that this unscriptural conduct is being advocated by the leaders in society and the professing Christian church.
The laws have been changed making marriage between two males or two females legal.
Of course this is contrary to the teachings of the Bible, which teaches that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.
Consequently children are growing up being taught that there is nothing wrong in this. They are taught in schools and colleges that we must be tolerant and allow people to live as they wish.
When they hear what the scriptures teaches on these subjects, there is an obvious contradiction and they both cannot be right.
Especially new or younger Christians are not being taught the truth as it is set out in the Word of God.
When we read the scriptures in question, it seems quite obvious to those who accept the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God, that they are very clear on matters such as this but when we see well known leaders in church
fellowships contradicting these scriptures, it can only cause confusion.
The Scriptures are very important in our understanding of what is right and wrong in the sight of God.
There are obvious verses that a not unmistakable, eg. The Ten Commandments.
Thou shalt not steal, murder, commit adultery, covet, etc.
It seems quite obvious what the verses mean, but then we read these verses.
Rom 13: 14. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Heb 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
Rom 1; 26,27 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
1 Tim 1: 8,9,10 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
1 Cor 6: 9,10 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Lev 20: 13 ‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
If we as Christians desire to be holy, to walk in the ways of Christ, we must take notice of what the Word of God says and obey it.
It is not right to give mental accent to it and then do what we want. When we do not recognise God and the truth of His word we are no different that the Israelites of old.
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
We must avoid those who deny the truth of the scriptures and test what is being taught with what we read in its pages.
“And Joshua said unto all the people [of Israel], … choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:2, 15).
Your walk with Christ is the necessary basis for your work for Christ.
Conclusion:
We need to talk the talk but we also need to pay close attention to our walk.
Our work for the Lord must always be the overflow of our walk with the Lord. It is being full of Jesus Christ and spilling over onto others.
First, your walk; then, your work. That means that our ministry will be backed by a life of integrity; we are imparting to others what we have because we walk in reality with Christ. If we all would learn this simple but profound principle, that our walk with Christ is the necessary basis for our work for Christ, we would avoid burning out, bombing out, and fading out in the work He has given us to do.
Many of us attend church because it meets some of our personal needs. If it fails to meet our needs, we either look around for another church that does meet our needs or we stop going altogether.
These people are living for self and using God and the church to help self be more fulfilled.
Sometimes volunteering to serve in the church helps meet a need to feel useful, so they sign up. But even their service has a self-focus. They do it because it meets their needs.
If this describes you, then the fact is, in love, you are not living the Christian life. The Christian life is not living for self and using God and the church to meet your needs. The Christian life involves denying yourself daily and living under the lordship of Christ. We are no longer our own; we have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf :
2Cor 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
As we live each day with our hope fixed on the living God, He shapes our character in conformity to Christ and then uses our changed lives as a witness of His saving grace so that others come to know Him and grow in Him.
So ministry is not volunteering for Jesus, or doing a job because the pastor or Elders in the church needs your help.
Ministry is based on dying to self and living to please Jesus. God never calls us primarily to a task. Rather, He calls us to Himself.
Before I can do something for God I must be in relationship with God. I can only impart to others in ministry what I possess from my walk.
Therefore, the primary responsibility of every believer is to develop godliness through the daily discipline meditating on His Word, in a prayerful life and of a walk with the Lord Jesus. So we end with our text from the beginning.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
We want to know how to act as followers of Christ. We read the Bible. We concentrate on our: Speech—Our conduct (Conversation) - Our Love—Our Faith—Our Purity.
Thus our walk with Christ is the necessary basis of any work we do for Christ. Since the Lord wants every member of His body to function in serving Him, We need to pay attention to our walk. We don’t have to have all these qualities in perfection before we start serving the Lord. But we do need to be growing in each area, bringing every aspect of our life into submission to the lordship of Christ. Then, as we relate to others, we overflow with what we have of Christ to them; to those to whom we are ministering.
But this doesn’t happen automatically. It requires attention and work as well:
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
