Colossians 3:1-17 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Four Things We Are Called To Do To Live Out Our Higher Calling:

#1) PRIORITIZE HEAVENLY THINGS (V. 1-4)

VERSE 1: SET YOUR HEART ON CHRIST

VERSE 2: SET YOUR MIND ON CHRIST

VERSE 3 & 4: LIFE IS FOUND IN CHRIST

#2) PURGE EARTHLY THINGS (V. 5-9)

VERSE 5: PUT TO DEATH SINFUL AGGRESSIONS

VERSES 6 & 7: REASONS TO PUT TO DEATH

VERSE 8: PUT AWAY SINFUL ATTITUDES

VERSE 9: PUT OFF SINFUL APPEARANCES

#3) PUT ON CHRISTLIKE VIRTUES (V.10-14)

VERSE 10: PUT ON THE NEW SELF

Colossians 3:10 ESV

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

• In v.9, the word old = palaios = old in years; belonging to the past.
• new = neos = new in time; new in quality.

Romans 6:6 ESV

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

• The task of the believer is to stop living like the old self and to develop actions in accord with the new self.
• The old self was to be a slave to sin. But the new self is no longer a slave to sin.

Ephesians 4:20-24 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Process of Growth

1) Put off the old

2) Put on the new & be renewed

• What is the goal of this growth?
  • Knowledge = epignōsis = understanding; definite knowledge; full knowledge. Genuine knowledge attained through Christ in the process of renewal.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV

23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

• While the old self wants to grow in earthly wisdom, earthly power, and earthly riches… The new self must desire to understand and know God.

2 Peter 3:18 ESV

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Philippians 3:8–10 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Colossians 1:9–10 ESV

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

John 17:3 ESV

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

VERSE 11: OUR NEW SELF IS IN CHRIST

Colossians 3:11 ESV

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

• Verse 11 makes it clear where our value comes from. Christ is all and in all!

Four Earthly Distinctions:

1) National or Ethnic Pride (Gentile vs Jew)

1 Corinthians 1:22 ESV

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

Romans 1:16-17 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Philippians 3:20 ESV

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

2) Religious Background (circumcised vs uncircumcised)

• Here are some issues with a religious spirit:
  • Someone who holds on to what God has said and resists what God is saying.
  • Defends what God did and attacks what God is doing.

Galatians 3:1-3 ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Galatians 1:13–14 ESV

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

• We must not allow religious traditions to get in the way of God’s will.

Matthew 15:3-9 NLT

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”

• If you are not careful, you will find yourself creating man-made religious traditions to do what you prefer to do rather than what God wants you to do.

3) Culture (Barbarian & Scythian— both known for cruel behavior and uncivilized actions)

Colossians 2:8 ESV

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

• If we put our focus on the heavenly things, we will find Christ. If we put our focus on the earthly things, we will find the anti-Christ.
• Anti-Christ is one who opposes Christ.

1 John 2:22 ESV

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

John 18:36 ESV

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Matthew 6:24 ESV

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

4) Economic (slave vs free)

• When it comes to Christianity, we are all on the same level. They both make mistakes and are saved by grace. They share the same table and dream of the same eternity with God.

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

CONCLUSION (PT 2)

• Colossians 3:10 tells us the important putting on the new self and allow for God to renew us by the knowledge we can only receive though Christ.
• Colossians 3:11 tells us that our true value comes from Christ. It’s not from earthly things such as socially constructed distinctions.
• Are these earthly distinctions forming your framework on how you live your life? Or are the heavenly things forming you?

Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

• What is the Holy Spirit telling you through this message?
• Put your focus on Christ. Make Christ your priority and don’t allow earthly things get in the way of growing in Christ.