Studiesin

ColossiansPresentation 07

The Structure of the Book1v1-2 Introduction1v3-14 Paul’s Prayer1v15-23 The Supremacy of Christ1v24-2v5 Paul’s Labour for the Church2v6-7 The Danger of Seductive Teaching2v8-15 Know Your Enemy – Part 12v16-19 Know Your Enemy – Part 22v20-23 New Teacher’s Bondage3v1-17 Sanctification3v18-4v1 Christian Households4v2-6 Further Instructions4v7-18 Personal Greetings

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Sanctification [1]Chapter 3v1-17

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IntroductionIn Chap. 3 Paul advocates true Christian living by showing the practical development of the believer’s union with Christ. The ‘old man’ [the person we were before becoming Christians] is to be put to death and the ‘new man’ that is now ours through union with Christ is to be put on. Paul holds together death to self and sin with a resurrection to newness of life. The Christian life involves ‘putting off and putting on’. Hence being united to Christ in his death and resurrection is the foundation on which our sanctification – progress in holiness - is to be built.Paul constantly points back to what Christ has done for us on the cross and forward to what that should mean for our daily living. Paul’s instruction follows the following pattern:

1. Gospel Indicatives: What Christ has done for us.2. Gospel Imperatives: What we ought to do as a result. n.b. the many “therefores” in the passage.

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The Work of ChristThe list below taken from the first 9 verses shows the foundational relationship between gospel indicatives and gospel imperatives.

V1 “Since you have been raised with Christ” – IndicativeV1 “seek the things that are above” – ImperativeV2 “Set your mind on things that are above” – ImperativeV3 “For you died” – IndicativeV5 “put to death therefore” – ImperativeV8 “Rid yourself of all such things” – ImperativeV9 “Do not lie to each other” – Imperative

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The Work of ChristPaul always anchors his commands for godly living in the facts of what Christ has done for us. He is saying, “See what God has made you. This is your position in Christ. Now be what God has made you! In Christ, the old man/the old Adam was put off, stripped off in the circumcision of his death; in Christ’s resurrection the new man is put on.

We are no longer the men or women we once were”.

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The Work of ChristPaul stresses that the position of believers in Christ is a place of security, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God” v3. He uses the language of Isaiah and the Psalms that point to a God who keeps his people safe cf Ps 27v5-6 and Isaiah 49.2.

The point being that there is no safer place in all the universe than to have our lives hidden with Christ in God.

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The Work of ChristOur union with Christ is the relationship from which all others flow. When Christ died, we died [v3]. When Christ was raised we were raised [v1]. Christ is now seated in the glory at the right hand of the Father and incredibly, we too are seated in the glory! The reality of our new life is in the heavenly realms. Our life is hidden safely and securely with Christ in God [Eph. 2.4-6].

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The Work of Christ: ResponseWe are to reckon upon these facts, adjust our thinking to this new reality and as we do so Christ’s death and resurrection will be at work within us.

In Christ, we are not weak, frail or sinful, but “mighty to the pulling down of strongholds” Cf. 2 Cor. 10.4. In Christ and only “in Christ” are we empowered to be true, good and holy.

And so the call to holiness is a call to be true to our ‘new nature’ and not to our old one.

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The Work of Christ: ResponseBecause the believer is united to Christ he is encouraged to:“Seek the things above”. Cf Matt 6.33. The things relating to the kingdom of God. The believer is told to “Set your mind on things above”. This is to be an active seeking and setting of the mind, affections and will.

It is our responsibility as new men and women empowered by the Spirit of God to orientate our lives and calibrate our thinking by what the Spirit desires and not by what the flesh desires. How is this done? By saturating our thinking in the Word of God.

It is as we meditate upon the wholesome truths of Scripture that God’s mind is formed in us.

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The Work of Christ: ResponsePaul is not dismissing living as a human being in earth. But having a fleshly mindset is quite different from living in a body of flesh. Our bodies though fallen are part of God’s good creation and are to be mastered and not despised. What Paul is rejecting is that which directs our lives towards the old fleshly selfish order of existence to which we as Christians no longer belong.

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The Work of Christ: ResponseIn addition there is a ‘not yet’ in much of what Paul is saying. Paul has spoken of our death, resurrection and ascension ‘in Christ’ as something already accomplished and that is marvellously true. But there is still a future consummation to be looked forward to and lived for [v4].

Only when Christ returns in glory will we know full and final redemption. Meanwhile in the power of the Spirit we battle to set our minds on what is above.

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Sanctification: Putting Off and Putting To Death

What does that mean in practice to set our minds on what is above? In v5 ff Paul gives his command a practical application. He contrasts what they once were with what they now are in Christ. We are to begin the process of sanctification by putting to death what belongs to our old earthly nature.

We are to put off sin - the mindset and behaviour of our former life - like a discarded garment for it does not belong to the new man that Christ has made us. The flesh expresses itself in the sinful practices listed in v5 and v8. For our part we are to constantly empty our wardrobe of these detestable practices.

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“Put to death what is earthly in you”. To love God means to hate evil. And so loving God and putting to death what is evil within us go hand in hand. Paul has a realistic approach to the human heart. Some are surprised that he found it necessary to list some of the grosser sins mentioned in v5.

But the roots of these sins lie so deep in all of us that, in this life, they cannotwholly be eradicated, even from the hearts of the redeemed.

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Sanctification: Putting Off and Putting To Death

The list of vices in v5 have to do with sexual purity - not surprising given the sexual promiscuity of that age. The Greek term ‘porneia’ is a broad term and refers to every kind of sexual encounter outside of the marriage bond. ‘Greed’ v5 has an insatiable appetite. Paul links it to ‘idolatry’. Anything that usurps the proper place of God in one’s heart devotion is idolatry. Cf Eph 5v5. Greed involves constantly acquiring new ‘toys’, spending large amounts of money on entertainment and non- essentials and planning our lives around the acquisition of wealth. We often ignore a greedy spirit by mislabelling desires as ‘needs’.

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Sanctification: Putting Off and Putting To Death

Some gardens contain a particular weed that is very deep rooted. It fails to respond to weed-killers. It is almost impossible to dig deeply enough to remove all of its root system. Consequently, if any plant is to thrive in this part of the garden, the weed has to be dealt with radically as soon as it breaks the surface.

But the gardener having done so dare not think that the weed has gone never to appear again. It may take time but the root system will continue to send fresh shoots to the surface.

Paul teaches that the roots of all these sins lie within our hearts. Therefore, when they break through thesurface we must deal radically with them. The word which the Bible uses to describe this process is ‘mortification’.

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Sanctification: Putting Off and Putting To Death

How are we to understand the term ‘mortification’. It has little to do with dealing severely with our bodies cf 2.23. Mortification of the flesh in that sense often leads to both an unchristian denial of all natural appetites, including human sexuality, and a negative attitude to the body which can lead to self-harm.

Are we to deal with the evil roots of fallenness in our hearts by simply 'reckoning them to be dead' by an act of faith? Some holinessteachers have unhelpfully suggested that this is all that is required.

No, we do that at the risk of self-deception. We will never be free from evil desires until we receive our new resurrection bodies. Sanctification includes a call to battle against sin.

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Sanctification: Putting Off and Putting To Death