Putting On the New in 2016

Putting On the New in 2016

Colossians 3:5-11

“Putting on the New in 2016”
(Colossians 3:5-11)
Series: The All-Satisfying Christ (Colossians)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

• I invite you to take your Bibles and join me in Colossians chapter 3 as we continue our series of messages through this short letter (page 793; YouVersion).

This first Sunday of the new year as our thoughts are often given to the old and the new, we are, providentially, studying a passage of Scripture that speaks specifically about the old and the new; specifically about putting off the old and putting on the new. We’ll hear those very words as we read the text in a moment.

And Paul also says that Christians are to be about the business of killing certain things. How does that strike you? There are some things we are to kill. He says that Christians are to “put to death” things that are earthly within them, namely sins.

So it is striking because Paul has opened chapter 3 with this wonderfully positive theme about life in Christ. You’ll recall from last time the beginning of chapter 3 where Paul talks about setting our minds on things above and not on the things of the earth. And he adds, “for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God,” Christ, “who is your life.”

Paul speaks about positive action we are to take, seeking those things which are above, setting our minds on things above. But it is not enough that Christians merely seek the things that are above; they must also at the same time say no to the things that are below, namely they must continually put to death the things that belong to the old Self, the old us, the old ways, the things that were part of our lives before we came to faith in Jesus.

We died to the old us. Remember that from Colossians 3:3? “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” If you are a Christian, you died to the old you.

Maybe you heard about the two sisters Warren Wiersbe wrote about. The two sisters got saved and began living for Christ. They used to attend wild parties and dances and after they were saved they received a party invitation from someone who apparently didn’t know of their conversion. And the sisters simply returned the RSVP writing: “We regret that we cannot attend because we recently died.”

That’s how we’re to think of our old life before Christ. We died to that. And since we have died to that old life, then we will die regularly to the sins that belong to the old life. And this is the main thrust of our study this morning. Paul calls upon Christians to die to those old sinful tendencies and patterns that belong to their former lives. He writes to ensure that Christians do not bring that old way of thinking and living into their new lives in Christ.

• Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Pray.

Introduction:

A few years ago Michele and I watched a few episodes of a show that was on TLC called, “What Not to Wear.” And the show was about a couple of fashion experts who would help common, ordinary folks figure out how to choose proper clothing styles and so forth.

The way a person got on the show was by a friend or associate’s contacting the show and recommending that they come out and check out their friend who desperately needed their help. So these two clothing experts would come and visit and go through the person’s wardrobe and throw out all the stuff that was out of style and then give them some money and teach them how to shop for things that looked nice and suited them.

One of the funnier aspects of the show was that the people who were on the receiving end of this expert advice often were totally oblivious to just how “out of style” they really were. They would sometimes even argue with the experts or insist on keeping some of the clothing items that the experts recommended they should toss.

Well, these seven verses we have just read are like God’s episode of “What Not to Wear.” And as we go back through these verses we will be wise if we allow God to be the expert. Let’s allow Him to sort through our spiritual wardrobe and tell us what to toss.

If we’ll be honest, there are probably a few things in our spiritual closets that we have been putting on, some things we shouldn’t be wearing, things that don’t suit us. They don’t look right on us. And perhaps just like some of the folks on the television show, it may be that the inappropriateness of what we are wearing is more obvious to others than even to ourselves. We just don’t see it. We’ve been wearing it so long, you see.

God has a word here for each and every one of us if we have ears to hear. So let’s hear from Him as we study His word. Two main divisions in this passage followed by some helpful action points, okay? First two main divisions, things to put off and things to put on. Number one:

I. Put Off the Old (5-9)

Look afresh at verse 5:

5 Therefore (that is, in light of the preceding verses about Christ being our very lives and that we have died to the old us, therefore) put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Paul says, “Put to death your members which are on the earth.” Some of the other translations are helpful here. I like the way the New Living Translation puts this. It renders verse 5 as, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” I think that best captures this phrase. Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

What sinful, earthly things lurk within us? Things like—verse 5—fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

When we come to faith in Christ we are new creations. That is so important! We have been changed. In fact, it is because we have died with Christ (Colossians 3:3) that we can, in fact, eliminate these sinful practices from our lives. Recall Paul’s teaching in Romans 6:11 to “Reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin.” It is supremely helpful to say throughout the day, “I’m dead to that. I’m dead to that.”

See Paul is not talking about merely behavior modification here. People can do things to change their behavior. Unbelievers can stop drinking alcohol. Non-Christians can learn to show restraint and not commit lust or adultery. No one disputes this or argues that such teaching is unhelpful. By God’s common grace unbelievers can do much in the way of changing old habits.

But Paul is not writing here about secular notions of behavioral modification. He is not writing about how to improve one’s life so people can merely have a better life on this planet, “a better you!” Even if one changes his or her behavior, no one can stop sinning to the degree God requires. No one can stop sinning to the point he or she pleases God.

Paul is not addressing mere behavior modification. He is writing to Christians who have new natures and have the Spirit of God living within them. He is writing to Christians who have life in Christ, identity in Christ, self worth in Christ. He is writing to those who have died to their old lives and are finding joy and satisfaction in Christ alone. He is writing to those who can, in fact, because of they have new natures, live a new like of life.

For that reason, Christians must put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within them, things like—verse 5 again—fornication, a word that refers to all forms of sexual intimacy outside of biblical marriage, heterosexual union between a man and a woman. It is followed by a similar word, uncleanness or impurity. Listen to Derek Thomas here. He writes:

It is staggering to think that the first thing Paul mentions is sexual immorality. The word he uses covers all forms of prostitution, every illegitimate sexual deviance, both heterosexual and homosexual or even bestial. He links with it the attitude of the heart: impurity. By this he means us to consider that what the mind will linger on in secret the body will do externally.

What the mind will linger on in secret, the body will do externally. This is why it so dangerous, you see. To allow sexual immorality to lurk within our minds is sin enough and wrong. And if not taken seriously, sinful thoughts turn to sinful actions. Every sin begins first, right here (our minds).

Paul adds other sinful tendencies that may be in one’s spiritual wardrobe: passion (this is evil passion; lustful passion), evil desire, and covetousness, he says, which is idolatry.

Evil desires such as greed and lust can take the place of God and become idols. They replace worship of God and love for God and become the focus of the Christian’s heart and devotion. What a danger! Put it off. Get it out of your wardrobe!

Paul stresses the danger of the Christian’s failure to put to death these tendencies and to put them off in verse 6. He writes:

6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Pau is simply reminding the Colossians that God will judge the evil actions of those who are consumed with evil. And then he reminds them that they no longer live like that, verse 7:

7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

The point is: You don’t live that way anymore. Don’t put on those old clothes. It doesn’t suit you. It doesn’t fit you. It looks horrible on you. So put to death these old earthly tendencies lurking within you. Put them to death and put them off. Verse 8:

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Paul lists five more items that shouldn’t be in the Christian’s spiritual wardrobe. And these five behaviors bear directly upon relationships within the church: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy (which is better translated slander), filthy language.

No Christian should be “wearing” these items. Get rid of them. They don’t suit you. Do you struggle with any of these? Anger? Wrath? Do you have a tendency to fly off the handle? Too often Christians treat these sins lightly as though they were not really that serious. But Paul lists them here as sins that are inconsistent with the Christian life. Get rid of them.

Perhaps we are like the folks on that TV show; we don’t even realize we are wearing these things. Other people are more aware of what we are wearing then we ourselves.

What of malice or slander? Do you hate it when other people succeed and you cannot rejoice with them? Do you secretly despise the successes of others? Do you talk about others in ways that make them look bad and make you look good? Ever do that about another church member?

And what about your language? Paul says put off “filthy language.” It’s not right. Boastful CEOs or powerful politicians may use filthy language, but don’t you do it. It doesn’t suit you. It doesn’t look right on you. It doesn’t fit you. Verse 9:

9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

Don’t lie, since you have put off the old man—the old Self—with his deeds. So note the order: Since you have already put off the old, then don’t put back on the old clothing, old things like lying to one another. Put off the old. And here’s the second division of the text, verses 10 and following:

II. Put on the New (10-11)

Verse 10:

10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

On the one hand, this has already happened (you have put on the new man). When you came to faith in Christ, you became a new creation with new identity.

On the other hand, “who is renewed” suggests an ongoing daily process. Christians are daily to bring their behavior in line with their new identity in Christ, becoming more and more like Christ with the passing of each day. That’s the meaning of the phrase, “according to the image of Him who created him.” God means for us to look more and more like our creator, like our Lord.

As new creations there is neither—verse 11:

11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

There are no “status levels” among Christians, some better than others. That’s the point of verse 11. We’re all on the same level, no matter our social background or situation. We’re all in Christ. He is all and in us all.

What Paul is teaching, then, is that Christians are to look like our Lord by acting like the people they already are. Christians are to daily bring their behavior in line with their new identity in Christ. Put off the old and put on the new.

It’s like Lazarus’ being raised from the dead and then you go to look him up later and you find him back in that tomb with all the old grave clothes covering him again. You’d be like, “Lazarus! What’s going on, man?!” You know, “You’re free, my man! Get those old grave clothes off of yourself and get out of this tomb!”

Bring your behavior in line with your new identity in Christ.

**Action Steps:

1) Take Sin Seriously

The phrase “put to death” there in verse 5 should give us pause. “Put to death” indicates the seriousness of the matter. We are not to toy with this. We must not merely cut back or sin less, we must put to death these sins.

These phrases, “Put to death” in verse 5 and “Put off all these” in verse 8 are phrases that imply a deliberate and decisive action. I quoted Derek Thomas earlier. Listen to him again. He says, “Paul is concerned not simply with the resolve to mortify sin, but the desire to be rid of it altogether. It is as if he was saying: ‘Lay your hands on this sin’s throat and don’t release the pressure until it stops breathing.’”

Tim Challies, in a helpful devotion about killing the sins of sexual immorality, stresses this matter of taking sin seriously by running from it. He warns:

Flee, my brother. Learn how and when to run and do not be ashamed to do so. Do not toy with sexual sin. Do not make light of sexual sin. Do not laugh or joke about the very sins Christ died for. Do not allow yourself even the smallest taste or the briefest glimpse of what God forbids. There is no shame in running, but you may well know the shame of falling.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Take sin seriously. Number two:

2) Target the Sins You Need to Kill (Identify Yours)

We are not interested here in identifying the sins of the person next to you. We are looking at ourselves, identifying our own sins, targeting them. Do you know the sins you most need to kill? Do you?

Augustine said, “The beginning of knowledge is to know thyself to be a sinner.” Do you know your top 2 sins? Can you name them? You must know them to target them.

Yours may be right here in the text: sexual immorality; lust, sex outside of marriage in thought or deed; anger, malice, greed. It may be something else: pride; anxiety; selfishness, lack of trust in God, drinking, use of drugs, overeating, living in fear. You’ve got to think about this and target the sins you need to kill daily.

If you don’t know, ask your wife. Ask your husband. Ask your mom or dad. Ask your son or daughter. Most importantly ask God.

Let’s do that right now. Before we look at the next two action steps, let me ask you to take some time right now and think about this. Would you bow your heads? Heads bowed and eyes closed. Silently, pray to God. Just say, “God, please reveal to me the particular sins I need to be killing each day. What are the sinful earthly tendencies lurking within?” Make a note of them. Say, “Thank You, God, for revealing them to me, amen.”

Now that you’ve targeted the sins you need to kill, thirdly:

3) Kill those Sins Daily by Saying No to Them

This requires the discipline of regularly saying no to sin and yes to Christ. Here’s the reality, we all know this is true: Every time you give in to a particular sin you increase its power and you increase its influence in your life. Right? Every time you give in and allow that sinful tendency to have its way, you get weaker and the sin gets stronger.

Every time a man allows himself just another glimpse at pornography or just another lustful look at a woman walking by, he gets weaker and the sin grows stronger. So what do you do? You “put it to death” by saying no right up front. You say, “I’m dead to that” so I’m not going to look at that. That’s not who I am. I am putting that off. It doesn’t suit me. It’s all wrong.

And every time you say no to sin, you become stronger and that sin becomes weaker. Every single time. It is a process. Remember verse 10: “You have put on the new man who is renewed—or who is being renewed—in knowledge according to the image of the One who created us.”

So this is a daily discipline. There are no shortcuts. It’s just like going to the gym. You can go there and work out each day and get strong and lose flab and build muscle. But you’ve got to do it each and every day. You can’t do it for just a few days and expect huge results that last a lifetime. It takes discipline. It takes work. You’ve got to be at it regularly. It takes time.

And you can’t put on the new until you put off the old. A mother tells her little boy to go upstairs and put on some new clothes. Imagine he puts on new clothes right over the old clothes!

Many of us have formed habits so deeply and we are so accustomed to them that we don’t even realize how much they are attached to us, like clothing that has become a part of us. We try to put on new behavior, but we are putting on that new right over the old and then acting surprised when there is no lasting change. We must take off those old behaviors before putting on the new.

I don’t remember where I saw this first, but let me share it with you, a simple statement: “There will be no change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change.”

Take sin seriously; target the sins you need to kill; kill those sins daily by saying no to them; and fourthly:

4) Find Your Self-Worth and Satisfaction in Christ

Paul will go on in verses 12 and following to talk about virtues Christians are to “put on,” but for now let’s remember that we are complete in Christ. We find our self-worth in Christ. We find our satisfaction in Christ.

Whenever we put on the old, rather than putting off the old, we are embracing something from our former lives. We are attempting to find life, purpose, self worth, or satisfaction in something other than Christ.

We are drinking from the wrong well. We are drinking muddied water from a broken well. We’re drinking water that seems to satisfy, but doesn’t satisfy for long. In fact, it’s muddied water so it is actually harming us over time.

Don’t drink muddied water from a broken well. Drink from the well of Christ! Drink from the One who said, “Whoever drinks of me will never thirst (John 4:14).” This is the greatest key to putting sin to death, saying no to sin. We say no to sin and yes to Christ.

And every time we say no to sin, sin becomes weaker and we become stronger. It may not seem like much, saying no to each and every sin but, over time, the sum total of those little victories becomes like a fortress of strength and stability.

Engineers were once scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to build the first suspension bridge across Niagara Falls. Building a suspension bridge begins with stretching a line or wire across the river. At Niagara, however, turbulent waters, the 800-foot-wide gap, and the 225-foot-high cliffs of the Whirlpool Gorge made a direct crossing impossible.

How were the engineers going to get cable across the gap? It seemed impossible. But they figured out that they could tie a little cord to a kite string and fly the kite from the Canadian side across the gorge to the American side. The kite carried that little cord from one side to the other and then they tied that little cord off to a tree on the other side.

Then, they tied a heavier cord to the little cord and pulled the heavier cord over. Then, they tied a still heavier cord to that one and pulled it across. Then they tied a rope to it and pulled it across. And then, finally they tied a cable to it, a cable consisting of thirty-six strands of number 10 wire, and the pulled it across. Eventually, they pulled across 1,200 feet of cable before building the towers and completing the bridge.

So this week, when you are tempted to feel you are making little progress with each “no” that you say to sin, that first no you say may seem to you like a flimsy string flown across a wide gorge of raging rapids. But then another no is like a heavier cord being pulled back across, and then a rope, and then a cable, and one day, by God’s grace, you have built a bridge of steel and have become victorious over that sin and temptation.

Put to death the sinful earthly things lurking within you. Put them off. Put off the old and put on the new.

• Stand for prayer.

“There will be no change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change.”

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