Easter Sunday:The Believer’s Union with his Risen Savior

First Baptist Church Leominster

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You You You You You You Life in his death in his resurrection and Lord it is in Christ Jesus that we are found.

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We are one with him and Lord, we are thankful for our unity with Christ and we're thankful for what this means and Lord, we pray that you would help us in our lives to focus on the things that are above Not on the things that are here on earth not on our circumstances not on our difficulties not on our sufferings but on Jesus Christ Who is enthroned in heaven and is ruling over all

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Lord today on resurrection Sunday We we ask that we would remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope that that gives us

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We pray that we would reflect upon these truths every day of our lives Not just on Sundays not just once a year, but every day

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Lord. We pray that we would repeat the gospel to ourselves We pray that we would remember what you have done the great work that you have done and Lord we thank you and As we work through this passage this morning

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We pray the pastor Lars would have clarity of thought and clarity of speech We pray

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Lord that we would be able to be focused on what the Word of God says We pray that the Spirit would take these words from our ear to our heart and that we would be changed

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Help us Lord to live for your glory and your praise and your honor Thank you

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Lord in Jesus name. Amen well for those of you who have a set of notes in your hand,

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I Send them out every Sunday morning. And of course you probably notice and well

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There's 18 pages in today's notes, and obviously we're not going to be able to work through them entirely

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But we send these notes out. I Counted up this morning. We send them out now to about 270 addresses and about a hundred of those are pastors in like Africa and India and I received word that they actually use these notes a number of them

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And so I thought that if I provided more information for them on this subject, it would be beneficial for them.

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And so Obviously again, we're not going to be able to deal with all of these notes, but we'll do the best we can and the time allotted

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Now at the end of Colossians chapter 2 that Jason just read beginning with verse 20

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Paul had made a reference of the believers union with Jesus Christ in his death and So Colossians 2 20 through 23 again read therefore if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world and I am bold and italicized those words and Then he reasons

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If this is the case Why as though living in the world do you subject yourselves to regulations?

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Do not touch do not taste do not handle which All concern things which perish with the using according to the commandments and doctrines of men these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom and self -imposed religion false humility and Neglect of the

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Bible but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh False religion does not give victory over sin

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But he calls upon the believer to recognize his union with Jesus Christ when

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Christ died upon his cross therefore if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world and Then in verse 1 of Colossians 3, it's an unfortunate.

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It's unfortunate that there's a chapter division there but in chapter 3 verse 1 the

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Apostle expressed the believers union with Christ in his resurrection and So chapter 2 verse 20, it's the believers union with Christ in his death and now with verse 1 it's the believers union with Christ in his resurrection and It's based on this reality

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That Paul gave instruction to these Christians in the Church of Colossae. And so we declared if then you were raised with Christ Again in verse 20 of chapter 2 if you died with Christ and now

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Here if you were raised with Christ and then Paul proceeded to give the proper action and the proper response to that truth

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Seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God And so Paul wrote of the true believers

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Union with Jesus Christ in his resurrection, which was then to direct the manner in which the

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Christian was to live The Apostle was quite clear that due to the believers union with Christ in his death and his resurrection they were by their union instructed and Directed to order their lives as Christians There were beliefs and behaviors that were not to characterize them because of their union with Jesus Christ in his death and There were beliefs and behaviors that were to characterize them because of their union with Jesus Christ in his resurrection

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Now we emphasize the responsibility that we have as Christians to order our lives according to the standard of God's unchanging moral law and we emphasize that theme quite often because it is so abused and neglected in today's evangelical world

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Of course, although the law of God cannot condemn us it continues to be the rule of life That we are to follow as we live before God God's moral law and Yet we always emphasize that the abiding authority of the moral law for Christians is that they are under law toward Christ Paul expressed that in first Corinthians 921

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And so the law of God has been subsumed or incorporated in Christ. We're under the law of God toward Christ And this is certainly what the

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Lord has set before us in this passage Each of the sins listed in each of the acts of righteousness identified may be read elsewhere as addressed by God's law

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But here we see that it is our union in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that should move us to think and live

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According to righteousness that is law -keeping We see before us that our spiritual union with Christ informs us on how we are to live before him and how we are not to live before him as cross and his resurrection from the dead is the primary and central source of instruction and motivation on how to live for him in this world and So we don't just look to the law of God.

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We look to the law of God in Christ Extremely important and so we do not look to the law of God But to the person of Jesus Christ who is crucified and who rose for us

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Who thereby moves us and enables us to live according to that law through the grace that is in him

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And so let's consider this passage Again, it's a lengthy passage But I want us to understand the entire thrust of it and the theme of it that the

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Apostle Paul sets forth But first we'll get some attention some attention to the background regarding this church at Colossae The city of Colossae was located about a hundred miles east of Ephesus and And Ephesus of course was on the coast of the

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Aegean Sea which is now Western Turkey The city of Colossae was in the valley of the

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Lycus River, which is a tributary of the Meander River a fruitful fertile valley

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It's at the foot of a very high or a very high range of mountains actually upwards to 10 ,000 feet

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Snow -capped and so where Colossae was situated. It was a well -watered temperate region

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Colossae was not a large city in the first century. However significant quite prominent but its size and influence had diminished due to the rise and influence of two cities to the west about 10 to 15 miles to the west and that would be the cities of Laodicea and About five miles north of Laodicea the city of Hierapolis Which is mentioned by the way at the end of the epistle to the

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Colossians At the time of writing this epistle Paul had not yet visited this church

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This is understood by Paul's comments in Colossians 1 verses 3 and 4 Which read we always thank

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God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith In Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints and Then in Colossians 2 verse 1

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Paul wrote for I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh

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Paul had never visited how then did this church begin?

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Well, the church was probably founded by a man named of the

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Apostle Paul Who may have been converted to Christ through Paul's ministry in Ephesus?

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Epaphras then returned to his hometown of Colossae Evangelizing and forming the church of new disciples of Jesus Christ Paul mentioned

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Epaphras back in chapter 1 of Colossians Of this you have heard before in the word the truth the gospel which has come to you as indeed in the whole world

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As the Gentile world it is buried fruit and increasing as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God and truth

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Just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant

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He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the

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Spirit Epaphras founded this church after he'd been converted probably under Paul's ministry

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And later in the epistle Paul refers to Epaphras as one of them that is a citizen of Colossae and a member of the church located there and so in Colossians 4 we read

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Epaphras who is one of you a Bondservant of Christ greets you always laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God for I bear him witness that he has great zeal for you and Those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis Again, both

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Laodicea and Hierapolis were not far from Colossae The church may have met in the house of Philemon the same man to whom

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Paul addressed his short epistle the shortest letter that we have of the Apostle Paul and We read these words in the opening of that letter

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Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus Timothy our brother to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer to the beloved

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Appiah probably Philemon's wife our

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Kippis our fellow soldier perhaps the son of Philemon and Appiah and to the church in your house

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And so the church at Colossae probably met in the in the house of Philemon It's clear that the

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Apostle Paul was the author of this epistle to the Colossians And although he had not visited the church prior to his writing this epistle he wrote with the authority of his apostleship

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And Paul was confident that the church had been well instructed in the faith Colossians 2 verses 6 and 7 read as you have therefore received

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Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built up in him established in the faith as you have been taught

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Abounding in it with Thanksgiving apparently a paphras Learned well from Paul and then the church had learned well from a paphras

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Again, Paul described a paphras as having been a faithful minister pulled the church there was a terrible heresy that was threatening the well -being of the church and Paul wrote this letter.

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He wrote this epistle to address and Correct this errant teaching and to affirm these believers in Jesus Christ Now Although that it was certain it is certain there was heresy the specific identity of this heresy

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And I can remember back in the 80s in seminary reading a journal article that outlined 33 different proposals by scholars as to the identity of this heresy you just it just cannot be known with the complete accuracy

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However, when we consider some of the Apostles clear instruction in this epistle the general nature of the heresy may be somewhat reconstructed

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So what are some of these doctrinal emphases of this? Epistle that suggested the nature of the doctrinal aberrations

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They were troubling the church. Well first Paul gave great detail and emphasis to the person of Christ Particularly in the first chapter of this epistle and The manner in which

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Paul depicts Christ seems to suggest that he was correcting some of the teachings perhaps of Gnosticism Incipient Gnosticism that had its beginnings in the first century

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But became a great challenge to the Christian churches in the second century Not only did he emphasize the identity nature of the person of Christ but secondly

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Paul warned the church of false philosophical thinking and reasoning and So Paul warned the church beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit

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According to the tradition of men according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ Colossians 2 a and some of the

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Greek words that Paul used in that portion of this of the epistle

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For example the Greek word translated as fullness the Greek word for knowledge gnosis and the neglect of the body were words that were commonly used by the

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Gnostic heretics of the second century and then third the

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Apostle references and allusions Jewish traditions and practices and This complicates the identification of the heresy

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Paul addressed the matter of Jewish circumcision we read in Colossians 2 11 him that is

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Christ you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands

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He seems to be repudiating those that were advocating the Jewish circumcision with hands

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And then in chapter 3 verses 9 through 11

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We read do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its deeds as talking about your former life

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Before becoming a Christian and I put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him

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Where there is neither great or Jew? circumcised nor uncircumcised

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Barbarians get the enslavement or free but Christ is all in all And then where Paul warned the church against emphasizing matters of food or drink

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Festival or a new moon or Sabbath. He was alluding to Jewish traditions It's apparent that the heresy that Paul was correcting contained

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Jewish elements Jewish elements errant philosophical ideas corruptions about the identity and person of Jesus Christ and Then fourthly interestingly the heresy probably involves some aspects of the worship of angels

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We read in Colossians 2 18 and 19 of Paul's exhortation taking delight in false humility and worship of angels now this too probably suggests a

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Jewish background However, the later Gnostics had developed a very elaborate angeology

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Believing that angels were intermediaries Who could bridge the gap between fallen physical man and God who is regarded as holy and spiritual?

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Paul taught them that Jesus Christ is the only true mediator between God and mankind

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Now with that little bit of background, let's consider the passage With particular view to our union with Christ in his resurrection although again

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Paul emphasizes union with Christ in his crucifixion his death, but also his resurrection.

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This is Easter Sunday Let's give focus and attention on Our union with Christ in his resurrection and so we read in Colossians 3 verses 1 through 4

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Since you as a Christian rose with Christ when Christ rose Ascended into heaven and was enthroned therefore and he begins to draw some implications and conclusions since this is a reality therefore do this and so verses 1 through 4 of Colossians 3 constitute one paragraph in the

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ESV English Standard Version that Jason read earlier and here we read instruction to Christians whose

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Relationship with God and with God's world has been radically and forever changed because of their union with Jesus Christ Verse 1 is a conditional sentence

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It opens with a conditional clause if then you have been raised with Christ comma and Then there is the understood is not expressed, but the understood word then

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If this is the case then seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God it's a conditional sentence a conditional sentence will often begin the first clause with the word if and the first clause of a conditional sentence is

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Commonly referred to as a protasis the second clause commonly begins with the word then but sometimes the word is understood like it is here and This clause the second clause is known

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If then if this is true, then this is what you should think. This is how you should live now we might look at that verse in our

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English translations and Wonder if the matter is in doubt if you have been raised we might ask ourselves

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Is it possible that we have not been raised with Christ? If you've been raised with Christ But in the

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Greek language of the New Testament There were different ways in which one could express very precisely the degree of certainty in a conditional sentence and so depending upon the

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Greek words used particularly in the protasis and the tense of the verb used various degrees of certainty are conveyed and And so sometimes the conditional sentence is worded which implies the statement is contrary to fact

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In other words, the implied answer is no or it's not true an example of this would be when

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Martha said to Our Lord regarding the death of her brother Lazarus in John 11 21

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We read then Martha said to Jesus Lord if you had been here My brother would not have died the wording of this conditional sentence

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The protasis if you had been here Implies he wasn't here.

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It's as if she said Lord if you had been here and you were not here My brother would not have died another form however, the conditional sentence assumes that the statement is true to fact an

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Example of this would be when Satan challenged our Lord in his wilderness temptation Matthew 4 6 reads if you are the

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Son of God throw yourself down For it's written he should give his angels charge over you and in their hands

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They shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone Now the devil was not challenging

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Jesus whether or not he was truly the Son of God For the manner in which the condition is set forth assumes a true condition

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In other words, it's as if the devil said to him if you are the Son of God and indeed you are

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Throw yourself down. It was not a challenge questioning the identity of the

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Son of God It was a challenge to our Lord to show forth that he was the Son of God by performing a miracle in order to impress observers as to his true identity and So when a conditional sentence is expressed in this form

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One could even use the word since rather than the word if since you are the Son of God cast yourself down There was no doubt

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Suggested by the devil as to his identity now

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The conditional clause of Colossians 3 verse 1 is an example of this form

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The matter is not in doubt, but rather it's assumed to be true It's as if Paul wrote if then you have been raised with Christ and indeed you have been raised with him

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Seek the things that are above See the matter is not in doubt The matter of our having been raised with Christ is not in doubt whatsoever.

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It is a true fact And so if this is true and it is Therefore you ought to do what follows from that seek the things that are above Of course this union with Christ and his death and resurrection is only true of Christians Actually all of the elect and Paul mentions that you've been chosen once This truth or reality cannot be applied to non -christians

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Unless they're elect and they're going to become Christians because only true Christians those redeemed were in union with Christ in his death and resurrection

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Those that never become Christians are not in union with Christ in his death and resurrection. They're on their own sadly and so the non -christian

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Did not die and rise in union with Jesus Christ. None of Paul's instructions here in Colossians 3 is to be applied to the unbeliever

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The instructions are to be applied to every true Christian And if we knew who the elect were even if they were unsaved we can say it would apply to them, too in time in God's dealings

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Now what is meant by the expression seek the things that are above? Well first recognize it's worded in the form of a command

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If you have new life in Christ if you've been raised with him then you're commanded seek the things that are above Paul had set forth from the spiritual reality you're raised with him

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He then set forth the spiritual duty that flows from that spiritual reality live in conformity to your high calling

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If you've been raised with Christ and you have then seek a command seek the things that are above Appreciated FF Bruce and his comments on this matter

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The Colossians knew that like their fellow Christians throughout the world they had been raised with Christ through faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead and That they had been quickened or made alive with Christ when they were spiritually dead

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Every time that they recalled their baptism in its meaning They ought to be impressed afresh with the reality of their purchase participation in Christ's death and resurrection and draw the logical and practical conclusions if Their death with Christ severed the links that bound them to the old world order

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Which was trying to impose its dominion on them again their resurrection with Christ established new links

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Links with a new and heavenly order with the spiritual kingdom in which Christ their

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Lord was sovereign Ruling from the place of supremacy to which he had been raised at God's right hand

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And so Paul wrote seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God This speaks of Christ as the enthroned

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King The Lord of Heaven and Earth the Lord of Lords and King of Kings He is the one with whom we have to do

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Let us seek to learn what he would have us do let us seek to be conformed to his will

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And so we see from this passage

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What God has done for us in Jesus Christ is both the incentive incentive and the argument for authentic Christian living

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We are citizens of a realm that is open before us and we we should live as citizens even while we're in this fallen world

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The idea being conveyed is that we become participants of a new world order We live in the promised age foretold in the

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Old Testament that has been realized through Jesus Christ God has raised his people in Christ Jesus They possess the life of the resurrection in themselves and therefore they need not wait until the second coming of Christ in order to experience

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Life in the eternal state they may live by the power of the resurrection now

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Christians have the ability and therefore the responsibility to experience an increasing degree the life now

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That they will one day experience fully when they will be raised from the dead unto eternal life

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And so for Christians as one expressed let their union with the exalted Christ transform the entire life mind heart and will

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Again FF Bruce stated it. Well, but what are the implications of being raised with Christ?

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This that believers have now no life of their own You died to that Their life is the life of Christ maintained and being by him at God's right hand and shared by him with all his people

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Their interests must therefore be his interests Instead of waiting until the last day to receive the resurrection life

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Those who have been raised with Christ possess it here and now the new creation the regeneration has already begun in them

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Spiritually that is to say in Christ they belong already to the age to come and they enjoy its life

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So, how do we obey this command? Seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and the answer is in verse 2

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Which reads set your minds on things that are above and not on things

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That are on the earth and so our way of life as Christians Should be characterized by setting our minds upon what the will of God is in Jesus Christ Our risen

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Lord and Savior We're to set our minds to view ourselves in the world from the perspective of Jesus Christ enthroned in heaven

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We're to ponder upon those things that we have in Christ This knowledge of who we are in Christ should inform our way of assessing ourselves and the world in which we live now this view of ourselves

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Having our minds fixed on the things that we have in Jesus Christ above may be Contrasted with those who are

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Christian in name only they thought they were Christians, but they weren't true Christians We're actually strangers to Jesus Christ and the

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Apostle Paul wrote of these that were in the church at Philippi and So he wrote and I'm going to drop down to verse 17 of that block passage

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Brethren join and follow in my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern.

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Why? Why did Paul say follow me and my walk don't follow them For many walk of whom

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I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ He's not talking about people who denied

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Christ. These are people who profess to be Christians But they did they were enemies of the cross of Christ because they refused to deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow

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Him they were enemies of the cross of Christ and then he describes their outcome whose end is destruction whose

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God is their belly Jesus Christ is not their God their their own lust their own desires is what governs them

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Whose glory is in their shame and then Paul describes them who set their mind on earthly things in Contrast Paul wrote in Colossians 3 verse 2

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Christians are to set their mind on things in Christ in heaven these false

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Christians Did not live that way They set their mind on earthly things and then

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Paul contrast true Christians with them for our citizenship is in heaven From which we also eagerly wait for the

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Savior the Lord Jesus Christ Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body

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According to the working by which he's able even to subdue all things to himself And so what is implied in this activity of setting our minds on things above is that the result sin will lose their appeal and their power over our lives and So to the degree that we are successful in seeing life in this way

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The sin that characterizes us will weaken in its power within us

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It's like the hymn we commonly sing turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace

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That reflects exactly what Paul was talking about Now in Colossians 3 verse 3

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Paul gives a further explanation of the spiritual reality For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God Here Paul was referred to their lives before they became

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Christians. You died with respect to that former way of living and since that time their new life is hidden with Christ in God as A Christian your life is hidden with Christ in God in what sense is our new life in Christ hidden?

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I have the works of Richard Sibbes on my shelf at home And he gave a message on this subject the hidden life

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Based on this verse this these few words and he addressed Paul's words for you have died you see the first proposition you're dead with a

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Christian is dead in many ways Moral law he looks not to have comfort and salvation by it by the law.

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He is dead to the law so he flies to Christ and A Christian is dead to the ceremonial law

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Now in the glorious luster of the gospel What have we to do with those poor elements that were for children referring to the

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Old Testament ceremonies? The ceremonious disposition is opposite to the glory and luster of the gospel as the

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Apostle speaks of in the former chapter He is dead likewise to sin

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Having communion with Christ when he died for sin. He's dead to sin He hath he that hath communion in the death of Christ had the same affection to sin

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Affection of sin that Christ had in other words. He hates it Christ hated it infinitely when he suffered for it

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So every Christian thinks that Christ died for my sins and by union with Christ he hath the same affection to it

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He is dead to it now every true Christian is plagued by sin

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But every true Christian doesn't want to live in sin and because this is but an inculcation

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Sibbs wrote and what he meant by that was this this deadness to sin is just kind of the beginning when we became

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Christians a Christian is not perfectly dead to sin. He stands in need of afflictions and in regard to afflictions.

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He is dead They must help in the work of mortification That is putting to death sin and because no affliction can sufficiently work mortification

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But death itself, which is the accomplishment of mortification. We are dead in respect to death itself, which is the accomplishment of all

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That not only is the Christian in one sense dead yet in another sense. He is alive and so Sibbs wrote we are dead and yet we have life a

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Christian is a strange person He is both dead and alive He is miserable and glorious He consists of contraries

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He is dead in regard to corruption and misery and such like but he's alive in regard of his better part

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And he grows in two ways at once It's a strange thing the Christian doth.

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He grows downwards and upwards at the same time For as he dies in sin and misery and natural death approaching

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So he lives the life of grace and grows more and more till he end in glory

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Sibbs then went on to write upon Paul's second statement and your life is hidden with Christ in God In what ways is our life?

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spiritual life eternal life hidden with Christ and Sibbs proposed two ways

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First it is hid to the world that is to worldly men Because a

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Christian man is unknown to them Because they know not the father that begets that is give spiritual life therefore they know not them that are begotten they know not the advancement of the

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Christian he is raised into a higher rank than they a Worldly man sees not this life in regard to its excellency

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He passes scorns and contempt of it of folly and the like a Christian in respect of his happy life is a stranger here and Therefore he's willing to pass through the world and to be used as a stranger

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And then he says not only does the idea of your life hidden with Christ in God Because the world doesn't know anything about it

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Secondly, it's a hidden life because oft times not only to worldlings but in regard to the children of God themselves

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Because by reason of some infirmities that is sin that are in the best of God's children they are apt to judge amiss

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In other words, they have doubts and struggles and troubles Harshly, they judge themselves harshly and rashly one another it is hid likewise from themselves

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For often God's children know not themselves in Temptation in their nunnage talking about when they were unbelievers in the beginning of their conversion in the time of their desertion talking about when

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God withdraws himself at times in the Christian life and Spiritual slumber and sleep grace seems to be dead in them

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And then they know not that they have this spiritual life partly through distemper of body partly distemper spirit

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There are clouds raised between them and their happiness that they cannot see their spiritual life

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Our life is hidden in Christ Before God but the idea of your life hidden with Christ in God is not so much

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That your Christian life is not obvious to others about you and perhaps even to yourself

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Rather your new life in Christ that is presently hidden with Christ in God speaks of its certainty and security

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No one is able to take it from you. It's hidden in Christ in God The emphasis here is on the assertion that our new life in Christ is secure for us

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Our new life is a spiritual reality and it is secure for us It says

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Peter wrote in 1st Peter 1 that our salvation inheritance is Reserved in heaven for us being kept or secure by the power of God Our life is hidden in Christ where no one can tarnish it damage it or remove it from us

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It's a blessing to have our life hidden in Christ in God and then in verse 4

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Paul directs the Christians attention toward the day when our new life in Christ will be finally and Fully experienced and enjoyed by us when

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Christ who is our life appears then you also will appear with him in glory

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Jesus Christ himself is our life Probably few of us see the full reality and significance of that.

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This has for us Christ is our life But this is a spiritual reality for every true

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Christian. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can make that reality evident to us

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Here's a testimony of this very thing A man he was a

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Methodist Bishop pastor named Bishop mool tells of a friend of his to whom early in this in his course

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It is in his Christian life. Those five words Christ who is our life were made a new world as He walked back to his home over the dark fields from mission service

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He had been conducting these simple these familiar words passed through his soul in one of those moments of insight

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Which God alone can explain within ten paces as I walked life was transformed for me

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He said so wonderful was the discovery that the Lord Jesus Christ is not merely rescuer friend

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King but life itself life central and Exhaustible springing up within my heart rising to eternity

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Christ is our life and we're to see Jesus Christ as a center and meaning of all we are as Christians The scriptures use this kind of this

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I Language in various places our Lord told his disciples a little while longer and the world will see no me no more

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But you will see me because I live you will live also Paul wrote in 2nd

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Corinthians 4 8 and following we are hard -pressed on every side yet. Not crushed. We're perplexed but not in despair

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Persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always carrying about in the body that died of the

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Lord Jesus why Purpose clause so that life the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body

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See the life of Christ The life of Jesus Galatians 4 my little children from whom

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I labor and birth again until Christ is formed in you and Paul expressed in Philippians for to me to live as Christ and to die as gain the life

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We live is the life that we have in Jesus Christ And just to kind of bring us back to the passage you see how therefore how fruitless and Errant it is to reduce

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Christianity to a mere set of rules. Don't drink this don't touch this don't teach that Is our life

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Paul declared when Christ who is our life appears and you also will appear with him in glory

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Matthew Henry commented on this we shall then appear with him in glory It will be his glory to have his redeemed with him in other words, he's going to be happy about it that we're with him

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He will come to be glorified in his saints and it will be their glory to come with him and be with him forever at the second coming of Christ There will be a general meeting of all the saints and those whose life is now hid with Christ shall then appear with Christ in That glory, which he himself enjoys

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Do we look for such a happiness and should we not set our affections upon that world and live above this?

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What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it?

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Our head is there our home is there our treasure is there and we hope to be there forever

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Set your minds on things above now

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That's the verse four verses of Colossians 3 We read through verse 17

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Obviously, we're not going to get through it But these first four verses of Colossians 3

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Paul is dealing with matters of doctrine of teaching

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Their doctrinal and content But now beginning with verse 5

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Colossians 3 5 actually going all the way into Colossians chapter 4 We have the second division of this epistle of Paul which is primarily very practical in content and This was the common way that Paul would write first Give the teaching the doctrine and then he would give the outworking of that doctrine

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The practical way to live in the light of it and so beginning with verse 5

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Paul instructed these Christians to live according to the truths that he had set forth in verses 1 through 4 and also in the last few verses of Colossians chapter 2 and so we might describe verses 5 through 17 as the

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Christian life in Christ and There are two arenas of living that Paul sets forth

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First because of our union with Christ in his death. We're to put off sin put it off like you're taking a garment off put it off and Then secondly because of our union with Christ in his resurrection

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We are to put on acts of righteousness All again based upon our union with Christ in his death and resurrection and So in verses 5 through 11

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Our union with Christ in his death directs us to put to death or put off sin and So we read in verse 5 therefore put to death your members

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Since you died with Christ put to death your members which are on earth and then he lists a number of sins

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Fornication uncleanness passion evil desire covetousness, which is idolatry and He gives a reason because God Judges and condemns those who live in that sin

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Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience And which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them, but now also put off these

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Anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy language out of your mouth Do not lie one to another since you put off the old man

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Again the life before you you became a Christian with his deeds and you put on the new man

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That's as a Christian who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him according to Christ Where there's neither great nor Jew circumcised nor uncircumcised barbarians get the enslaved or free

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But Christ is all and in all and so before us we have a number of practical straightforward commands that address specific sins that need to be forsaken by Christians This is the way into Christian maturity

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Maturity would not result from esoteric communications with angels This is where some of these people were going at Colossae Communications from astral powers as the

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Colossian Christians were being instructed by false teachers The Reformation study

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Bible footnote states the matter quell the route to maturity is not the path of secret revelations or self -punishing disciplines

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It consists in understanding and living on the basis of the believers death resurrection and heavenly enthronement with Christ The Colossians have a false notion of heavenly reality, which ironically leads them to fruitless efforts on the earthly plane

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Fruitful living on earth begins rather with right understanding of heavenly reality

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That's the whole point That's the heart of the message that Paul is giving this church

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Again, verse 5 reads put to death therefore what is earthly in you sexual immorality impurity passion evil desire covetousness, which is idolatry

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Put to death these sins Version Translated mortify put to death these things in your life

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So to put to death means that we're to remove these sins from us We're to repent of these and see to it that we're no longer prepped

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We're no longer practice these things Matthew Henry wrote the Apostle exhorts the Colossians to the mortification of sin the great hindrance to seeking the things which are above Since it's our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things

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It's our duty to mortify our members which are upon the earth and which naturally incline us to the things of the world

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Mortify them that is subdue the vicious habits of mind which prevailed in your Gentile state kill them suppress them as you do weeds or Vermin which spread and destroy all about them as you kill an enemy who fights against you and wounds you

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Put them to death That is sin again the idea of Christians needing to put to death

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Sin is somewhat of a paradox Because the scriptures had very clearly taught us earlier in the epistle.

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We've already died with Christ In our union with Christ, but here we're told to put to death these sins

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The spiritual reality is that we died with Christ the practical reality is that we still have sins that we must deal with we must put to death and So Paul is calling upon these

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Christians to become in practice what they are in principle Dead to sin and alive to God.

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That's what it is to live as a Christian FF Bruce stated it this way

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Now that you're a new man in Christ as the Apostle live like a new man You've said goodbye to your old life and therefore have done with all those things that were characteristic

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Christ act and speak and think therefore as to make it plain that this death is no mere figure of speech

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But a real event which is severed all the links which bound you to the dominion of sin in short be in Actual practice what you now are by a divine act

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We are to live up to our high calling in Christ as it's expressed elsewhere. There are five sins listed

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In verse 5 four of them are sexual sins the fifth is the sin of covetousness the sin of sinful desire

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Later in verse 8 he identifies five more sins which concern anger and abuse of speech

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There are ten sins listed all together These are to be mortified

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Verse 6 Paul says why these things must be forsaken on account of these the wrath of God is coming

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You don't want to be standing with those that live that way And so these

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Christians need to put to death these sins For they're still troubled by them, and we're all troubled by sins

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And we're to put them to death Verse 8 Paul set forth the other sins which they needed to mortify

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But now you must put away all these anger wrath malice slander obscene talk with your mouth a true

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Christian is known by a speech Talks about the way he says it

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Then verses 9 and 10 Do not lie to one another seeing that you put off the old self and its practices and you put on the new self

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Which is being renewed and knowledge after the image of its creator that is after Christ The whole point is that Christ because of our union with him in his death and his resurrection

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Should govern us and direct us to get rid of sin, and then we have to wrap things up here

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On page 12 of your notes would just point out the the major division for in verses 12 through 17

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After Paul addressed since you died with Christ Mortify these things put to death these things in verse verses 12 through 17

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We read that our union with Christ in his life directs us to put on holy practice that is consistent with his person

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Therefore is the elect of God Chosen ones of God Holy and beloved you are holy you're set apart by God and you are beloved of God in Christ put on tender mercies

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Kindness humility meekness long -suffering. These are all qualities that were characteristic of Christ Put them on Bearing with one another forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another even as Christ forgave you you also must do

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But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection or maturity and so in this paragraph there's a number of character traits that should exemplify us as Christians a number of Attitudes that should be manifest by us as Christians and a number of actions that should be performed by us as Christians and Depending on how many of these words and phrases organized we could say there are at least 11

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Directives or commands for us in these six verses verses 12 through 17 And if we had time we would address them in detail

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Which we don't but they are addressed in some detail in these notes before you and I hope you'll

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Take the time to read through them and consider them The point we want to emphasize though in In today's message this

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Easter message is that Christ is our life We don't

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Turn to the Bible just as a source book of laws and instructions Way to live

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It's to direct us to Christ and see our spiritual union with him and his death and his resurrection and that We're currently seated with him in heavenly places in Christ And in the light of this reality this spiritual truth, we are there for to order our lives and so often however

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It's very easy for Christian particularly newer Christians to tend to look to the scriptures as as a law book a second set of laws and They attempt to live according to those laws, but they do not see and live in the light of their union with Jesus Christ and That is a prescription to defeat and it's also a prescription to produce self -righteousness in people

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If you fail to look to Jesus Christ He is our life He rose again, you know 2 ,000 years ago

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And when he rose we rose with him we were in Christ and we had this glorious position

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That we now enjoy we have a glorious future, which is hidden for us

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It'll be realized when he appears it's going to appear for us Fully and clearly and in us and so in the light of that may the

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Lord enable us to live accordingly to live as people who love

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Christ who see ourselves in union with him and our

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Identity as Christians as being ones with him and May the Lord give us great grace to glorify him in our fallen world

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Amen Let's pray thank you father for your word and thank you father for the clarity of Instruction that we find in so many places and particularly here in Colossians Help us our

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God to see Christ as believers in him

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We had we did indeed die with him We did indeed rise with him and we are now seated with him

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Help us our Lord to look to him to set our mind on things above to love him and to learn of him and To declare him to our world and we'll thank you

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God for the blessing of seeing this realized In our church and on our lives for it's in Jesus name.