Pauls Epistle to Colossians (17)

Colossians 3:12-17 and the Connection Between Doctrine and Christian Duty

Let's turn to Colossians chapter 3, please. That last hymn, of course, was in the form of a prayer, and it was, of course, David's psalm, Psalm 51, put to music. And there are a number of those, of course, in our hymnal, based on the psalms.

Colossians 3. This is the 18th Lord's Day that we're in this epistle. Last Lord's Day, we had entered the second half of Paul's epistle, you'll recall, which begins with Colossians 3, verse 5. Everything before and up to this verse was chiefly doctrinal in content.

There, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle, was instructing us what we're to believe about our God, and understand about our relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ. But beginning with Colossians 3, verse 5, the whole tenor of the epistle changes.

And so from here, verse 5, chapter 3, until the closing section of the epistle, which is a number of verses in chapter 4, in which there's a lot of personal information, and personal greetings, the Apostle Paul put forward.

But in this major section from verse 5 until the close of the epistle, God is instructing us how to live as Christians, as we are informed by what we have learned regarding Him. And so, as Paul's common way of writing, he set forth the doctrine, and then the practice that flows from that doctrine, and that's what we have here.

And so, this is very practical, straightforward, and very direct, as far as the instruction that we have for us. We propose an outline that will help us, as we look at the epistle. We considered this last week.

We have initial greetings, of course, salutation. And then the person and work of Jesus Christ is set forth. And then the Apostle dealt with false teaching and its antidote. And then again, we are in now section Roman numeral 4, the Christian life in Christ, where last week we considered the matter of putting off certain sins.

And this week, we want to consider what it is we are to put on as Christians. And it's the idea of putting on a garment like these qualities, these characteristics. And then, not next week, Easter Sunday, we'll probably deal with something, obviously, resurrection related.

But two weeks from today, we'll begin to deal with that passage, be subject, that is, if we get through today.

Probably won't.

And so, we'll be here a couple of weeks, perhaps. Because there's a number of commands that we have before us. And so again, last week we considered what it is we are to put off as Christians. Today, we'll cover what we are to put on as Christians, which is contained in Colossians 3, 12 through 17.

And let's read these verses. And this is, of course, the ESV, the English Standard Version that we've been using in this study. Put on, then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other.

As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which, indeed, you are called in one body.

And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you, richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Now, in this paragraph that we have, verses 12 through 17, there are a number of character traits that should be exemplified by us as Christians. There's a number of attitudes that should be manifest by us as Christians.

And there are a number of actions that are to be performed by us as Christians. And depending on how these many words and phrases are organized, we can say there are at least 11 directives or 11 commands for us in these 6 verses.

And I listed them according to my observation and assessment. And you have that list in your notes on the top of page 2. Put on there, 4 is God's chosen ones, holy and beloved. See, there's 3 descriptions of these Christians.

And then he begins to give the commands. 1, compassionate hearts. 2, kindness.

3, humility.

4, meekness. 5, patience. 6 is rather long, bearing with one another. And if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. That's one command.

And then 7, above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And I think that's as far as we're going to get, if we get that far. And so, let's first look at verse 12,.

Which reads,.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. And so, really there are 5 qualities that are mentioned in verse 12. Now, I take minor issue with the manner in which the translators of the ESV, the English Standard Version, have rendered the first few words.

Put on then. See that? Verse 5. And in my opinion, for what that's worth, they soften the connection with the verses here, verses 12 and following, with what went before by the word then. It does follow somewhat, then.

Put on then. But really, it should be seen, I think, there should be a greater degree of connection between what he says in verses 12 through 17 and with what he said before. Therefore, in the light of what we've taught you, do these things.

There's a strong cause and result here that should be reflected in this statement. And, in fact, you have in the ESV also, up in verse 5, the words, Put to death therefore. And this is really in parallel with it.

Put on therefore. And again, they translate it by the word then. But actually, it's the same Greek word. They translate it as therefore up in verse 5. They translate it as then in verse 12. And I don't think that was the best way to translate this Greek text.

It lessens, it seems to me, the connection. There's a vital connection. The reason we do the commands of verses 12 through 17 is because what God has done for us in our union with Jesus Christ. And if you lose that connection, you can very easily fall from grace into legalism.

And so, for context, we really ought to read verses 1 through 4 once again. If then you've been raised with Christ, and the implication is you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

In other words, he's enthroned. He's king. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

And then we can cut directly to verse 12. Therefore, put on these things. See, there's a vital connection between these two. And it's very easy to just fall into the thinking, you know, there's a bunch of commands here that I need to do.

But if you sever those from the reality of who we are in Christ, you immediately are going off in a wrong direction. And it's clear that Paul is asserting this connection. And so, let's not lose sight of it.

Now, in verse 12, Paul describes Christians with three very rich terms. First, God's chosen ones. Secondly, we are holy. And thirdly, we are beloved. And so, he's appealing to them and describing them for who they are as Christians.

First, we are God's chosen ones. The New King James Version renders it, we are the elect of God, as the elect of God. Same word, same idea of chosen. We'll be choosing a president, you know, in some months.

We'll be electing a president. It's the same idea. And God chooses people to be saved. He elects them to be saved. Election is a wonderful biblical word. It's found in many contexts. And here, Paul describes Christians as God's chosen ones.

They are the elect. Our election in Scripture, of course, speaks of God having chosen us in eternity past that we should be the recipients of the grace and salvation. In fact, all who are saved from sin throughout human history are saved because God had individually chose them in eternity that He would save them from their sin unto eternal life through His Son.

Everyone who is ever redeemed through Christ is redeemed because God had chosen him or her even before creation. God's election of us was not because He foresaw some good in us or that He knew beforehand of what our own free will would choose.

That we would choose Christ, therefore He chose us. No, election was before creation. And it's an act of God whereby He chooses the people out of fallen humanity to be the recipients of His saving grace.

Not because they're better than anybody else. It's not because of that in any way whatsoever. Simply God purposed to choose some because He set His love upon them. Which is a mystery. And it's a wonder.

He could have just as easily, probably easier, you know, left me in my sin to my just condemnation and you too. And we would have got what we deserved.

In God's judgment.

But He purposed, through the glory of His grace, He purposed to demonstrate who He is in His love and kindness and mercy and power and wisdom in saving your soul through Jesus Christ. That's a wonderful thing.

And the doctrine of election should bring a great deal of comfort to the people of God. It brings a lot of consternation to a lot of people. They want to deny it or explain it away. But you do and you're denying biblical truth.

And Paul wanted them to understand they were chosen ones. You are the object of God's election. God's choice from eternity. And the fact that you're a Christian demonstrates that. Proves that. You wouldn't be a Christian if it were not the case.

So here is the biblical doctrine of election stated. God has chosen certain persons from fallen humanity to be recipients of His salvation having chosen them before creation in Christ not based on any foreseen condition or response of them but solely to His own good pleasure according to the purpose of His will.

And people react to that and reject that doctrine. It's not after man. But it is a doctrine clearly taught in the scripture. Taught from God. Because what human being would ever devise that? It goes against our nature, doesn't it?

But this is how people are brought to salvation. God purposed that the whole human race would not perish. He purposed to save some through Jesus Christ. And so they are elect ones. For clarification, we might mention several points with respect to this doctrine.

First, election follows the understanding of man's total depravity or total inability to come to God. And so, left on his own, if God didn't intervene even after fallen man is instructed admonished, persuaded, and pleaded with man will still choose to reject God's rule over him.

For he is spiritually dead. Both incapable and unwilling to do the things God has commanded him. And therefore, man's salvation must originate outside of himself. It's not going to come forth from me in my heart or you or your heart.

It's got to originate from God himself. And so, divine election flows from.

Follows.

An understanding of sin. Second, there is no indication in the scriptures of a reason that God chose the ones he chose passing over others other than it was good in his sight and it was in accord with his purpose to glorify himself in his grace.

And so again, it's not because you and I are better than anybody. There's no way. In fact, the scripture says just the opposite. We're commonly the worst of the lot. Because God wants to glorify himself.

I've all.

In the past I've restored cars. And I use the illustration if I wanted to show forth my skill as a car restorer, I don't go out and find something with a few door dings, you know, the pristine interior and what not, low miles.

No, you go to the wrecking yard and find a rollover. And you put that back on the street and people look at it. Wow, this guy's got some skill or talent. Well, this is what the Lord does. That's a crass illustration.

But this is what the Lord does. Not many among you are wise. Not many are mighty. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world. And so we're most in that lot. And he did it so that no flesh may glory in his presence is what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1 and 1 Corinthians 2.

And so it's not based in any in any way of who we were, what we would become other than God chose us. He said, now there is someone I can glorify myself in by saving him from his sin. And that's a wonderful thing.

Scriptures teach, thirdly, that election is unto salvation. And certainly, although God's election of some means he's passing over others, hence the doctrine of reprobation, nevertheless, in Scripture, election is always presented positively unto salvation.

In other words, he chooses those he determines to save. He doesn't choose those he determines to damn. The Scriptures don't present it in that way. All are damned. The human race is lost, but he determined to save some.

The First Baptist Confession of 1646 states the matter well. We affirm that as Jesus Christ never intended to give remission of sins and eternal life unto any but his sheep and their references, so these sheep only have their sins washed away in the blood of Christ.

The vessels of wrath, as they are none of Christ's sheep, nor ever believe in him, so they have not the blood of Christ sprinkled upon them, neither are partakers of him, and therefore have all their sins remaining upon them and are not saved by Christ from any of them under any consideration whatsoever but must lie under the intolerable burden of them eternally.

And the truth of this appears unto us by the light of these Scriptures compared together and a number of them are granted or set before us. And so the Lord chooses his people to be saved and he leaves the rest to their just condemnation and they don't want it any different.

They don't want to have this God rule over them. If Jesus Christ came into the world today, they would crucify him all over again. We do not want this man to rule over us. We want to be our own Lord. And then fourth, to be precise in our speaking of these matters, we should distinguish between the doctrines of election and predestination.

And although commonly they are interchangeable in people's speech and what not, really predestination speaks of God's design for the ones he elected. He shows certain ones and he had a purpose for them.

He predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son, to become adopted sons of God, all to the praise of his glory. And so predestination is what God destined us ahead of time that we would be and become.

But he chose us. It speaks of his choice,.

His election. Now.

The Apostle Paul was declaring therefore in Colossians 3 .12 that this great privilege and blessing of being numbered among the elect brings responsibility to us. Put on, or rather we said, put on therefore as God's chosen ones.

See, he's laying a case. This is why you should keep these commands. You have a high calling, a high privilege. This brings you responsibility. And so you need to order your life in this manner. Well secondly, he addresses him not only as the elect of God, but they're described as holy.

Put on then as God's elect or chosen ones, holy. And he's describing the people he's addressing. Most of the time when we speak of being holy we're speaking about being morally pure and living righteously.

But the word actually conveys the idea of being separated from or set apart. And so we're to be separated from the fallen world and our attitudes and actions. We're to be holy. And that is practical holiness.

And that's commonly how we think of it. But the scriptures also speak of believers being positionally holy before God. That is set apart. Now every one of us vary in different degrees in our practical holiness.

Some of you are more holy than.

Others.

Some of you are younger in the Lord. It wouldn't be, you know, reasonable to think that you'd be as holy as someone who's been in the Lord twenty, thirty years. However, there might be somebody here in the Lord five or six years that's more holy than somebody who's been in the Lord twenty or thirty years.

And that shouldn't be the case. You know, that practical holiness varies between individuals. No two of us are identical. But this positional holiness is the same for each and every one of us. When we were saved, we were set apart.

By God.

Positionally.

We read.

In the Old Testament that everything that was dedicated to God was set apart. Whether it be the tabernacle, the articles of furniture in the tabernacle, the utensils, the priests themselves, they were all sanctified or set apart for this purpose.

They were set apart for God and His worship. And in the same way, God sanctifies every Christian. In fact, all Christians. Each and every believer is one who's been singled out by God from the human race.

All who belong to Jesus Christ have been sanctified. And if you're a Christian, you're sanctified. You're a holy one.

Another word.

For a holy one is saint. I know Rome declares certain ones who have achieved a high degree of what they regard as holiness in this life as being saints. But the scriptures say, if you're a Christian, you're a saint.

You're a holy one positionally because of who you are in Christ. We who are in Christ stand in a covenant relationship with God, having been chosen and set apart from the world as a unique people. And so in the mind and purpose of God, we are separate or sanctified from the fallen world.

And God has gloriously vastly different designs between the world and us. Between we who are sanctified and those who are not. We might describe this as positional sanctification rather than practical sanctification.

We're sanctified in the sense that we've been singled out, set apart because God has designs for us that are different from all others. You're holy. Again, positional sanctification was a work of grace on our behalf and it occurred once for all time when you were converted.

You were set apart and you became a holy one. Actually, this was secured when Christ died upon the cross. We were purchased by the blood of Jesus and set apart as a unique people of God. Hebrews 10 .14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are.

Sanctified. This work.

Of grace that was accomplished on our behalf apart from us was apart from our work or effort. It was a work of God's grace on our behalf. And so God regards us as holy. Whether or not you're practically holy, if you're a Christian you are a holy person and therefore you ought to obey these commands because of the privilege and person that God has set you apart to be is how he's reasoning.

And so again, put on therefore as elect of God and as God's holy ones you need to do these things is what Paul is saying. But then thirdly, Paul describes true believers as beloved.

Of God.

You're elect of God, you're holy and you're beloved of God. We are beloved of God.

I know I always quote.

My old friend Doug Moore who's with the Lord now. But he had a way of saying things because he just got to the point. Arkansas simple fellow, knew the scriptures though. And in Sunday school he was explaining.

One day somebody asked him, what does beloved mean? And he said very simply, it means you beloved of God.

Well that makes sense.

You beloved of God. That's what it means to be beloved. And Christians are beloved of God. Non-Christians are not beloved of God in the same way. And it's very important because in evangelical world everybody is presented as the objects of God's fuzzy teddy bear love he just wants to cuddle you close to him.

But there's a vast difference between the one who is in Christ and the one who is outside of Christ. And the one who is in Christ is beloved of God. In fact the scripture says that God loves the Christian with the same love that he loves his son.

Which is.

One of the most profound truths I think in scripture. God loves you as a Christian as much as he loves Jesus Christ. Because you're in union with Jesus Christ. Not because you're as lovely as he is because he sees you in union with Christ and he loves him.

He loves you therefore with the same love. And that's why Paul says we're accepted in the beloved one Jesus Christ. He is beloved of the Father and we are too. And so not all people are beloved of God.

Oh yes God is loving to all people but you must see the.

Distinction. God is.

Loving to all people in that he does loving things for them and to them because God is love. That's his nature. But it's not because he loves them as his own. However there's a distinction again between his people and all others.

He loves his own with an everlasting love they are his beloved. God loves his people who are in Jesus Christ with an everlasting covenant love. Even again the same love that God the Father has for his son according to John 17 26.

And Jesus was praying to the Father Father I want you to reveal to them that you have loved them with the same love that you've loved me from eternity. That itself ought to be a life changing truth right?

Doctrine that has implications for us. We might look at Romans 9 in which we read of God's covenantal love for his people. Paul reasoned there. What if God wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.

But if God wants to do that they deserve destruction and what if God puts up with them for a while for a long while to show his patience and his mercy and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had prepared beforehand for glory.

They prepared beforehand that would be election predestination together wouldn't it? He prepared them beforehand for glory. Even us whom he called not of the Jews only but also the Gentiles and then Paul quotes Hosea to prove his point as he also says in Hosea I will call them my people who were not my people and her beloved now notice and her beloved who was not beloved there you can clearly see there are some that are loved, beloved of God and there are some who are not beloved of God.

God doesn't love everybody the same he loves his people that are in Christ with an everlasting love.

A covenant love and so in verses.

23 and 24 of Romans 9 the apostle wrote of God's elect as vessels of mercy prepared before him for glory again not only from Jews but Gentiles as well. And then he describes the Gentiles who believe on Christ as there was a time when those Gentiles outside of Christ were not beloved but now that they're in Christ they're beloved.

They came into a position of being beloved of God through Christ. And so again when Paul describes these Colossian Christians you're God's chosen ones you're the elect, you're holy ones. God sets you apart and you're God's beloved ones.

He wasn't talking about everybody indiscriminately in the world he was talking about those in Christ. And again he's laying the foundation in the light of who you are in Christ therefore do this. And then he begins to issue the commands.

First.

Put on compassionate hearts. We're at the top page 5 now if you're following your notes again. Paul gives the command put on interestingly and I assumed that this would be in the present tense in the Greek but it wasn't because I was assuming that he was probably saying be continually putting on compassionate hearts but that's not what he was saying you know just like you put on clothing every morning so you put on compassionate hearts repeatedly but rather he's saying that we should put these graces on and we should wear them continually we never take them off.

We should dress ourselves with these qualities as we live in the world in which our Lord has placed us. We should always be characterized by these.

Traits.

Compassionate hearts. Put on compassionate hearts now in verse 8 Paul had written. But now you yourself put off all these anger, wrath, and malice. And now he's saying that you need to put on the opposite compassionate hearts.

We're not only to put off that which is wrong or negative but in our sanctification we're to put in its place that which is right and positive. That's important. A lot of Christians think hey I'm pretty holy because I don't do those things.

Well that's only half the equation. What are you doing? Matthew Henry wrote it. We must not only put off anger and wrath as in verse 8 but we must put on compassion and kindness. Not only cease to do evil but learn to do well.

And not only do not hurt to any but to do what good we can to all. I think that's a very important point isn't it? And so the Lord tells us through the hand of Paul that we Christians should be clothed as characterized by or with compassionate.

Hearts.

And this speaks of the deep feeling or concern that we should have for others. God has a general benevolence towards humanity. He doesn't delight in the overthrow of the wicked, he doesn't apologize for it but it doesn't delight him but rather he desires people's well being.

He has a benevolence toward people in general. And you and I as Christians ought to have a general benevolence for everyone. We should desire people's well being not only to those who have you know the same regard for us or kind regard for us but this should be our general regard for all people everywhere.

Regardless of how they regard us or regardless of how they treat us we're to have a general benevolence for all people everywhere desiring their well being before God. I want radical Islamists to be converted to Christ when I'm thinking rightly.

Don't you?

I know we commonly think let's just nuke them all but you know if we truly have compassionate hearts we should be concerned about their crass ignorance. And you know the wrath of God that's upon them that awaits them on the day of judgment and that we can see Christ glorified in converting them.

And that's happening by the way all over the world in the far near east. What have you. There's great numbers of Islamic people being converted to Christ. We should desire the well being of people if we're thinking rightly.

Did not our Lord teach us very thing. In his parable of the good Samaritan he told of the Samaritan who was despised of the Jews nevertheless when he saw the man who had fell among thieves who had stripped him of his clothing wounded him and had departed.

Leaving him half dead.

The Lord said the Samaritan had compassion when he saw him and this word compassion is the same word we have here in Colossians 3 .12. We are to put on that is we are to be characterized as having hearts of compassion for others.

It's very easy however to become very hardened toward others and tender toward those who think like us and believe like us and walk like us.

But that should not.

Be the way we are put on compassionate hearts.

And then.

Secondly put on kindness. And these are not independent from one another. They really flow from one another. They're interrelated. One could say this second quality flows from the first. We should not only have compassionate hearts toward people but it ought to move us to show kindness to them.

And this too characterized a good Samaritan. Our Lord said of him this battered guy on his own animal brought him to an inn took care of him. On the next day when he departed he took out two denarii that was a couple hundred bucks and by today's standard gave them to the innkeeper and said to him take care of him.

Whatever more you spend when I come again I will repay you. This is a Samaritan you know taking care of a Jew. And this was a strange thing John wrote. Whoever has his world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him.

My little children let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth. Let's not just claim we have compassionate hearts but let's demonstrate it in kindness acts.

Of kindness and so a man.

Who says he has put on a compassionate heart but is devoid of kindness his claim is a sham.

Isn't it. And then thirdly.

Put on humility and one might say that this quality is joined with the two that preceded it to condescend to one in need commonly requires an act of humility or humbling oneself in order to help.

Another again as.

Matthew Henry I think wrote humbleness of mind in submission to those above us. Condescension to those below us. There must not only be a humbleness of demeanor but of a mind. The Lord Jesus taught us learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and he was so.

And should we not also have this quality of humility. And then fourthly put on meekness. Meekness is when a person denies himself of what he perceives to be his right his right to expect or demand from another or others.

I got a certain right to be treated. Can you imagine what trouble we would have in this church. I'm the pastor here and you ought to be showing me some respect and dignity. Suppose I walked around with that kind of attitude.

Where would we be. Somebody told me about a church in New Hampshire last week. The pastor's that way and he wonders why he's had trouble for years.

And years.

That's a sad thing.

Meekness.

Now meekness is someone who denies his rights. He's content or resolved to be content with what the Lord has given him or not given him. Now I would argue actually as fallen creatures made in the image of God we do not possess rights.

I know we talk about certain inalienable rights in our Declaration of Independence. But biblically that is really not the fact. Liberty is a grace that God gives a people who use responsibility. He takes away that liberty and freedom and brings them into bondage when they abuse that liberty.

And that's what's happening in our world today. And yes we should desire freedom and liberty in order to live rightly and free in our world. But to claim that you have certain rights is really to set yourself in the place of the throne of God.

I deserve to be served. That's who I am. I've got certain rights and privileges and you're not meeting them. And that's how the world thinks. But that's not how the Christian is to think. The Christian is to be meek.

The Lord Jesus was meek. Moses was described as the meekest man in all the world. Of course until the Lord Jesus was born. Why? Well he had the riches of Egypt, he had the power of the throne of Egypt at his disposal.

But he denied himself of those in order to suffer the affliction with the people of God. Suffer for Christ as Hebrews puts it forth. He denied himself of certain privileges and rights in being willing to serve.

That's how our Lord Jesus is set forth.

In Philippians 2.

Who did not see equality with God something to be grasped but he took himself, he took the form of a servant he became a man took upon himself human nature and then a free man. Not a free man but a servant and not a servant who demanded his right to life but he died and he didn't demand his right to life he had to die with dignity even he suffered the death of the cross.

Jesus denied every right and he had right to everything and he denied them all, we don't have right to anything but we claim them all don't we. And if you think that you don't the real indicator of a person who thinks that he has rights it will be manifest.