FBC Adult Bible Study

Alright last Sunday, we talked about the Paradox of the believer being both dead and alive from Colossians chapter 3

I want to go back to that because we only got it really about halfway through that Talking about the the principle of being dead and alive and the first few verses of Colossians 3 verses 1 through 4 where the first verse begins with the

Fact stating the fact of the believer being alive He says if then you were raised with Christ, so there's resurrection from the dead

But then in verse 3 he says for you died For you died. So you've got both of these realities.

You've got the reality of Having died and the reality of being alive

You died with Christ as Paul says in Galatians 2 I am crucified with Christ but you are alive in Christ nevertheless,

I live Paul said and Yet not I but Christ lives in me. So you've got this fact of our

Hidden life where we have died Have been raised and our life is hidden with Christ and God and and all of this is a way of describing

Our union with Christ the believers union with Christ So we are

Mysteriously it to us and in a mystic or spiritual way The believer when

Christ died died with him when Christ arose the believer Arose with him.

All right Those are the what we call the indicatives the the facts of the matter you died you are alive in Christ and those indicatives come bring with it a couple of imperatives in verses 1 through 1 and 2 and the first imperative is to be seeking the things above the second imperative is to concentrate on those things above and You know, we talked about what those things are and I suggested that the things above is really a way of talking about the the objective of holiness the cultivation of holiness and and remember a few weeks ago we

We described what we're after when we're cultivating holiness. We're after the imitation of the character of God Conformity to the image of Christ and submitting to the mind of the spirit

So, I mean if we could do those things perfectly we would be we would be totally sanctified right if we were completely consistently

Always imitating the character of God if we were consistently faithfully Displaying the image of conforming corn corn conform to the image of Christ if we were always

Submitted to the mind of the spirit we'd be sanctified completely and holy and But those are the things that we set our mind on or that we that we seek

We're seeking those things that are above and then in verse 2

He says set your mind on things above not on things of the earth concentrate on these things would be another way of Translating that and I as I pondered that Just this these two imperatives to be seeking the things above and concentrate on the things above I Asked myself the question.

All right. What what is the difference between those two ideas seeking the things and concentrating on and How how can how can we think about this in a way that would be very helpful on a practical level and What what came to mind are a couple of different images or a couple of different metaphors think for example of Of a runner in a in a race like a mile race

He's out on the track. He's you know, he's there with other runners and so forth All right. What is he?

What is he setting his mind on? What is he seeking? Let me put it that way

What is he seeking? What he's seeking is Victory, he's seeking to be the first one across the the finish line.

He's seeking to be a Successful champion runner, that's what he's seeking but in order to Accomplish what he's seeking.

He's got to concentrate on something and of course in this metaphor There are a lot of things that he can he needs to be concentrating on but first and foremost

He while he's in that race. He's Concentrating on what the runners around him

What happens to a runner in a race if he constantly looking around at the runners looking to see who's behind him and how close

They are what happens? He loses he falls behind Inevitably.

No, what does he got to be concentrate? He's concentrating on that on that finish line That's what he's concentrating on and and he may also be concentrating on on some

Strategy that that he knows will help him to accomplish that, you know, and I guess

I'm not a runner So I'm not that well versed in this stuff But I do know that runners don't start off in a sprint, you know long -distance runners don't start off in a sprint

They they have a pace and then in the last Quarter mile or something. They pick up the pace.

I mean, they're they've got their strategy But but that's one analogy. Another I thought of is is really

Also like a basketball player a Basketball player he gets the ball.

What's he concentrating on? Well, you say concentrating on winning the game, but in the short term, what's he concentrating on getting the ball through the hoop?

Getting the ball through the hoop. He's seeking to score points. He's seeking to win the game, but he's got to concentrate on Ultimately getting the ball through the hoop and again, there are other there are other lesser things that he would be concentrating on in the course of That that objective of getting and and you could you could think of this in terms of any worthwhile goal

That you might have in life All right. Let's say for example just to be very practical.

Let's say you have a goal of losing 10 pounds You want to lose 10 pounds by Christmas so that you can gain it back, right?

Okay, so that's your goal. That's what you're Concentrating on I'm concentrating on losing and then you're seeking these you're seeking this and And this is the goal that you're seeking you're concentrating on this and you're going to be

You're going to be doing things along the way To help you reach that goal okay, so Maybe that's helpful.

Maybe it isn't Concentrate on things above now verse 4 shows us the prospect of the hidden life and that is that it won't be hidden forever

Because Christ who is our life appears we will appear with him in glory

So when Christ appears we will see him and we will be like him for we will see him as he is

All right, and then verses 5 through 17 Goes from the principle to the practice the principle of being dead and alive and then now the practice of both of both killing and animating there are things we have to kill there are things we have to animate and verses 5 through 11

Exhort us to kill the old man So he says therefore put to death

Your members which are on the earth This is our duty

This is our duty We are not to be passive about this. We're not to assume that I don't have to do anything and you know

God's just going to do the killing No, we are told to actively put to death these things and a couple in verses 5 and then an 8 and 9

Paul gives us some a Couple of what we call vice lists or sin lists

I Mentioned last week and perhaps you remember this that whenever you see these sin lists in in the

New Testament None of them is exhaustive You know, I mean, it's not a list that has all the possible sins that you might commit.

They are instead representative so in verse 5

I Suggested these sins listed here represent self -centered indulgence self -centered indulgence

Put to death these things fornication uncleanness passion evil desire and covetousness and again note how

The list moves from the outward behaviors to the inward

Motivation or stimulation for those behaviors fornication and uncleanness would be the outward expressions of that self -centered indulgence the passion within Can also display itself outward leave the passion in and of itself can be both inward and outward the evil desires what's going on inside of you as is the covetousness and and and these may be things that the evil desire to covetousness may be some stuff that Nobody knows is going on inside of you for now

But it can it'll eventually come out. And so Paul says we got to put these things to death the self -centered indulgence and then in verses 8 and 9

We need to kill relationship destroying Expressions and here

Paul moves from the inward to the outward What kind of things? anger wrath malice

Blasphemy, which is just a form of a slander blasphemy is not

Limited to speaking against God when I speak evil against somebody else.

I'm Blaspheming them. I'm slandering them, but it put away Filthy language out of your mouth and do not lie to one another

So these are these are sins that have the effect of killing relationships destroying relationships and before we destroy our relationships with these

Sins that begin with anger and wrath and so forth and then eventually show themselves Outwardly, we need to kill these things.

Alright, so remember this is a Representative list it's not Exhaustive so killing is our duty.

Now what verse 7 indicates is that that killing is possible

It's possible Because he says you yourselves once walked in these things when you lived in them

So Paul is writing to Christians. It's like he's writing to you and to me and he says before you came to faith in Christ This this was your way of life

These things would come up the the things of verse 5 the the

Covetousness the evil desire the passion it would show itself in uncleanness or whatever and and verses 8 and 9

I mean you you lived in these things They were just part of your life and you didn't think anything of them as being particularly wrong or sinful

You might have lamented some of the consequences of those things When it caused you some pain but you didn't think of them in and of themselves as being

Sinful or causing you to go to hell but then you came to faith in Christ and God Worked in your life and showed you these things are sin and he did many of these things very quickly

You realized this is wrong. This is sin. I can't live like this anymore and You you turn from these things

Obviously not perfectly, right? Why how do you know it's not been perfectly accomplished because he goes back to say in verse 8

You need to put these things to death So while he tells us this he exhorts us to put these things to death

He encourages us with the reality that that killing is possible. It's possible and then

We finish this section Talking about the fact that this killing is necessary.

It's needful. Why is it needful? in verse 6 because this sin that is so Um So characteristic of the old man

Is uh is is something that angers god he says because Of these things the wrath of because of these things the wrath of god is coming upon the sons of disobedience and the the logic here is

If I am no longer under god's wrath and i'm not There is no condemnation to those who are in christ.

Jesus If i'm no longer under god's wrath Then why would I? Why would

I willingly? um without any sense of uh without any sense of uh grief or sorrow over it

Engage in these things that I know Incite god's wrath I should not do so and then um

Verses 9 through 11. The second reason the killing is necessary is because we've been restored to the image of christ

Look at verses 9 11 9 through 11 again Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man

Which is being renewed in knowledge According to the image of him who created him

Where there is neither greek nor jew circumcised or uncircumcised barbarian scythian slave nor free

But christ is all and in all So by god's grace when he saved you he he

He's recreated you Into the image of god restoring you to the image of god

Since we've been restored to the image of god Then should we not wear the clothing that goes along with that with that recreation

That's the idea put on the new man put on the new clothes that Goes along with who you are

Again, uh this point barrett um and and beaky made This comment they said dress dress according to what you are

To be hidden in union with christ demands death to sin because we have put off the old man and put on the new

Those who have trusted christ have changed clothes We've changed clothes.

Now, by the way, look at verse 11 again, and I just want to mention this in passing Verse 11 says in in in christ who is all in and all there is neither greek nor jew

Circumcised or uncircumcised barbarian scythian slave nor free This verse is a good verse to serve as a basis for rejecting any form of a racial or ethnic

Discrimination within the church It is it is It is not biblical it is not new testament christianity to say that well because you're not like me

Um, you you don't have my ethnic background. You don't have my skin color. You don't have whatever

That therefore you're not welcome here You're not in the same Socioeconomic strata as strata as I am in or we are in therefore.

You're not welcome here Uh that that is an unbiblical attitude I guess in the 2021 you could add a couple more categories like Vaccinated or unvaccinated or any other way that the that the

That the culture is trying to divide us as a people today And I think it's um,

I think it's pretty It's very sad very tragic what's happening in a lot of churches right now

In our current culture There's all all kinds of division going on over things that have nothing to do with Doctrine nothing to do with the christian faith

There are these some of these sub cult sub categories That are created by the culture and that that should not happen within the church

All right. I just want to mention that in passing All right. So in verses 12 to 17 verses 12 to 17 we're in verses, uh, the

The first uh 5 through 11 we're talking about killing the old man in verses 12 to 17

We're talking about animating or making alive The new man and of course the new man we're talking about is that and here's a quote.

Here's a quotation that regenerated nature In which the holy spirit has implanted the principle of spiritual life

This is the new man The regenerated nature in which the holy spirit has implanted the principle of spiritual life to where Barrett helps us out here

To where the new man Is to be adorned with christ who is all in all he is our uniform as we just said

All right So what are the marks? Of living spiritually what is involved in living spiritually?

What's involved in living spiritually? first of all Developing the marks of spiritual life

What are the marks of spiritual life verse 12 He says therefore as the elect of god holy and beloved put on these things let me point out that the

Developing the marks of spiritual life is really to fulfill the goal of election

You see this here, right? He says therefore as the elect of god

Do this As the elect of god and this corresponds very well with um romans 8 29 where paul says uh speaking of the

Speaking of those whom whom god has chosen. He says for whom he did for know

He predestined to be conformed to the image of christ So romans 8 28 and 29 tell us that the goal of election is to be conformed to the image of his son

And paul is essentially saying the same thing here That the goal of election is to develop these marks of the spiritual life

And the way he puts it here in verse 12 is that We develop the heart of christ

We develop the heart of christ Which is what? Putting on tender mercies kindness humility meekness long suffering forbearance forgiveness here in verses 12 and 13 the heart of christ is a heart of tender mercy kindness humility meekness long suffering

That's the heart. That's what's in his heart um by the way, one of the uh

One of the books on the bookshelf bookshelf back in the hallway there This is one recently written by dane ortlund

I think at the end of last year entitled gentle and lowly Which really

I mean he really opens up an understanding of this heart of christ when jesus says

I am meek or gentle and lowly And paul is really just kind of expanding on that here at the end of verse 12 tender mercies kindness humility meekness long suffering

Developing those developing the heart of christ will manifest itself in the implications of that heart

And the implications of that heart come out in verses 13 through 13 and 14

Look at what he says um a heart of tender mercy kindness humility meekness and long suffering will result in bearing with one another forgiving one another and In verse 14 love loving one another

Because this is the way christ Demonstrated demonstrates his heart for his people right forgiveness forbearance and love

So the mark of the spiritual life is to have the heart of christ which then

Demonstrates itself in practice with one another with our with our brethren and brothers and sisters in christ

How do we do that? How do we do that verses 15 and 16? What is the method of spiritual life?

What's the method of that spiritual life? And again paul suggests three things Number one

Let the peace of god rule in your hearts Let god's peace rule in your heart we read earlier this

Report of what's what our brothers and sisters in christ are enduring in afghanistan

And you remember that the comment near the end of that article from one of the afghan believers they acknowledged the challenge that many of them have in Maintaining their faith in god in this time

I I wonder I wonder how we would deal with that I wonder how american the average american christian would handle that kind of Threat my guess is we wouldn't do very well.

I don't think we'd do very well We we've just we've just enjoyed way too much freedom and comfort and ease

I I don't know how we'd handle that But the thing that I wanted to emphasize is what that one guy said he said

We know That god is sovereign We know that god is sovereign

And that he has his plan. I'm paraphrasing. He has his plans for afghanistan now

That's the kind of that's the kind of thinking That lets the peace of god rule in your heart because here you are in in the throes of a chaotic Panic Anxious ridden set of circumstances

Where if you did not have that perspective if you if you did not have that mind whatsoever you

You would do any number of things right? I mean you might you might just kill yourself

Or you might totally abandon the faith and say you know what I renounce this whole christianity thing

I'm going back to islam. You might do any number of things if you did not have the truth that god has revealed to bring peace to your otherwise

Troubled anxious spirit. That's what this guy was doing He was letting the peace of god rule his heart

Second thing paul says not only let the peace of god rule your heart but let god's work

Fill your heart I I see this in just the simple Exhortation at the end of verse 15 where he says be thankful Be thankful What does it take to be thankful?

You have to you have to have your eyes open, right? You have to have your ears open.

You have to have your heart open. You have to be aware of and be be

Uh deliberately thoughtful about What is god doing?

What has god done? What is god like and and when you're

When your eyes are open to that when your ears are listening for that You can recognize the character of god

And recognize the work of god as it's being played out around you

In your heart in your life in your family in your community in your job in your nation in your world

So even though there can be all kinds of things that are terribly chaotic and and harmful and destructive and all the rest of that kind of stuff

Nevertheless be thankful So paul in the first part of verse 15, he's acknowledging the reality of life where There's the potential for unrest

Where there is no peace where your heart is not at peace He says don't let those things rob you of your peace.

Let the peace of of god rule in your hearts You've been called to this

And then he says be thankful So this is this is taking it all a step further

Okay, what what has god done? What has he done in my life in the last 24 hours?

What's he done in our family in the last 24 hours, what's he what prayer has been answered in the last 24 hours

What's what's going on? What is god doing? That I can be thankful for This is what he's talking about be thankful the the method for developing the heart of christ

And living out the light of the heart of christ is to let god's peace rule in your heart

Let god's work fill your heart and then in verse 16 Let god's word guide your heart

So notice what he says Let the word of christ listen literally here. Let the word about christ

Let the word about christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom

Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs Singing with grace in your hearts to the lord

Let god's word guide your heart in your conversation Right teaching and admonishing one another

Communicating with one another Let god's word guide your heart and then in our worship

Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your heart to the lord

There's so much more that could be said about that and elaborated upon but but I think in the the bottom line here is

That when god's word guides the heart that that word filled heart affects

Our lips our tongue what we say it affects our worship what we do how we worship and and And our engagement in that worship, you know it's like one of the um

Here's here's why I wonder how how well we as American average american christians would handle the adversity of like in afghanistan

A lot of a lot of uh professing christians They figure that worship

A worship service has failed miserably if the song that we sing don't

Don't make me my feet tap and um They don't make me feel good and Uh, I don't

I don't particularly like the tune or something like that. You know, it's in other words. It's all about It's all about the singing and it's all got to be what

I like and so forth rather than Rather than letting the word of god Letting god's word guide the heart

You know like if we're singing theologically rich hymns of of of praise and worship and even testimony of our god

Then you know, I may not like the tune You know the poetry may not may not necessarily uh, you know

Go go real well with my inclinations and all that But if this is right if this is good if this is wholesome then

I should find delight in this I should find joy in my worshiping of of my god why because god's word is

Guiding my heart It's therefore informing my worship

Just as an example of one way of applying that and then this passage closes in verse 17

Challenging us as we animate the new man to act on the motive

For spiritual life the motive for spiritual life. What is that? Whatever you do in word or deed

Do all in the name of the lord jesus giving thanks to god the father through him

The motive for our spiritual life is that the lord jesus christ in all things that we say and do the lord jesus christ

His name would be exalted that he would be glorified in Commenting on this barrett and beegee wrote this

Who christ is and he's giving us a little bullet point list here so catch this Who christ is?

His authority over us our identification with him our knowledge of his will

And our thankfulness to god for him all of these things Who christ is his authority over us our identification with him our knowledge of his will our thankfulness to god for him

All of these things factor into every sphere of life To speak and act consciously and intentionally in the name of jesus

Will unquestionably affect what we say and do? Here's the concluding principle

That we've heard multiple times in this study right thinking produces right behavior

We cannot get away from this axiom Right thinking produces right behavior

So in conclusion living out our faith Living out our faith simply means living in the reality of the religion that we profess

Living in the reality of the religion that we profess And that affects our whole being

In the mind, we must know the truth in the desire We must love and believe the truth and in the will

With our hands we must implement And evidence the truth. So let's cultivate holiness.

Let's pray So our father in our god, we have to confess with one of the puritans and writers of old

That there is much unconquered territory in our nature We pray that by your grace

As your spirit works in us and through us As you work in us so that we both will and do your good pleasure

That you would scourge out the buyers and the sellers of our soul's temple

And you would give us in return pure desires and longings after perfect holiness