Clothed In Christ
When I was a kid I loved to roll around in the dirt and play outside. I would frequently tear through my shoes and jeans from playing so rough. It would come to a point where my mom would patch my jeans but that wouldn’t last and eventually I’d need new jeans and new shoes because I had worn them out. Once I got the new clothes it didn’t make much sense for me to put the only ratty ones back on because they were useless (I had essentially destroyed them)
We are walking through Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse called Colossians. In this letter he is dealing with a church who accepted Jesus, but is still trying to practice their old ways along with the newness found in Christ. They are trying to take the old ratty jeans and wear them along with the brand new shoes rather than putting on only the new nice clothes found in Jesus. We can’t have both. Either we walk in the flesh (old) or in Christ (new). If you’re a skeptic this morning I want to encourage you to see that putting on Jesus is for you too
Title of today's message: Clothed in Christ
Big Idea: We are made new in Christ therefore continually put away the old and walk in newness of life.
My hope is that this passage convicts you as it does me to put away the old things we still have hanging around. Let’s clothe ourselves fully in Christ
V. 2:17-23
V. 17-19
“These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his unspiritual mind. He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.”
As we open this section of Paul’s letter we see him battling false theology infecting these new believers in Colosse. There are a couple of things we see him specifically call out
Ascetic practices; These were traditions or religious disciplines that were being touted as ways to gain God’s favor or gain salvation. We refer to this more commonly as legalism. If I do these things, then God will love me enough to let me into heaven. If I can tip the morality scale more in my favor by practicing these things, then I’ll be saved
Angel worship context; Some believed that they weren’t worthy to worship God so they defaulted to angel worship instead (a being they felt good enough to worship). But in Jesus they had been made worthy to go before God because He washed them of their sin (same for you today!)
They had incorporated these into their faith but in doing so they had stopped clinging to the Head (Jesus) and had fallen back into worldly religious patterns. Even today we see this difference between other world religions and Christianity. All other religions are in some form practicing “if I do this, then I’ll get salvation, heaven, paradise, etc.” What God lays out is radically different in that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.Moreover we (according to God’s Law) don’t deserve saving because we have chosen sin over perfect unity with God. Once we understand our standing before God, it becomes humbling fast and we then realize our need for a savior (Jesus). Once we have that understanding, it’s not just that we are out of luck with nowhere to turn.We have Jesus who is standing there with His arms stretched wide ready to welcome you into His saving grace. He did what no human could ever do…save us from our sin. Unfortunately, it is so easy for believers (both in Colosse and today) to fall into a legalistic type of Christianity. It’s human fleshly nature to want to possess control and be able to affect the outcome of our own lives. We must break away from the flesh and legalism and cling to the Head (Jesus). Remember our legalism and tradition only leaves us lost. Jesus is where salvation is
V. 20
“If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations:” Go ahead and do me a favor and highlight, underline, star, whatever you need to do to make verse 20 stick out in your Bible. Paul is asking the most obvious and reasonable question to the Colossians that had incorporated Jesus+something into their faith. The question is one we need to ask ourselves too! If you died with Christ and have fullness and newness in Him, why would you want to go back to the old smelly fleshly way of life apart from Christ? It’s like being chained in a dark medieval dungeon that smells musty and has rats everywhere. Then one day your chains are broken and the door is unlocked. You step out to smell the fresh air and freedom, but then are like “Nah, I’ll take the dungeon over freedom and fresh air.” In Christ our chains are broken and we are set free from sin and worldly oppression. Why would we want to go back to being chained by the world? We now, in Jesus know, truth and freedom. Satan wants us to be locked up in legalism and worldly tradition because he knows if we are in that then we aren’t finding our identity in Christ.
V. 21-23
““Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” In v. 23 Paul calls out these hollow religious practices as seeming to have wisdom and depth but in reality they are nothing and don’t help you battle against the Enemy or draw you near to God. These things are a mirage but lack substance and authenticity
Christ Alone is the Substance
I’m not sure where you might be searching for substance or meaning in life but the answer is Jesus. I come from a church culture in Tennessee where cultural Christianity is rampant. Everyone believes they are “Christian” because it’s just what you are and what you do but it lacks the substance and depth of real relationship with Christ. Here in Florida I see a lot of complacency and laid back living in our faith. Guess what guys, we are at war and the enemy is at the gates! We gotta wake up and stop looking for the substance in tradition or what makes me feel like I’m in control and solely find our substance in Christ. We gotta have a mindset change and that is you don’t go to church…you are the Church, the body of Christ. Let Christ be the substance, the everything in your life. PRAISE GOD!
V. 3:1-4
“So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Paul makes the parallel to the Christian’s life with the life that Jesus lived here on this earth. Highlight this too “If you have been raised…” That phrase is the qualifier for all that comes after for us in life after we come into a relationship with Jesus. Jesus was raised back from the tomb and conquered sin and death. I’m here to tell you church that after He was raised, He ain’t going back in the tomb!!
The tomb is empty and that’s final. So if Jesus isn’t going back into the tomb and we have been raised to life in Him…Why should we go back to living like we were in death?? Because of His sacrifice, we no longer have to live as if Jesus HASN’T been raised but we live KNOWING that He HAS been raised. It’s truth: Jesus has been raised and the tomb is empty. This is Paul’s point to the Colossians here. Once you have been set free in Jesus, don’t ever return to the tomb that Satan once had you in. Instead walk in things that are above. Walk in what God has for you.
Set Our Minds on Christ
How can we set our minds on Christ? Prayer is central and critical. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray constantly” or pray without ceasing. We at CA believer that prayer is our first response and our continual response. So how can we set our minds on Christ…constant never ending prayerful pursuit of the Father. ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanks, Supplication. If, as the body of Christ, set out to make our lives revolve around the following: Constant adoration of our Father and Creator. Constant confession of our sin to Him to not allow sin the grow calloused and deep rooted within us. Constant humble thankfulness to Him and His very goodness. And constantly asking and bringing all things we are dealing with and all our needs before Him…Then our minds with become set on Christ because our very fiber will be centralized around Him. Then further in that we continually pursue Him through His Word that He’s given. And we edify each other as brothers and sisters in Christ as the Church. We do these things and live in this way that is counter cultural, counter worldly, and counter to the flesh. We then are setting our minds on Christ. We then are pursuing the fullness found in Him
V. 3:5-11
V. 5-7
“Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.” Verse 5 starts with “Therefore” (highlight it) so everything that comes after that word is in response to what came before. How do we seek what is of Christ? Find out further in these verses. Context of some of these Roman religious practices. These temples were filled with prostitutes and sexual immorality because these people believed the gods would only act when they were pleased sexually and to get the gods to act, they had to have sex. Thus these pagan temples were essentially a brothel full of evil practices. Paul is combatting these things (and more) in this letter to the church. The Colossians were newer believers who were still living in these cities that were full of these horrible pagan practices. It was easy for immoral and wrong things to creep back into their lives and to want to put back on those old clothes from the flesh rather than walk in the Spirit. Sexual immorality, lust, evil desire, and greed are rampant around us church. Look around at this world. Satan’s hooks are sunk in. We may think we’ve advanced as a society from some of these ancient practices but we haven’t and it’s time for us as the body of Christ to act like it!! We see evil things around us everyday and just become complacent about it. Complacency is a friend of the Enemy. Paul is warning the church at Colosse about it and he’s warning us today about it. That’s why in verse 5 he says “put to death”. We can’t just put in the closet or hide these old things but we must put to DEATH these things from before we knew Christ. If we allow the things of the flesh and the world to remain alive in any capacity, Satan will use them in our lives. Approach the destruction of the old person with urgency and swiftness.
V. 8-9
“But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices”. Paul doesn’t stop with this things that are what we would say as Christians are “clearly wrong”. He then points out anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language, lying. We are the ones who put values or rankings on sin. Didn’t kill someone today: ✅. Didn’t look at porn today: ✅Snapped at the waitress at after church lunch: ❌Paul is pointing out these additional things because they can have equally deteriorating effects in our walk with Christ. They are supposed to be old clothes. As believers we are called to live a life that mirrors Christ and looks different than the world. It is easy to allow small bits of lies, deceit, and anger to creep back in. Paul knows and I know it and you know it. That’s why he’s explicitly warning us so we can be prepared and combat these sneaky ways the Enemy tries to infiltrate our ranks.
V. 10-11
“and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.” As we put aside these things of the world and of the flesh we continue to allow the pureness of our new spirit in Christ to create a renewed soul within us. Paul is telling us that it not only comes from going away from these bad things (sexual immorality, anger, lying, etc.) but also in the renewing of our mind in spirit and in truth. Our pursuit of God is not in just “not doing bad” but also in good and full pursuit of Him. John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus is teaching that true worshipers of God are letting their renewed spirit run to the Father and embracing truth that is given by God and God alone. And I want to make this clear that worship is not just singing these songs on a Sunday. Worship is intense relational pursuit of the Father (singing His praises is an element but far from the whole). When you feel the Holy Spirit nudging you to give more or share your faith more…that’s worship when we listen and act. The more we listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading in our life, the clearer we hear Him. The less we listen, the more the worldly ear plugs get put in . We are emphasizing prayer this year as a church. Prayer and pursuit of our relationship with God is worship. It’s filling ourselves with more of His newness in our soul. Paul is telling his readers that for those who have been redeemed, they have also been made new so now walk in that newness and put away the old sin covered flesh clothes. In Christ there is no distinction for we are all one in Him
Put on the Newness of Christ
Church we’ve got to put on the newness of Christ and stop going back to our old way of living. If you have entered into a relationship with Jesus then you have been made new in your spirit. Now through the constant renewing of your mind you draw closer to Jesus daily. Don’t fall prey to your old ways but walk fully in the life that Christ bought for you. 2 Corinthians 5:17. ”Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: old things have passed away, and look, new things have come”. Old things have passed away, they’ve been put to death. You no longer need them but only the fullness in Christ. In that newness God is calling you to work in His Kingdom. Don’t ignore that call but listen to Him and run to Him. God has obviously brought you here today for a reason. God is placing opportunities in front of you to pursue newness in Him. Go serve and plant seeds in kids and student ministry. Go be on the front lines of welcoming people in on Guest Services. If you’ve just sat in these chairs and you're comfortable just sitting in the chairs then it’s time to break out of that cycle. Go allow God to make you uncomfortable and stretch you and break away from that old fleshly comfort zone. I know some of you are sitting here thinking “I want to put on the newness of Christ but pastor I’m struggling with stuff. How do I do it?” I struggle too y’all and I’m here to tell you Jesus is with you in the struggle and won’t abandon you. Dig deeper into yourself and your walk. Ask God earnestly to reveal what is in my life that is replacing You. Often when we struggle it’s because we’ve allowed something in that is in place of God. As you dig, you’ll discover (through God’s leading) what is replacing Him. The more you dig, the more we have to continue to look up towards the Father. These things that are buried in our lives won’t just disappear and leave a void. Rather as we dig down and look up towards God, we replace those things with God. The void is filled with the newness of Christ. This is where Paul is pointing the Colossians and it’s where you’re being pointed this morning. Big Idea: We are made new in Christ therefore continually put away the old and walk in newness of life. Church, the newness found in Christ fires me up. Let me tell ya, it stirs the drink for me. I am chief of sinners and was the most disqualified person for saving, but Jesus made me new none the less. Now I get to walk in the fullness of the newness of Christ daily and it’s daggum awesome! If you’re a skeptic this morning and you’ve never tasted the newness of Christ, let Him change your life today. Those old chains that are hanging off your hands and feet right now that Satan thinks he has a grip over you are nothing compared to the power of Jesus. Man He can break those chains and you can walk in the newness of Christ. Just go before Jesus in prayer and tell Him that you can’t do this on your own anymore. Tell Him you need Him and ask Him to save you…and He will. Don’t walk out of here without talking to myself or one our pastors. If you are a believer here this morning, let Colossians 2-3 challenge you. We all want to be in control of our story but let God break through the legalism, tradition, and complacency in your walk. This is your call to throw away any of the old articles of fleshly clothing and only be clothed in the newness of Christ. Let’s get uncomfortable and do the kingdom work God is calling us to.