Colossians 3:1-11, “Gospel Reality and Its Imperatives”

Ken MacLeod

Colossians • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

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Every reality has its imperatives, a command, something you must do. Because of the reality of gravity it is imperative that watch where you step. Due to the reality of heart disease it is imperative that we eat healthy foods, exercise, drink water, and rest. Because of the reality that you can’t be in two places at once, it is imperative that you schedule your time responsibly. All of these realities and imperatives also carry implications. If we choose not to live by the imperatives, we will bear the consequences. If we live by the imperatives, there are positive implications for our lives.

But there is another reality that has an imperative that is of eternal consequence. Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead and God has granted Him all authority in heaven and earth.

What is the imperative we derive from that reality?

The imperative for all of us is, repent and believe. Repent of your life ruled by self and sin and believe in Jesus the Messiah who died to atone for our sins and rose from the dead to overcome its power.

And for those that repent and believe, there is a new reality for us. We have new life in Christ. It is eternal life, or life in communion with the Eternal God. My faith unites me with Jesus in His death for sin and in His resurrection to eternal life. And there are imperatives for this new reality of life in Christ. And that reality with its imperatives have implications.

The main message is this, if you participate in the life of Jesus Christ, you will share in His glory. The reality for the believer in jesus Christ is that we participate in His life. Paul will tell us about this reality seven different ways in this passage. And the implication of that reality is that we will share in the glory of the risen Jesus Christ. Paul spells that implication out in five ways.

Our New Reality

Paul begins with this reality,

Colossians 3:1 (ESV)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

“Raised with Christ”, put seven different ways. In other words, the resurrection of Jesus opened a new way of life for us. We can live forgiven of our sins and free from the condemnation of God’s law. But “raised” implies what reality? You were dead. You’ve gone from death to life.

Chapter 2 taught us that the reality of the Christian life is not that we found a new and better religion. It is that

Colossians 2:13 (ESV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

You were dead apart from Christ, but in Christ, you are made alive. He explains a little more of that reality in Chapter 3.

Your reality before Christ was walking in a lifestyle on account of which the wrath of God is coming.

Colossians 3:5–7 (ESV)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

These practices result in our destruction, and because God loves us, they stir up His wrath. If we live in them, we are in a very dangerous position. This is a reality we all need to take seriously.

But Paul’s greater point is that for Christians, that isn’t our reality any more. We have been united to Jesus Christ by faith, and to His resurrected life, you have a new reality at work in you. As he says in verse 9,

Colossians 3:9 (ESV)

… you have put off the old self with its practices

The old you was dominated by the flesh and its desires for self-worship. You lived in the domain of darkness. But Jesus put to death the body of flesh that enslaved us. The body dominated by the flesh was buried with Christ, and we have put it off. You’re not carrying around a dead corpse any more.

Colossians 3:10 (ESV)

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Everything that God intended for you when He first made human beings in His image can now be formed in you. Kingdom of God realities.

What does someone who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator look like?

Truth, wisdom, justice, love, beauty, goodness. We can work for the benefit of others, that they would have an eternal future with God and know His love through us.

Paul says our lives will reflect on earth the life of Christ, who is in heaven.

Colossians 3:1 (ESV)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

This reality, that Christ has risen from the dead, but also has ascended to the throne of God. Some implications for Him are that death now no longer has power over Him, He has all authority in heaven and earth, He works and prays for us in union with God the Father to accomplish His will in our lives. He is guiding His church by His Spirit. He is teaching us and giving us strength to do God’s will.

Paul wants the new believers in Colossae, and us in Westbrook, to understand how the reality of Christ risen and reigning has changed our reality.

Colossians 3:3 (ESV)

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and your life is in Him. Jesus lives an elevated life. United to Jesus by faith, you participate in this elevated life.

Paul says our life is hidden with Christ. What does this mean? You look the same to everyone around you. You still speak your local language. You go to work or school. You eat food and require rest. Your true identity is hidden from the physical eye. But your lifestyle demonstrates that Christ is present in you. It is no longer enslaved to the earthly practices of sin from verse 5. You are free to enjoy Jesus Christ living His life in you.

What characterizes the lifestyle of Jesus?

There is one more reality Paul wants us to understand. It is a future reality. That “hidden life” will one day become fully visible.

Colossians 3:4 (ESV)

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Christ in His full glory is hidden from our eyes now. But He will one day appear back on our scene. He will be victorious over death and darkness. He will judge the world in justice and truth. And that glorious reality of the risen and ascended Jesus Christ will suddenly be true for you as His disciple. Your faith, hope, patience, longsuffering will be over, and your glorious eternal future will be fully realized.‌

Why does Paul give us this look into our future reality?

In the meantime, this reality is not fully realized. We have been brought from death to life. We are being formed into the image of God. We are still overcoming the earthly parts of our human nature. This is where the imperatives come in.

The Imperatives

Paul gives us five imperatives that follow this reality.

Seek the things that are above

Colossians 3:1 (ESV)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Remember Jesus said the pagans will run after, or seek, food, drink, and clothing. But your Heavenly Father knows you need these things.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In other words, seek God’s rule and reign in your life. Seek to do His will as it is done in heaven: fully, quickly, cheerfully.

2. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth (Col. 3: 2).

When you think about all the things you set your mind on in a day, there’s a lot of things. Our choices are guided by our thoughts. If our minds are set on how we can take care of our flesh, please the flesh, promote or protect ourselves, we will miss the glory of Christ in our lives. And we will miss the fullest life He has for us.

What are some ways we can set our mind on things above, where christ is, seated at the right hand of God?

3. Put to death what is earthly in you (Col. 3:5)

Helpfully, Paul makes a list which we saw earlier. All of those things belong to an earth-bound life, a life dominated by the flesh and its desires. While our body of flesh has been crucified and buried with Christ, the desires of the flesh remain active. Paul says, put those to death too. We do this in two ways, self-discipline and a new affection. We need to own the fact that our earthly desires are built on godly desires that we try to satisfy in wrong ways. So self-discipline only goes so far. We also need to develop a loving relationship with God, learning to trust in His love as our Father. Good read: “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection”, by Thomas Chalmers.

4. Put away hateful attitudes and words (Col. 3:8)

Paul makes another list: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. Our attitudes and words have power. They do as much damage to our relationships with God and others as our actions do. We may justify these things in our hearts and these “slips of the tongue”, but Paul links them with all the other evil on account of which the wrath of God is coming.

The word he uses is to take them off like a garment you don’t need any more, throw it to the side. Do we realize that we can be bound by these things? Our attitudes and our words can enslave us just the same as our actions. You can now be free of them.

5. Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9)

Think about a society in which no one lied. What would be different? Trust, peace, mutual encouragement, courage, freedom.

That’s the way the body of Christ should be.

Why is this so important? Why would Paul single this out?

Paul gives two reasons. One is that it no longer becomes you.

Colossians 3:9 (ESV)

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

These belong to a person that no longer exists. You are living in the new reality, the life of Christ.

Second is that final reality we haven’t addressed yet.

Our New Reality Redux

Colossians 3:10–11 (ESV)

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

The Church is a community of people who have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. The Creator is a triune Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, dwelling in eternal love and perfect unity. When we see the Church fully formed, made perfect and glorious, we will realize that whatever makes us different is nothing compared to the one unifying reality we share. It is Christ. He is all, and in all.

Is Christ all in our church? How would we measure that? Seeking Christ together in our decisions, prayer comes before planning, worship before work, and we do all things in love.

We all dwell in a new reality. Jesus Christ has been crucified for our sins, buried to put to death the flesh and its selfish, sinful desires, raised to new life, and ascended to the right hand of God. This reality has imperatives for all of us. Repent and believe in this gospel. When you believe in Christ, you are united with His death to sin, His burial to the rule of the flesh, and His resurrection to the elevated life.

The implications if we participate in the life of Christ are truly world-changing. Imagine a remnant of people in every nation and tribe and language that live elevated above what is earthly and demonstrate the power of a life lived in the power and presence of Jesus Christ.

Communion

Questions for Discussion

What the reality you have been living this week? What’s your week been like in the good and bad?

What are some imperatives for you based on your reality?

Ask this question now, but answer it later: How can we fulfill those imperatives in ways that reflect the gospel reality in which we live as Christians?

What does it mean to be raised with Christ and have life with Christ in God?

What are some things we learn about Jesus in this passage?

How do those help us understand our new reality as believers united to Jesus by faith?

What are the imperatives for believers in this passage? Which is/are the most challenging?