The Putting Off, Putting On (I)
Notes
Transcript
[1] Title
Prayer
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Riverside - Linda - “Work as if you are working for the Lord, not men.”
Me: “I’m in high school, I’ll take that seriously as an adult.”
We justify: I’ll do that later - I’m doing fine - I’m better than so ‘n so - I’m not that lazy
Ever said: Oh, I’ll do that later, even though you know it’s your duty today?
What do you need to lay at the feet of Jesus today?
Two parts: The Putting Off, Putting On (Old/New)
Paul’s writings of theology are always followed by a call to live it out (action).
Ephesians: Three chapters of theology followed by a practical call () - “As a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Romans: Eleven chapters of theology followed by this practical call () - “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.”
Colossians is the same. Following two chapters of theology leads (30,000 feet view of ‘Set your mind on things above’ to ground level of ‘Let’s put some evil to death.’
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
PUT TO DEATH
PUT TO DEATH
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.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
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.
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 were 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.
Colossians 3:5-
[2 - 8]
Put to death
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.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
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.
[9] Title
Breakdown for today: The challenge of putting off the old life and the reason for putting off the old life.
PUT ON YOUR NEW SELF
PUT ON YOUR NEW SELF
THE CHALLENGE: PUTTING OFF THE OLD LIFE
THE CHALLENGE: PUTTING OFF THE OLD LIFE
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 were 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.
Put means “devote yourself to moving something (behavior) in a specific direction - actively.” It’s an act of the will. A decision and an action.
Death in this context means “permanently inactive and ruined and not coming back.”
Put to death means “You are actively devoting yourself to permanently eliminate the sinful, earthly things lurking inside you.”
It is a challenge.
It’s not new. Jesus talked about this same idea:
[10]
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Obviously neither Paul or Jesus was recommending literally cutting off body parts so they die. Sin doesn’t come from your body parts - but from your heart.
Remember at the beginning of Aladdin he was stealing an apple and the merchant was trying to cut off his hand. That’s a common scene in centuries past.
If the pick pocket uses loses his right hand he’ll steal with his left. If he loses his left hand he’ll steal with his teeth.
Why? Because sin doesn’t come from your body parts. It comes from your heart and physically removing body parts doesn’t change the heart.
[11] Title
Paul gives us four specific sins of sensuality that MUST be eradicated from the Christians life.
*No one is going to say this is easy, but it is a clear command.*
Immorality (porneian) is where we get the word pornographic.
It means every kind of immoral sexual relation.
Chastity was a completely new virtue Christianity brought into the world. It was radical back then and it’s still somewhat radical today.
When you stand for Biblical morality you’re often labeled as a buzzkill or a killjoy. God’s standards don’t evolve with culture.
Impurity - moral uncleanness.
The wider more subtle uncleanliness because rather than physical immorality it’s embracing the imagination, speech, and filthy mind.
Like the dirty jokes you learn at your first high school job.
Lust - the shameful emotion that leads to improper sexual indulgence.
Paul uses the same word do describe passionate lusts of the gentiles who do not know God () as he does the shameful lusts of homosexuality ().
Evil desires - wicked, self-serving, ravenous lust
All about me and my pleasure.
It’s the deadly quartet of sensuality and Paul said it must be put to death - executed.
Personally, I can’t think of any array of sins more prominent in our society today.
The average American is drowning in a sea of sensuality. From TV to internet to magazines to billboards to men and women at the bar and walking down the street.
We see so many sexual ads. It’s not unreasonable to think in one evening watching TV or the span of one televised sporting event you and I could be exposed to more sensual sights than our grandparents did in their entire lifetime.
It is constant.
What makes this worse is our amazing human capacity for self-delusion in this area.
I’ve known many well-meaning professing Christians who struggle in this area - or even worse - are so lost that they see no inconsistency in their behavior. It’s heartbreaking.
God’s word is clear it must be put to death. If you are serious about your faith it has to be executed at all cost.
[12]
Can a man scoop a flame into his lap
and not have his clothes catch on fire?
It’s like playing with fire.
We need to be like Job, remember Job? In the book Every Man’s Battle the author references this verse:
[13]
“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look with lust at a young woman.
We need to apply that across the board. Men and women.
Make a decision. Draw a line in the sand. I’m done.
[14] Title
Now, it’s interesting to point out that ‘covetousness’ or ‘greed’ is attached to this.
There is this sense that covetousness is even more dangerous that sensuality because it comes in more respectable forms. Dangerous: (If a man is drunk with wine we kick him out of church, if he is drunk with money we ask him to serve on a board.)
Lik
The reason it’s interesting covetousness is tied to lust is because the passage tells us, “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”
Paul’s message is clear: Since we have died and have been buried, resurrected and ascended with Christ, since we have been made full in his fullness, there are some things we need to put to death: namely, sensuality and materials. To kill them regardless of the blood and pain involved.
He also tells us to put off evil attitudes and speech: “Rid yourselves of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
Let’s not naively assume these things don’t exist among professing believers. They do.
Satan knows if you struggle with anger and he’ll push your buttons.
Treehouse Staff: so. much. swearing. Why?
No reason to lie to each other about these things. Church community isn’t about deception, or hypocrisy. It’s about speaking the truth in love and grace.
A great church demands great amounts of honesty.
THE REASON: PUTTING OFF THE OLD LIFE
THE REASON: PUTTING OFF THE OLD LIFE
Why?
Paul’s reason for living a godly life was because ‘…you have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.’
All authentic believers have a new self, with new spiritual sensitivities and abilities and therefore wonderfully new possibilities in this life.
Colossians 3:
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
The more we put off the old nature, the gerater freedom we have for the renewal of our new self according to the image of God.
The final reason for putting off the evils of the old self is that the new self brings such a radical change that it changes all our human relationships.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
If we make a practice of putting to death our sensuality and covetousness and laying aside evil attitudes and filthy language, we will fully experience barriers to human relationships breaking down.
If we make a practice of putting to death our sensuality and covetousness and laying aside evil attitudes and filthy language, we will fully experience barriers to human relationships breaking down.
Break down racial barriers
Break down religious barriers
Break down cultural barriers
Break down social barriers
And then the world can see us and truly through amazement acknowledge that Christians have the ‘real thing.’
They love each other and they love others.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
If you love Jesus. If you’re serving Jesus. What do you need to lay at his feet today?
It’s time to take an act of your will and put it to death.