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Putting on the New Self Colossians 3:12–17 INTRODUCTION Clothes Can Say a Lot About a Person. What You Wear Might Indicate

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Putting on the New Self Colossians 3:12–17 INTRODUCTION Clothes Can Say a Lot About a Person. What You Wear Might Indicate Putting On the New Self Colossians 3:12–17 INTRODUCTION Clothes can say a lot about a person. What you wear might indicate the kind of job you work, or your spending habits, or your personality. And as we all know, certain occasions call for certain attire. Well, I can remember one particular instance when I wore something that did not fit the occasion. When I was in seminary I was a part-time associate pastor at a church outside of Boston. And one particular weekend they were having a special dinner. And somehow I failed to realize that this was more of a formal event. And so I showed up wearing jeans and an untucked shirt. And when I got there I thought, “uh oh…I’m underdressed.” And it was too late. There wasn’t time to go home. And everyone else coming into the building was wearing their best attire; dresses, slacks, coats, ties. And here I am, feeling terribly out of place. And I thought maybe no one would really notice. And then someone kindly leaned over to me and said, “I guess you didn’t get the memo huh?” And now by God’s grace I have a wife who prevents me from making such mistakes. Well, in our portion of Scripture this morning Paul tells us about the kind of clothes that are fitting for the saints. And to be clear, he’s not talking about a cotton poly blend garment. He’s talking about the very character that should be worn by those who are walking in close fellowship with the Lord. In chapter 3, Paul uses the metaphor of taking off and putting on clothes as a way of helping us understand what should be true of those are believers. You see, in the same way we dress our bodies every day, we dress our souls. But the sobering reality is that at times we dress in the wrong attire. The character we dress ourselves in is not an accurate reflection of who we are in Jesus Christ. So we need to be asking ourselves the question, “Does the character of my life reflect the person that I am in Christ? What does my behavior and my attitude say about me? Have I put on the Lord Jesus Christ? (Romans 13:14), When people see me, what do they really see?” Taking Off and Putting On Now to recap where we’ve been, Colossians has brought us face to face with the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God. All things were created through him and for him. He holds all things together. He is the very center of the universe. And when a person becomes a Christian, they are then united to Christ Jesus forever. Our lives are then intertwined with the life of Jesus. So much so a Christian can say things such as… I have died with Jesus Christ I have been raised up with Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is my life I have the hope of glorification with Jesus Christ And because of that, two things should happen: 1) We are to take off the old way of life. The habits, the patterns, the thoughts…everything that characterized our lives before meeting Christ should be removed. 2) We are to put on the new life. It’s not a matter of simply not doing certain things, but instead replacing them with a new way of life. New habits, new patterns, new thoughts. There should be nothing short of radical transformation that occurs when a person becomes a Christian. And an ongoing one at that, where our behavior is progressively being brought into line with our new self. If we’ve truly come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, then we need to dress the part. What we wear on the outside, should be a display of what’s on the inside. TRANS: So the Lord, through the Apostle Paul, tells the church at Colossae to put on “the new self?” But what does that look? Well, it begins by knowing who you are… 1. Know Who You are (v12) Look at what Paul says in verse 12: [12] Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Did you notice how Paul addressed the believers at Colossae? He uses three labels: chosen, holy, and beloved. And here’s why this is important: identity drives behavior. Your identity will motivate you in either a positive or negative way. I say this, because if you’re a Christian reading this passage of Scripture, a part of you says, “Yeah, I already know that these are ways I’m supposed to be living.” I doubt anyone is going to read the list and say ‘Wow. I had no idea that I’m supposed to be patient with others.’ And yet, for so many of us that’s a struggle.” And so what God is doing in Colossians, as he lays out theme of Union with Christ, is showing us that the way to change is to come to a deeper understanding of our identity. In order for us to “put on” Jesus Christ, then I have to know who I am in Jesus Christ. Think about identity this way. On one level our identity has to do with our sense of self. At the very core, “who am I?” In my vocation, in my home, in my group of friends, as a person, “who am I?” “What defines you as you?” But secondly, our identity has to do with our self worth. “What makes you feel significant?” “What makes you feel confident of your value?” So for example, a person can easily find their identity in their profession. But when things don’t go the way they hoped - not moving up the ladder or making pay raises - then their world is shaken. But the gospel gives believers an identity that is fundamentally different in this way: it’s received, instead of achieved. If your identity is wrapped up in your profession, then you're responsible for validating your own sense of self worth. It’s something you achieve. But on the other hand, the gospel says you simply can’t validate your own sense of self worth. You can never live up to the standards of God, so Christ himself took the responsibility to do it on your behalf. And the moment you trust him for salvation, you receive a new identity. And so here is is. If you’ve trusted Christ for your salvation, you are #1… Chosen Paul uses the word “chosen” in this passage, he uses it in other letters - in fact it’s a word that we see all over the Bible. Sometimes it appears as God’s chosen, or God’s elect. We see it used in the Old Testament to describe Israel as God’s honored possession. We see it in the New Testament to describe Jesus as the “the Chosen One” (Luke 23:35), and it’s even used in places like 1 Peter 2:9 to describe the church as God’s special possession. And so the doctrine of divine election is clearly taught in Scripture. After all, Paul says in Ephesians 1:4 that believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And yet, the doctrine of election is one that causes a lot of debate. It brings up a lot of questions. And to some extent is beyond our finite understanding. But what I want you to see is that this word “chosen” as it relates to your identity in Christ, should not motivate you to debate with others…but it should motivate you to adore God all the more. Why? To begin with, we should marvel at the fact that God took the initiative. Did you realize that? In your salvation, it was God who took the initiative. Graciously, and sovereignly, it is God who draws men and women to himself. Everything that was at play in you coming to know Jesus - all of the circumstances - were not random or by chance. God divinely orchestrated it so that someone shared the gospel with you, or that you were in a certain place at a certain time, or a difficult situation arose which caused you to see the depths of your sin. God took the initiative. And if it were not for God’s gracious intervention in your life, you would have never come to him on your own. Jesus said no one can come to him unless the Father draws them. And do you know the reason why God chose you? Well, it wasn’t because of anything you’ve ever done. It was because of any character quality you possess. It wasn’t based on the fact that you were a little more moral than the next person. God chose you for his glory. He calls those who are undeserving, who are dead in their sins, who have offended him. It is a magnificent display of his grace - and far from making us prideful it should create a humble gratitude and love towards him. It should cause us to rejoice in his mercy. And it should motivate us to live for Him. Holy Not only does Paul say you are chosen, but holy. In fact, this is a result of being chosen, you are made holy. In the Bible, to be holy means that you have been set apart by God and for God.
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