Christ Preeminent (Part Twenty): Off With the Old, On With the New

Transcript

JRNT 42
01/07/2024
Christ Preeminent (Part Twenty): Off With the Old, On With the New
Colossians 3:8-11
Jesse Randolph

Today, with the Christmas holiday behind us, and our “Joy to the World” series now over. We’re back in the book of Colossians. I hope you remember that book. It’s been a while since we’ve been in the book. But I will not blame you if you’re a bit foggy with some of the details. Given that it’s been a few weeks.

I’m not going to review all of what we’ve covered in our study in Colossians so far. But I do think it would be helpful to give some sort of broad strokes to the canvas. As we get started here. Remember, some of the major features of this letter and give us some runway up to the text we’ll be in today. The letter to the Colossians, you’ll recall. Was written by Paul, directed by the Holy Spirit. As he sat imprisoned there in a Roman cell. He’s writing this letter to this fledgling little church in the city of Colossae. Which is a dwindling little town. That the railroad used to run through, but no longer does. This church in Colossae was being faithfully pastored by a man named Epaphras. Paul writes this letter to the Colossians with Epaphras right there next to him. Epaphras had paid him a personal visit to Paul’s Roman prison cell.

Now, in terms of the substance of this letter. What we’ve extracted in the nineteen sermons I’ve preached from this book, so far. Is that Paul is writing this letter to remind believers there in Colossae. First and foremost, who they are in Christ. I should say that a different way. Who Christ is, at all. In His superiority. In His supremacy. In His preeminence. Next, and that’s what I meant to say earlier, Paul is writing to remind the Colossians, who they are in Christ. They have been reconciled to God through Christ’s death. Their sins have been nailed to Christ’s cross. They’ve been raised up with Christ through His resurrection. Paul, also in Colossians, writes to remind these believers to stay the course, in the face of the false teaching that was starting to creep into their midst. As we saw over the course of several sermons. This false teaching which we now know as the “Colossian heresy,” represented a deadly amalgamation of these various different strands of heretical teaching. Paul’s letters, specifically, chapter 2 of Colossians, was written to raise awareness of, and to refute the error that was starting to make its way into the midst of the Colossian church. All that was covered in Colossians 1 and 2.

Then, we turn to Colossians 3. In Colossians 3, we saw that very typical Pauline shift in his writing. As he goes from making these predominantly declarative. Indicative statements. To now making more statements that are imperatival in nature. That’s just a fancy way of saying, these are commands. These are orders. These are directives from Paul. We picked up on some of these in the very first verses of Colossians 3: Colossians 3:1 where he says, “keep seeking the things above.” Or Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on the things above.” Or Colossians 3:5 – “. . . consider the members of your earthly body as dead.” These are commands. We also saw, in our most recent sermon in this series. Which was titled “Sin’s Death March”, in verses 5-7 of Chapter 3. That Paul makes another notable shift in what he’s writing here to the Colossians. He switches from merely declaring and stating and proclaiming. To getting into some good old-fashioned meddling. That’s what we see in Colossians 3:5-7. Paul takes a more direct, finger in your chest sort of approach. In that sermon, we saw The Command. These were the headings for that sermon. The Command was tied to verse 5 – “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Then we saw The Consequence in verse 6 – “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.” And then we saw The Contrast in verse 7 – “. . . and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.”

Well, as we turn to our text for today. Colossians 3:8-11. We’re going to see another shift in Paul’s thinking. Though he’s still very much meddling here. Though he’s still very much poking his finger in the chest of the Colossians and us here in Lincoln, Nebraska. He’s actually moving on now from addressing sins like lust and envy and greed and other carnal vices that we mentioned last time in our sermon through this text. He’s going to now move on to this different catalog of sins. Sins that are rooted in the pent-up hostility which we all can tend to hole toward others. Sins which are eventually expressed by attempting to verbally harm and cut others down to size. We’re going to see here, that Paul is telling us, through the Spirit, that these are sins that need to be delt with and repented of in the life of any believer.

The title of this morning’s sermon is “Off With the Old, On With the New.”
The title is grounded in the main metaphor that Paul is using throughout our text for today. Which is clothing, apparel. As you’re going to hear me say more than once in this sermon as we work our way through this text. The follower of Jesus Christ is to continually and routinely be taking off like old clothing, those sins and practices which marked the old man and the old man’s way of living; and at the same time the Christ-follower is to be carrying themselves in a manner that reflects their new position in Christ.

Enough with the preliminaries. We’ll get to our text, Colossians 3:8-11. God’s word reads:
“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him – a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” In our text for today, we’re going to see four different yet related movements of thought here, from Paul.
First, he’s going to expose and enumerate this catalog of sins which are to be abandoned in the life of any true believer.
Look at verse 8. It says, “. . . you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”
Then continuing on to verse 9, he says, “Do not lie to one another . . .”

For you notetakers, we’re going to call this first heading The Exposure Provided. We’re going to see it in this section of this letter. That Paul here, is calling on the Colossians and us, to put off. To lay aside. To strip off. Like dirty, worn-out, ill-fitting, stained, old disgusting clothes. The various sins of the heart . . . like anger, wrath, and malice, and yet additional sins of the tongue, like evil speaking and filthy communication, and lying.

In the second part of the letter Paul’s going to give us his Spirit-directed reasons as to why these sins, these specific sins need to be abandoned. He says it this way in verses 9 and 10:
“. . . since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him . . .”

For you notetakers, we’ll call that one The Exchange Portrayed.
You see there that the “exchange” that’s being portrayed in this verse and a half is simply this: That the Christian has, by God’s grace, put off the old man and the Christian has, simultaneously with shedding off the old man, has already donned the new man. Because this great exchange, from old to new, and really, from death to life has already occurred; believers are to lay aside and abandon those very sins that marked who they once were; but who they clearly no longer are.

In the third movement of the letter, we’re going to see Paul deal with these artificial walls that man-made religion erects, and hollow religiosity builds up. Where men somehow conceive that they’re somehow benefited because they belong to a particular group. Or they look a certain way. Or they’re part of a subtle Christian caste of some sort. Paul blows any such notion out of the water in verse 11, where he refers to:
“. . . a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman . . .”

Then we see The Eradication Pronounced, that’s the third heading. Man-made dividing walls come tumbling down, in the face of the gospel of grace. They are eradicated, as Paul pronounces here.

Finally, this section is capped off by the last few words of verse 11 there.
Where it says: “. . . but Christ is all, and in all.” That’s our fourth heading The Exclamation Point.

So, we have: The Exposure Provided, The Exchange Portrayed, The Eradication Pronounced and then, The Exclamation Point.

Let’s pick it up in verse 8 and get into the beginning of verse 9. With The Exposure Provided. Again, it says: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.” Also, for good measure, verse 9, “Do not lie to one another . . .”

Now, those first few words there. “But now you also.” At the beginning of verse 8. Those give us multiple points of conjunction and continuity. The word “but”, of course, is contrasting what follows with what came before. Here, we see what came before is what’s in verse 7. Where it says, “in them you also once walked.” What does “in them” mean? In what” We find the answer to that question back in verse 6, where it says, “. . . it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.” So, the “them” of verse 7 refers to the “these things” of verse 6. Well, what are “these things”?
That takes us all the way back to verse 5, where Paul gives this laundry list of vices and sin which are rooted in lust and greed. Look at verse 5: “Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Now, as we come back to verse 8, our text. We see Paul saying, “But now.” Those words mark a clear temporal shift. Paul here is not speaking about the past anymore. He’s speaking about the present. He’s saying, “That was then, this is now.” Continuing in verse 8. He says, “you also.” “You,” of course, is speaking directly to the Colossian believers that he’s been addressing throughout this letter. Then “also” is this connecting conjunction. Which has the sense of “in addition to the things I’ve just cataloged for you, back in verse 5. You also need to consider these things I’m about to list for you. So, it’s “But now you also”, is the whole conjunction here and then, comes the imperative. The command. Where Paul says, “put them all aside.” He’s saying here. “In addition to immorality.” “And addition to impurity.” “And addition to passion.” “And evil desire, and greed.” Which you need to “put to death”, as I’ve said for you back in verse 5. You also need to “put to death” all of these different sins of the heart and these sins of the tongue, listed out here in verses 8 and 9. “Anger.” “Wrath.” “Malice.” “Slander.” “Abusive Speech” . . . and “Lying.” In a former time. In a former life. Before they came to know Christ. The Colossian Christians apparently were marked by some of these, or many of these behaviors. But now, here they’re being told, that they were to be marked by those behaviors no more. Each of the behaviors we see listed here, are repulsive habits which Christians have no business engaging in. These behaviors don’t fit or suit the follower of Christ. They’re totally unbecoming to believers. They need to be thrown in a hamper. Tossed down the laundry chute and disposed of forever. That’s what’s being said here.

Now, this language of “putting off” or “laying aside” all this wicked behavior. Is not limited to the book of Colossians. Nor is it limited to Paul, in terms of New Testament authors. No. There are various other parallel references. I’ll rattle off a few here. Where we see this conception, or this idea of “putting off” or “laying aside.” Romans 13:12 says, “let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Ephesians 4:22 says, “lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” Ephesians 4:25 says, “laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor.” Hebrews 12:1 says, “since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangles us.” James1:21 says, “putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Then I Peter 2:1 says, “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” Turning back to our text Colossians 3:8, it says, “But now you also, put them all aside.” That verb here for “putting aside” it calls for decisive, immediate resolution. As we’re going to see when we get to verse 9, in Christ, we already have put off that old man positionally. That’s already taken place. But it’s also important that we make this true of our personal experience day by day, as followers of Christ. The believer is to put aside all of the filthy garments associated with the flesh; and put on new garments that are associated with righteousness and holiness and godliness. We’ve put off the old man. So now we put off his old clothes. The old man has been crucified and is counted dead. So, it’s now time to strip off the old clothes he once wore.

With that, we turn to this new catalog of sins which Paul lays out for us here in verse 8. Sins which believers are to put off. The list starts here, you can see it there, with “anger.” The first item of clothing that we’re called to put aside. To lay aside. To strip off. Is “anger.” Now, the word for “anger” there is orge, it denotes a strong spirit of dislike. A chronic attitude of smoldering hatred. A slow brewing form of hostility. Somewhat of a simmering and seething form of bitterness. It’s marked with these deep waves of resentment. The picture here is of a person with their arms crossed, their teeth gritted and steam slowly starting to come out of their ears. The picture here is of seething, boiling. As the person prepares to retaliate or exact revenge. Once their anger bubbles over or lashes out. Now, sadly, there are countless Christians who will come up with countless excuses to justify their bottled-in anger. They’ll say it’s not really that big of a deal. Because the lid is still on, the leak hasn’t sprung, the vein isn’t yet pulsating through the neck and the face hasn’t turned purple. Of course, that type of reasoning flies directly in the face of the words of our Lord. In Matthew 15:19-20, where Jesus says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things [these heart-level things] which defile the man.” Others will point to that scene in Mark chapter 3, that interaction that Jesus has with the man with the withered hand in the synagogue. In Mark 3:5, it’s recorded that Jesus looks at the Pharisees, and then it says, “with anger, [was] grieved at [the] hardness of [their] heart.” Now, many will grab on to those words and they’ll make the point here that Jesus was angry. Well, He sure was. The eternal Son of God was justifiably and righteously angry at the Jewish leaders of His day for stopping up the ears of the message of reconciliation and repentance that He was seeking to proclaim to Israel. That’s a far cry from the type of anger that you and I perceive or experience. Over a perceived sleight by a family member. Or a traffic ticket issued by an obviously blind police officer. Or a position taken by someone whose politics we disagree with. Others will point to Ephesians 4:26. Which says, “Be angry, and yet do not sin.” “A-ha!” “There it is.’ “I can be angry, so long as I don’t sin in my anger.” “In fact, Ephesians 4 says it’s a command.” ‘It says ‘Be angry’.” “I need to be angry.” Yes, that verse does say what it says. Yes, there is such a thing as ‘righteous indignation.” But permissible “righteous indignation” is a very limited subset of the feelings and experiences of anger that you and I actually go through. I mean, be honest with yourself. How much of your anger is truly directed toward offences against God and His holy standards as revealed in His word? Versus anger that’s directed toward others, including God Himself, for not giving you what you want, when you want, and how you want it? Ephesians 4:26 is not some sort of comprehensive get-out-of-jail-free card. It does not universally excuse all feelings and expressions of anger you might experience, no matter how creative you might be in trying to pin that on God. Now, the concept of righteous indignation does apply to things like tearing down that shrine to Satan that was recently erected in the Iowa state capitol. The concept of righteous indignation does apply to our nation’s bloodlust for the slaughter of innocent lives in mouthers’ wombs. That concept of righteous indignation does apply to drag queens who are now being invited to speak in the pulpits around churches that used to be part of mainline denominations.
One can be righteously angry toward those who’s obvious offenses against God and His standards as set forth in His holy word. But if we’re being honest; examples like that represent a very small subset of what actually makes us angry on a daily basis. What makes us angry is the way our spouse looked at us – or didn’t look at us, a few nights ago. What makes us angry is the decision of the church elders on this or that issue. What makes us angry are property tax rates. Or grocery price increases. Or our neighbor’s failure to keep-up his side of the fence. In other words, our “righteous indignation”, or so we call it, is far rarer than we would like to admit. Our anger is more typical of the common variety. Namely, sinful anger. To which Paul here, in Colossians 3:8 is saying, “put [it all] aside.” He says something similar, by the way, in Ephesians 4:31. He says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” His words here are various common or similar to James, in James 1:19-20, where James says: “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Most of the anger that we experience is not of God . . . nor is it godly. Rather, our anger tends to be tinged with far-less-worthy motives; and like a piece of old dirty clothing, it needs to be put away.

Next, Paul mentions “wrath.” Verse 8, “put them all aside, anger”, next is “wrath”, thumos. If anger refers to a deep heart-level attitude. Wrath here, refers to what that deep heart-level attitude produces. “Wrath” refers to an acute explosion. A passionate outburst. A violent eruption. It’s the word that in II Corinthians 12:20 is translated “angry tempers.” It’s the word that’s translated in Galatians 5:20 as “outbursts of anger.” It’s an intense form of anger. A tumultuous outburst of some sort. It flows out of the “anger” that’s been bubbling under the surface the whole time. But eventually gets out. Anger is kept in. Wrath is let out. That’s the way to think about it. Wrath refers to having finally reached that boiling point where the lid blows off the top. Have you ever been there? That place where you’re, not only expressing anger internally, but demonstrating wrath externally. Where that anger is not only bottled up under the surface but is now being exploded upon outwardly. Where you blow your top. Is this an issue that is not just something that’s happened once or twice in your life? But is a sin that you’re regularly engaged in? If so, God is speaking to you right now through His word. He’s telling you that that sin needs to be put off. It needs to be put away. Whether it’s internal, pet-up anger. Or those external expressions of rage. Wrath, neither is godly. Neither is Christlike. Neither is commendable. All of it needs to be put off.

Next, he mentions “malice.” That’s third on the list. This is a general form, malice is, of ill will. Hateful feelings. Moral badness is how some translate it. It’s this vicious propensity which infects all of our affections and desires. It inclines a person to evil. That’s what “malice” does. It describes a wicked dislike. A wicked propensity to see others suffer. To see others experience suffering. Spite would be another word. There’s really no better way to describe what “malice” is. Because it’s sort of a broad term, that consider some of the very basic biblical examples. Cain had “malice” toward Abel before he killed him. Esau, later in Genesis, demonstrated “malice” toward his brother Jacob. In Genesis 27:41 it says, “Esau bore a grudge [that’s the idea there, of maliciousness] against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.” Then Esau himself goes on in that verse, Genesis 27:41 to say, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” “Malice”. Malice is the toxic soil out of which every other sin grows. Including wrath and anger. In the life of the believer. It’s to be rooted out. Or, in keeping with our metaphor, it’s to be taken off. Put it aside. Laid aside.

Next, Paul mentions “slander” blasphemia. Now, with this one, he proceeds from more of the hidden sins of the heart, to more of these outwardly expressed sins of the tongue. This word “slander” refers to strong, intemperate language used against another person. It means to scold someone in a harsh, insolent manner. It means to verbally revile. To rail against. To speak evil against. It means to injure, to damage the name of another with the evil words that come out of your mouth. Though Paul here was directing his words to harmful speech that one Christian directs to another. The fact of the matter, and I want us to root in on this and take hold of this: that to slander or blaspheme another person. Is ultimately to blaspheme God. Because He has made that person in His image. We know that from James 3. In fact, why don’t you turn over there, to James 3 really quick. We were in James 3 just about a year ago. Look what this part of James’ letter says about the damage our words do. Our tongues do. When we slander and blaspheme another. James 3:8 says, “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.” So, when we slander another person, another image bearer. We are ultimately slandering God. That’s what’s being said here. Even more terrifying, though, I would say, are the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Where Matthew 5:22, He says. “Whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” So, are you a slanderer? Now, when I ask that question, I don’t want you thinking in legal terms. It’s hard for me to take that hat off sometimes. But I don’t want any of us to think in legal terms. A chief defense to a slander claim, in a court of law, is the truth of the matter asserted. So, if a person, if you say something about them being a no-good worthless thief. You have a defense available to you in a court of law by saying; he in fact is a no-good worthless thief. I don’t want us to think in those terms. Those aren’t the terms in the realm of biblical Christianity. Truth is not going to be a defense, ultimately, before Christ one day. The standard is higher. This term here “slander” is broader than what we think of, when we think of legal slander. So, do you slander others? Do you speak evil against them? Do you spread gossip about them, whether you know what you’re saying is true or not? Do you sow strife within the body of Christ as you hurl reckless accusations and speculation? Do you grumble and complain? Do you start unfounded rumors about others here? If so, what you are doing is not only wearing. But parading the tattered old clothing of your past. It’s time to discard it and to be rid of it.

Still in verse 8, Paul mentions “abusive speech.” All “abusive speech” he says, must be put aside; and then there’s the qualifier here, “from your mouth.” Now, “abusive speech” here, can also be translated filthy language. Shameful speech. Abrasive speech. Speech that’s lewd, indecent, corrupt. Speech that’s base and obscene. Speech that’s disgraceful and impure. It often takes the form of things like: Off-color stories. Or coarse jesting. Or crude humor. Or sexual innuendos. That term – “abusive speech” – is describing language that can grieve the one who hears it. Or causes the one who hears it to stumble. Certainly, defiles the one who speaks it. The old preacher and commentator Harry Ironside, tells a story in his commentary on Colossians, which I was in this week. He tells a story about this preacher’s meeting he once attended. The wives were involved, and they were all a part of it. As a big preacher’s fellowship with family. When the ladies had left the room to go prepare lunch for the men in the room, the men are there all left together. One of the men, a preacher, stands up and says, “well, now that the ladies have gone, I have a story for us.” Ironside retorts and says, “Sir, it is true that the ladies are not present, but the Holy Spirit is.” The story was never told. Ironside had the right impulse. The impulse we should all have. Which is to recognize, that since we have been redeemed at such a tremendous cost. We ought now to put off all “abusive speech” away from us like a dirty garment. Just like we would get rid of an old, tattered outfit that no longer fits us. Ephesians 5:3-4 sums up this principle well. It says, “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting.”

So, what Paul has laid out for us so far here in verse 8 is quite the repulsive collection of habits and sin. “Anger.” “Wrath.” “Malice.” “Slander.” “Abusive speech.” The Apostle Paul here is saying. You need to get rid of it all. You need to cast it all away. You need to shed yourself of all of it.

While we’re at it, continue in verse 9. He says, you need to put away lying too. Look at that. “Do not lie to one another.” He couldn’t put it more straightforwardly. This is a present imperative. The sense here is, “Never be lying to one another.” “Stop lying.” “Don’t’ go on telling lies, like you used to.” That’s the sense of the imperative here. There’s an old senator from Illinois, Adlai Stevenson, I think he was a presidential candidate as well. Who is quoted as once saying: “A lie is an abomination unto the Lord and a very present help in trouble.” Stevenson was half-correct. I mean, it would take a politician to recognize that a lie can, in some circumstances, help a person escape whatever jam they’re in. But ultimately. As Stevenson rightly noted. A lie is an abomination to the Lord. Lying is what led Ananias and Sapphira to be struck down, when they lied to the Holy Spirit in Acts 5. Lying is the mark of the unregenerate lover of self, flagged by Paul in Romans 1. Romans 1:25 says, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”
Of course, lying is the chief characteristic of Satan, the deceiver, the devil. Who Jesus, in John 8:44 says, is a liar and “the father of lies.” Every day. I live in this world too. Just like you, I live in flesh, just like you. Every day, we’re tempted to distort that truth. Or the truth. Every day, we’re tempted to get off course. Whether that be withholding information from our tax forms. Or cheating on an online exam. Or embellishing and exaggerating the details of a story. But to do so is completely at odds with who we are in Christ and our position before God in Christ. We worship a God who is marked by truth.
Hebrews 6:18 says, He cannot lie. Somebody tries to stump you and says, is there anything God cannot do? Say that. He can’t lie. He’s truth. He is the truth. We worship a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is described as “the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6. Truth-bearing and truth-telling simply must be a part of who we are and how we relate to and interact with other followers of Christ. As well as to the whole watching world around us. We are, as Ephesians 4:25 says, to be “lay aside falsehood.” We are, as that same verse says, to “speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” Here in Colossians 3:9. When Paul says, “do not lie to one another.” He’s communicating to this early church at Colossae and to us. That “your tongues have been given to you, by God, to speak the truth.” “And to praise Him.” Though you may have told lies to one another, as part of your old life, that might have been the natural thing to do for you. The natural environment for you to swim in. “You can’t do that anymore.” “You’ve already put off the old man – positionally.” “Now it’s time for you – practically to put off those lying ways.” Lying belongs to the ways of the old man. It has no place in the life of the child of God. Lying is one of those old, soiled, dirty garments of the flesh. That needs to be put off and discarded and cast away.

We’ve worked through our first point: The Exposure Provided. Here in verses 8 and the beginning of verse 9. Paul is telling us to – put off. To lay aside. To strip off. These sins of the heart: anger, wrath, malice and these sins of the tongue, evil speaking, abusive speech, lying.

Now, we turn to the second part of verse 9 and into verse 10. We’re going to see Paul give the reasons as to why these specific sins are to be abandoned. Look at verse 9, the next part of it. He says, “. . . since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Our second point, if you’re taking notes, is The Exchange Portrayed. Now note, here in verses 9 and 10. There’s no command given here. There’s no imperative and there’s a reason for that. See what Paul is saying here is in reference to an already-accomplished fact. For the follower of Jesus Christ. They have already “laid aside the old self.” At conversion, the follower of Christ positionally put off their old self. At that very moment, they became a new creation in Christ, II Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old [has] passed away . . .” it’s gone, the new has come. These are settled, accomplished realities. The follower of Christ has already passed from death to life. As Jesus says in John 5:24. They’ve already moved from being identified with Adam, to identified with Christ. As we’ve seen in Romans 5. Because the follower of Christ is a new man and a new person. Because he’s “laid aside the old self with its evil practices.” Those very practices which were once normal to him in his unregenerate state. “Anger.” “Wrath.” “Malice.” “Slander.” “Abusive Speech.” “Lying.” Or, for that matter, back to verse 5. “Immorality.” “Impurity.” “Passion.” “Evil Desire,” and “Greed.” Those are now completely unnatural to him. At salvation, the Christin discarded his “old self.” He went through this molting process. He went through this metamorphosis. By which the old man and his former sinful way of living. Was shed. By which the old man and his enslavement to his old, sinful practices died. The old man, as Colossians 2:12 says, you can look over the page at Colossians 2:12, was “buried with [Christ] in baptism.” We remember what Colossians 3:3 says: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” The old man now lives six feet under. Just as it would be odd, and I’m sure illegal, to physically dig up a dead body and put on its clothes. So, it would be odd, and completely unfaithful, to don the clothes of death that you once wore. Instead, verse 10 tells us again, this is not a command. But really a statement of position. A statement of what’s already been done. “. . . [you] have put on the new self” That’s referring to our new identity in Christ. The new man. Who is no longer a slave of sin. But rather, is a slave of Christ. No longer a rebel to God’s will. But rather, a grateful and dutiful child of God.

Now, I want to make sure I’m being absolutely clear about something here. If you’re a follower of Christ here this morning, you have already put on the new self. There’s nothing you need to “do” to make yourself anymore “new” than you already are. Sure, you are too, as we’re going to see in a minute, increasingly put on traits of godliness, which mirror and reflect the new self that already identifies you and who you are. We’re going to see this next time, when we get into Colossians 3:12, which commands believers to “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” and Colossians 3:14, which tells us, as believers, that we are to “put on love.” But note this well. That if you are already a follower of Christ. If you believe in His atoning death on the cross. Your identity is already fixed and sure and secure. You are already new. On the other hand, if you are not a follower of Christ this morning. I also want you to hear me clearly and lock in with what I’m about to say. No amount of good works. No amount of good deeds. No amount of well-meaning New Year’s resolutions. No amount of self-righteous deeds you could ever perform. Can ever scrub away your sin . . . or make you a “new creation.” No amount of good deeds or righteous deeds could earn you a relationship with God. Or spare you an eternity in hell. Or grant you entrance into God’s presence in heaven one day. No, if you are not a follower of Jesus Christ this morning. If you haven’t already been made “new” in Him and by Him and through Him based on your faith in Him; what you need to do, right now. Is admit that you are a sinner. Admit that you need a Savior. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Repent of your current sinful way of living and resolve, through faith, to submit every single aspect of your life to Christ’s Lordship each and every day of your life that’s left.

Back to the Christians in the room this morning. You “have”, as it says here, verse 10, “put on the new self.” If you look over at Colossians 2:10, just one chapter back. You “have”, “been made complete.” Colossians 2:11, you “have” been “circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” Colossians 2:12, you “have”, “been buried with Him in baptism.” Colossians 2:13, you “have”, been made “alive together with Him.” As we read on into verse 10 of chapter 3 as those who have put on the “new self.” As those who now are in Christ. As those who now are new creations. We’re going to see now, that we constantly need to be “renewed.” Have put on the new self, who is “being renewed”, it says. What type of renewal is being referred to there? Well, verse 10, the rest of verse 10 tells us. You put on the new self. Who is being renewed “to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him.”

Like our ultimate forefather, Adam, every single person in this room has been created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We were each made, to some degree, to bear a resemblance to the God who made us. We’re rational beings. We have the ability to think and reason and evaluate information. That’s part of being made in the image of God. We’re each volitional beings. Meaning, we have a will. That’s part of being made in the image of God. We’re each moral beings. We’re able to filter our decisions through the conscience that God has given us. We’re able to evaluate and make decisions about what’s right and wrong and choose between the two. That’s part of being made in the image of God. He made us in His image. Though this image was not completely erased by the Fall of Adam, it was marred, and it was corrupted. Through what theologians call the “noetic effect of sin.” Because of the Fall and its effects, we need to be renewed. As it says here in verse 10, “. . . to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” If we’re believers here, we know God salvifically. We’re saved. We’re secure in His hand. But our knowledge of who He is and what He requires of us, day over day is imperfect. The whole life of the Christian as he grows in sanctification. As he grows in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. II Peter 3:18 says. As he sees Christ progressively formed in Him. His whole life is one of renewal. A renewal, verse 10, “to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” I hope you understand that this is not this renewal that’s spoken of here, just about giving up a few vices and putting on a few new virtues. The way that the New Year’s resolution game happens in our world. No. Our text here is describing a complete, divinely orchestrated overhaul of the person. A complete, Spirit-directed renewal which is brought about by the Spirit who already has regenerated us. II Corinthians 4:16 says, “our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Romans 12:2 says, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Renewal. Why do Christians gather together each week, in a setting like this, to enjoy fellowship and instruction from God’s word? To be renewed “to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Why do we, as a church, and church leaders and elders, encourage you to get involved in Bible studies and Sunday schools and for the real crazy ones that come back for Sunday night service? To be renewed “to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Why do we do things like conferences and retreats and trips for our various ministries? Is it just because we want to be super busy? No. It’s so that those, in those ministries can be renewed “to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Why do we offer book studies and a bookstore and a podcast and seminary classes? So that those who partake, can be renewed “to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” We should always, in our new man, be growing more and more like Jesus Christ. We must never be satisfied with our current state of spiritual development. Instead, we are called, as believers, indwelt by the Spirit and fueled by Christ, to press on toward that goal of increasing in conformity to the image of our Savior. To grow in Christlikeness. To progressively fight and defeat sin. As we await our future, glorious hope. Warren Wiersbe put it really well when he said: “When the Child of God looks into the Word of God and sees the Son of God, he is changed by the Spirit of God into the Image of God for the Glory of God.” He’s right. Even better, of course, are Paul’s words in II Corinthians 3:18, where he says: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

So, why do we put aside anger? Why do we put aside wrath and malice and slander and abusive speech? Why do we refrain from lying to one another? We do so because we have already laid aside the old self with its evil practices. We do so because we’ve already put on the new self. It’s that new self, that we see here in verse 10, that is “being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.”

Ok. We’ve seen The Exposure Provided, in verse 8 and the beginning of verse 9. Where Paul exposes those sins that need to be put off. Those sins of the heart and those sins of the tongue. We’ve seen The Exchange Portrayed, in verse 9 and 10. Where Paul has just given us these reasons why these sins are to be abandoned. Namely, that we’ve already put off the old man, and donned the new man. Next, here in verse 11, we’re going to see Paul continue to build on this concept of renewal. Where he declares, specifically. That this renewal is available to all, without exception. Who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 11, where Paul, after speaking in verse 10 about being renewed. In verse 11, says, “. . . a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman . . .” I’ll leave it there. In Christ, there’s no distinction. There’s no dividing wall. Between people of different religious backgrounds. Different economic backgrounds. Different social backgrounds. Those walls that exist out there in the world and we can see that they exist, have come down in the body of Christ.

For the notetakers this morning, our third point is this: The Eradication Pronounced. The point Paul is making here in verse 11 is relatively simple. I think we can make quick work of it, and it’s this: In Christ, all normal human distinctions between men and women are overruled and removed. Those barriers. Those distinctions. Whether economic. Or political. Or social. Or religious. They all come crashing down in Christ. In Christ, all believers, positionally, are truly “created equal.” So, it’s to be expected that each and every believer. Regardless of his nationality. Or his former religion. Or his culture. Or his economic standing. Should do away with his former sinful practices and his former life. In accord with the “new self” that he now has. That’s really the key here. That’s what I want us to lock in on. That Paul here in verse 11. Because this verse, like Galatians 3:28, can be taken in so many wild and wacky ways. By an egalitarian, specifically, like Paul here is making some statement about social justice. Or economic equality. Or religious liberty. Or women should be preachers and that sort of thing. No. He’s not saying that, in the context, clearly. No, in the context, he’s saying that no matter who you are. What you look like. What background of religious tradition you came from. Or anything else about you. What you have to be doing, as a follower of Christ. Is putting aside these very sins. Sins of slander and anger and wrath and malice, and abusive speech. It doesn’t matter, the context here it dictates, that you came from a different social background, where it was ok to blow up in anger. It doesn’t matter that in your former life, it was acceptable to call people of a different economic class or caste, names. It doesn’t matter what your former religious tradition deemed acceptable or unacceptable. You are now in Christ. You are identified in Christ, your identity with Christ is the most important thing about you. The walls come down.

Now, it would be important, by the way, from good exposition here, to flesh out some of these different categories of people that Paul identifies here, as his case in point. Because as we go through these. We’re going to see just how sharp these distinctions are in the world. How, through the grace of God, these distinctions crumble and are eliminated in Christ.

First, verse 11, he mentions “Greek and Jew”, that’s our first pair of opposites there. Paul speaks of “a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew.” That language highlights the divisions that are made in the world, based on people’s nationality or race. In this time, it was Jew and Greek. But in God’s economy, what Paul is saying here is that its not one’s race or ethnic background that makes a person acceptable before God. It’s not whether one is a Jew or a Greek. Or whether one is a Canadian or an American. None of those national, ethnic distinctions could ever make a man, in and of itself a “new man.” That’s why Paul over in Ephesians 2, if fact you could turn with me, to Ephesians 2, goes so in depth on this once existing dividing wall, that existed between Jews and Gentiles, Jews and Greeks. But has since calmed down through Christ. Look at Ephesians 2:13. He says, “But now in Christ Jesus you [he’s talking to Gentiles there] who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jews and Gentiles] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” So, that’s the distinction being made there. A racial one. An ethnic one. When Paul speaks, back in Colossians 3:11, of “Greek and Jew.”

The next pair of terms he gives us, are “circumcised and uncircumcised”. That’s contrasting people of different religious backgrounds. Different religious upbringings. We know that circumcision was the pride of and a distinction of Judaism. We saw that already back in Colossians 2, that there was a Jewish element to the Colossian heresy. There doubtless were, there in Colossae, certain Jewish converts who took some element of pride in having gone through this physical ritual. Paul, already in Colossians 2:11-12 has taken on that temptation to pride. Where he says, “in Him [Colossians 2:1, meaning in Christ] you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.” In other words, if a person is in Christ, they have already been circumcised spiritually, which is of eternally greater significance that any physical ritual.

Moving on we see next, Colossians 3:11, the terms “barbarian, [and] Scythian.” These would represent cultural distinctions. Cultural walls that get built between people. Now, in the Greco-Roman way of thinking in these days, a “barbarian” was one whose language was considered to be foreign. A barbarian, by definition, was one who didn’t know Greek. They didn’t have a grasp of the lingua franca, the language of the day. Then, “Scythians” are kind of a subset here of the barbarians. Scythians were considered the lowest type of barbarian. The Scythians were these nomadic invaders that came down from the Black Sea area. In fact, the historian, Herodotus in his fifth century B.C. account of the Scythians, writes this: he says, “As regards war, the Scythian custom is for every man to drink the blood of the first man he kills. The heads of all enemies killed in battle are taken to the king; if he brings a head, a soldier is admitted to his share of the loot; no head, no loot. He strips the skin off the head by making a circular cut round the ears and shaking out the skull; he then scrapes the flesh off the skin with the rib of an ox, and when it is clean works it in his fingers until it is supple and fit to be used as a sort of handkerchief.” The Scythians were turning skulls into hankies, they were absolute savages; which is why it was so radical for Paul to say what he’s saying here. In fact, Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, written in the first century, late first century, marvels at the fact that even a Scythian, he says, can be saved. Quite the testimony to the power of the gospel.

Finally, we have this last paring here in verse 11, between “slaves and freeman”. That’s simply referring to social opposites. We have national or ethnic opposites and economic opposites. We’ve seen social opposites. That would be this one here, “slave and freeman.” Now, slavery had not yet come to be thought of as we would think of it today, in our American way of thinking, as immoral or necessarily degrading. Slavery was simply an economic exchange. Where one traded services and really their freedom, to make a living, to survive. In fact, Aristotle called slaves, around this time, “living tools,” and it was recognized. Here’s the glory of the gospel here. We see it here. We see it in Galatians 3:28. That in the Christian community, the slave, as much as the freeman, was a brother. A brother for whom Christ died. The slave, as much as the freeman, carried all the privileges, and also the responsibilities associated with being a follower of Christ. Again, the point of what’s being said here in context in Colossians 3:11, is that all these differences listed here, differences of nationality or religion or culture or economic or social order. Those differences do exist. They are right before our eyes. They are not of essential or eternal significance. What that means, practically for us here today. Is that it doesn’t matter if you have a different religious background before you came to Christ. It doesn’t matter if you had a Roman Catholic background. Or if you had no religious background at all. It also doesn’t matter if your whole history before coming to Christ was checkered. Or if you were just living a fine, upstanding life, as a model citizen. Doesn’t matter if you have always lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Or if you have multiple properties and a wealthy investment portfolio. If you are in Christ. If you are a Christian. You are positionally equal to each and every one of your brothers and sisters here in the Lord. If you have received Christ Jesus as Lord. You have died with Him. You’ve been buried with Him. You’ve been raised with Him, and you’ve had your sins forgiven through Him. You are a part of one body, as in 1 Corinthians 12:13 says. You’re now “one man” in Christ, as Galatians 3:28 says. There are no other barriers. No other walls. No other distinctions. They’ve all, positionally, been eradicated. That is really, one of the most incredible, remarkable achievements of the gospel. It really shatters any sort of “us versus them” mentality. It affirms that we truly are all one in Christ. Common in unity, certainly. But also, and this is the context here. Common obligation. Commonly obligated to continually put aside the very sins that we see listed out for us here in this section of Paul’s writing to the Colossians. Having put on the new self. Having been renewed, as it says, and being renewed, put off all of these sins. It’s a common obligation.

We’ve got seven words to go. Not in my sermon, but in the text. Look at verse 11. Last few words here. It says, “. . . but Christ is all, and in all.” Here’s our fourth and final point for this morning: The Exclamation Point. We’re going to start, actually, and take this out of order. He says, “Christ is all, and in all.” I actually want us to look at those words “and in all”, first. This idea that Christ is “in all”, really takes us back to Paul’s soaring Christology in Colossians 1. In fact, flip over with me to Colossians 1. We were in this section of Colossians, many many months ago. But just by way of reminder, when Paul here now, is saying Christ is in all. I do believe he has these verses in mind. Colossians 1:15 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” What is that teaching us? It’s teaching us that Christ is not just that cooing little baby in the manger in Bethlehem, that we celebrated all December long. No. He is also God. He is the Creator. He is the originator of all things. He’s the sustainer of all things. Not only is He the Creator of all things. He is the head of the church. Not only is He the head of the church, but He’s also the forerunner of all those who will one day be resurrected unto life. That’s what it means to say Christ is “in all.” To borrow the old line from Abraham Kuyper: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: “Mine!” Christ “is in all.”

But not only is Christ “in all.” Temporally. Territorially. Globally. Spatially. To His followers, He “is all.” That means, for the follower of Christ. It’s not Christ plus our family. Or Christ plus our kids. Or Christ plus our job. Or Christ plus our church attendance. Or Christ plus our prayers. Or Christ plus our Bible reading. Or Christ plus our sermon notes. Or Christ plus our good deeds. Or Christ plus our sincerity. Or Christ plus our charity. Or Christ plus our New Year’s Resolutions. No. Christ alone, “is all.” He’s everything. He represents the center and the circumference of our lives.

The old Puritan Thomas Brooks once said that: “Christ is the sun [sun], and all the watches of our lives should be set by the dial of his motion.” That is quite the accurate, beautiful, poetic, Copernican statement. But the real question is: Is it true in your life? Is the watch of your life set by the dial of His motion? Or, rather, by the motion of your family schedule? Or your leisure time? Or your well-established routines? Or your financial worries? Or your position in the church? Or your political obsessions? Is Christ absolutely everything to you? Can you say, as you look back on your life as a Christian and your life today. That “Christ is all”? If so, you’ll see this passage that we’ve worked through here this morning. Really working in reverse order in your life. If this is true of you. If “Christ is all” to you. Because that’s true. Because He is all. It will be very natural for you to want to spend your time “being renewed to a true knowledge” of Him . . . “according to the image of the One” who created you. It will be very natural for you to be speaking of having this new identity in Christ. Having “put [] on the new self.” Having “laid aside the old self with its evil practices.” Including those very sins like anger, wrath, and malice, and slander, and abusive speech, and lying.

Are you perfect? Are any of us perfect? Have you arrived? Heavens, no. None of us can make that claim. But because, for you, “Christ is all.” You’ve embraced these truths. You strive to live in light of these truths. You embrace the truth, just up the page of Colossians 3:4, where it says, “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” O, for that day. That day, when we will be revealed with Him in glory. In the meantime, may we serve and live for Christ faithfully until that day comes. May we treat Him, and live for Him, sincerely, as our “life.” As our “all.” As “Christ Preeminent.”

Let’s pray. Lord, I thank You for this time in Your word this morning. I thank You for the magnificent truth that this book of Colossians contains. So many glorious reminders of who You are. What You have accomplished on behalf of us. What You call Your people to be and become. They are words of conviction. They are words of comfort. They are words of grace. I do pray, that for those of us who are in Christ, these words would be both a spur and a balm. Spurring us on to grow in godliness and grow in grace and put off these sins. But, also a balm, to help remind us that it’s not because of anything we could do. Or any goodness in us. It’s all because of Your Sovereign grace, in redeeming us and saving us and regenerating us. That we have even an ability to live out these truths. I pray that it would be front and center in our minds, as we desire, truly to remember that we have put off the old self, already. We have put on the new self, already. It’s because of those great truths that we have the ability to put off this laundry list of sins given to us in verse 8. God, I do pray for those here who may not know You. That they would not seek to will themselves to better living. Or a higher standard of living. Or just simply being a better person. But rather, they would fall on their knees in repentance and faith and trust the only way their sins might be forgiven. The only way that they can clean up their acts, so to speak, is to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, on the cross. Thank You for these dear people. Thank You for this new year to serve You. Pray that You would be glorified in our midst, all year long. In Jesus’ name. Amen