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Colossians - New LifeSeries: Colossians - New Life · Talk No. 6

Death to life transformation

Sunday, 16 March 2008

Donny Kwan

Colossians 2:20-3:4 ESV or NIV

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Introduction

A bright young A+ student from Harvard University journeyed to the mountains of Tibet during the summer before his final year of study. There he met a monk who said to him, “Don’t you see how you are poisoning your soul with your success-oriented way of life? Your idea of happiness is to stay up all night studying for an exam so you can get a better grade than your friend. Your idea of a happy marriage is not finding a woman who will make you whole, but winning the girl that everyone else wants. That’s not how people are supposed to live. Life is not a competition. Give it up. Come join us in an atmosphere where we share, live in harmony, and love one another. Here you can find true happiness.”

The young man had completed four years at a competitive high school to get into Harvard and had worked hard to become one of the top students in his class at the university. He was ripe for the appeal of the Tibetan monk. He called his parents and told them that he would not be coming home. He was dropping out of Harvard and his course to live in a Buddhist monastery.

Six months later, he wrote his parents: “Dear Mom and Dad, I know you weren’t happy with the decision I made last summer, but I want to tell you that I am doing great. For the first time in my life, I am at peace. Here there is no competing, no hustling, no trying to get ahead of anyone else. Here we are all equal, and we all share. This way of life is so much in harmony with the inner essence of my soul that in only six months I’ve become the number two disciple in the entire monastery, and I think I can become number one by June!”

Obviously, nothing changed for this young man except his environment. On the inside, he remained the same person and as the novelty of living in a new place wears off he will probably be as discontent as he was before.

This student could not find happiness or peace simply by changing his external surroundings. What he needed is a change on the inside. Despite taking on the appearance of living a more holy life he was not transformed from in the inside.

Tonight we come to look at death to life transformation as we continue to live in Christ. The first thing we learn Paul points out as we live in Christ is we are

1. Dead to religion

The difference between Christianity and religion is Christianity is about living life that trusts in Jesus’ saving work for us. Religion is about following rules and regulations in order to save ourselves. So when Paul talks about continuing in Christ in the previous few verses he points out that we should not live religiously to the worldly way of thinking. Why is that? It is because

a) Religion requires rule keeping

20 ¶ Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:  21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"?

  • Paul has already told the Colossians they were to continue in Christ as they were participators in the death of Christ and because they were baptized in him.
  • As people who have died to the powers of the world they should no longer continue to live according to the standards of this world but rather they should continue in Christ.
  • Paul applies this in a practical way.
  • The Colossians Christians had died with Christ so that they are to no longer live by the rules and regulations of this world.
  • They are to no longer conform to the basic principles of this world meaning the worldly teachings as Paul mentioned earlier in verse 8.
  • The Colossian Christians are not to be deceived into following old religious traditions or other spiritual traditions where you could not handle, taste and touch certain things. He was warning against warping their living Christian faith in Christ into a religion of rules and regulations that needed to be followed.
  • What sort of rules and regulations does this religion require? It is one of negative ones. Ones of prohibition. "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"
  • Its all about the do not, do not, do not!
  • Religion like this is about the externals. About appearing holy. But in reality nothing is done to change the internal condition of their hearts. Christ came to change us from the inside out.
  • Sometimes on appearances it can look like we’re doing all the right things as a Christian. We attend Church, go to bible study, possibly even attend prayer meetings. We avoid the really ‘wrong things’ we know we should like we should not eat food that has been offered to idols, we shouldn’t drink any alcohol, we shouldn’t have sex with our wives or husbands to make us unclean in God’s sight. Yet all of these are religious rules and of vain hope trying to make us more holy. No abstinence or rule following can make us more holy if we do not allow Christ to change us from the inside.
  • Paul is saying don’t let abstinence trick you into thinking you can become more holy. It has no power to.
  • Rather we should be dead to this religious way of living because Christ has freed us when we died with him in our baptism.
  • We now no longer need to submit to the negative rules and regulations that were part of the old way of life. (Blank screen)

Application: It means we can sexual relations with our wives. It means we can drink alcohol. It means we can now have bacon for breakfast.

Paul goes on to say that

b) Religion can not save us

22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

  • These sorts of rules and regulations are bound to perish because they are simply human in origin. They are a set of rules learned by rote, not a personal knowledge of God. These rules are made to help control the excesses of the body or flesh. Yet they are powerless to change the heart of man. Powerless to change the proud heart and make it humble, powerless to restrain the sensual indulgences of the body.
  • The appearance of holiness and devoutness though harsh treatment of the body may seem like a good thing to do to show you are a truly religious.
  • Much like how the Pharisees wanted Jesus disciples to fast because their disciples fasted to show how holy and devote to God they were.
  • But does this sort of religion get you anywhere?
  • It would seem that by merely doing these things it does not get you very far in helping one restrain themselves from merely satisfying their own desires.
  • It would seem that this sort of religion is not a about pleasing God but rather pleasing themselves and making them feel like they are acceptable to God.
  • It all looks good on the outside. It all looks good on the surface. It all looks good on appearances.
  • BUT In reality it does nothing to fix the old Adam-nature rebellion against God that rages in the heart of man. A big ingredient in that rebellion of the heart is the proud spirit of self-sufficiency which has nothing to do with the body, but springs from the sin in man. Therefore following rules to fix our physical body does nothing to fix the desire to sin. Nothing to fix the indulgences of self-sufficiency in our lives. If anything it feeds it.
  • Make sure you are not just going through the motions to look religious, but have a personal relationship with Jesus so that internally you have a heart that is changed and in tune with the Creator. (Blank screen)

Illustration: A group of people who lived the Christian life by following rules.

Application: Don’t be drawn off or enticed away by the appeal of false teaching that Christianity is about what you can’t do and what you should do to make it look like you are holy, devout and righteous. As we come up to Easter it is a good time to re evaluate if we have a living relationship with Christ. Have we knowingly or unknowingly slipped into following some kind of religious rule book? Have we turned a living personal relationship with Jesus into a religion about do’s and do not’s? The only way to have a personal living relationship with God is to be IN CHRIST where we interact with him regularly, by listen to him through his word and speaking with him through prayer. As Easter approaches, I encourage you to take time out to spend with Christ. Good Friday is a great time to remember all that Jesus did for us, so we can have this living relationship with God rather than think that we have to do and not do certain things to be acceptable to God.

The Colossians have been reminded that they not only died with Christ but they are raised with Christ. What does this mean for those who have been united with Jesus in his death and now resurrection? What does it look like? We are

2. Raised to live in Christ…

a) For eternity

NIV Colossians 3:1 ¶ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

  • Since God’s people have shared in Jesus’ death and death to the religious negative rules he now turns to the positives and its positive implications as we share in his risen life.
  • If their death with Jesus broke the links that bound them to the old life then their resurrection in Jesus will establish links with the new heavenly life.
  • If this is the case Paul tells the Colossians to set their hearts on things above. What does this mean? It means that they are to no longer live a private life of their own. No longer to live a life that pleases their own desires.
  • Their life is now the life of Christ. Their hearts are to desire what Christ desires who is seated at the right hand of God.
  • Their interests are now to be centred on Jesus. In fact Jesus’ interests become their interests. It means we are to pursue the things that lead to the same realm as Jesus who was raised.
  • Set your mind on things above. This means that our thinking is not to be limited to mere earthly boundaries. We are to think of things from the standpoint of Jesus.
  • Illustration: It’s like that great song May the mind of Christ my saviour live in me from day to day. By his love and power controlling all I do and say, all I do and say.
  • It’s seeing people the way Jesus sees people. It is thinking the way God thinks about things. Judging things by the standards of the new creation to which we belong rather than judging things by the old way of life to which we have died to.
  • Everything about us should be centred on Christ. Our interests, thoughts, aims, goals, our whole outlook should be centred and focused on the heavenly realms where Jesus reigns and where we truly belong. (Blank screen)

Not only are we raised to life in Christ for eternity but also raised to live in Christ

b) For His glory

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

  • Paul explains again to the Colossians that they have died to the old way of life. They have been transformed to now live a life that is hidden in him. That is joined with him.
  • Our life is now lived inseparable from the one who is raised and exalted in the heavenly realms.
  • Having their life hidden with Christ in God means that their life is secure in God where it is unable to be touched by anyone.
  • We are to live in a way that reflects that we are joined with Christ as he is glorified and exalted.
  • Jesus lives in glory as he was raised from the dead and we too will share in that same glory.
  • For when we live for Jesus’ glory we will reap the benefits of his glory when he appears.
  • Live for Jesus’ glory! For when Jesus returns we will also appear with him in glory. (Blank screen)

Illustration: It’s like becoming an Australian in the 70’s. People came to life a new life. They want to live here for the rest of their lives not wanting to go back to their former way of life in their previous country. You know when they have when they start barracking for Australian sporting teams and being concerned about the countries politics. Those who become an Australian we share in the glory of winning. We share in the celebration of holidays like Australia day and Anzac Day. Their life is joined with fellow Australians. That is what it is like for Christians who live for Jesus’ glory and will share in his glory.

Application: What about us? Do we live life that shows we have a different citizenship? Since we are raised with Christ have we set our hearts and minds on eternity, the things above? Are we concerned with the same things that Jesus is concerned with? Do we see everyone needing to hear the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness? Do we see people as broken people who need a saviour? Do we have a heart of compassion like Jesus who wants to help those who are lost to find their way home to God? Are we concerned for people’s eternities or are we only concerned for their earthly life? The reason we have this new attitude and life is because our life is joined with Christ. It is as we live in Christ for his glory that we will also benefit from his glory when he appears.

Conclusion

Are we living in religion or are we living in Christ? Do we live our lives by rules and regulations or do we live our lives by the grace that God has given us? Paul reminds us that we are dead to the powers of this world by no longer needing to live by religious rule keeping. Paul reminds us that rule keeping religion can not save us nor changes us on the inside. It can not change our hearts. BUT since we are raised in Christ we are to see, think and live with eternity in mind. We are to live life for Jesus’ glory for when he comes back we too will share in his glory.