Have you ever said, “Well, that’s just not practical?” Maybe you were looking at buying a different car and your spouse showed you a 2-door convertible for your family of 6…or maybe you were looking at a buying an expensive pair of shoes that you would only wear with one outfit – and someone says – “that’s just not practical.”
Paul has spent the first two chapters of Colossians addressing correct doctrine for the Colosse church, specifically regarding the gospel. Sometimes we look at strong doctrinal teaching and think – “Well, that’s good to know, but where’s the practicality of everyday living?” As Paul tends to do after strong doctrinal teaching in his epistles, he now moves to truths for everyday gospel living after the strong doctrinal foundation is laid. Colossians 3 begins a section of very practical instruction for the believer. Over the next two weeks, we will come to understand that to truly forgive as we must, genuine gospel living must be our everyday life.
1. Gospel living desires a new direction (3:1-4)
The believer is risen with Christ and such a position continues with a new direction in every day gospel living. The genuine child of God must choose desires that are in line with the very character of God. God is holy, love, peace, kind, merciful, joyful, patient, endures, gentle, good, meek, and temperance. The believer can make such choices because a believer’s bondage to the flesh is broken at Jesus Christ’s resurrection, and the Holy Spirit convinces him of truth as the Holy Spirit guides his steps. The Holy Spirit enables; however, the believer must choose according to the Holy Spirit’s convincing. This is not an automatic. The believer has a will.
Matthew Henry says it this way, “As Christians are freed from the ceremonial law, they must walk the more closely with God in gospel obedience.”
My wife and I took a long road trip this summer for a family reunion and to see my parents. As we drove, we often found ourselves deep into conversation. At one point, I realized I had missed a turn and was now headed the wrong direction. The GPS volume had been turned down and we missed the “make a U-Turn” instruction. We turned the volume up and the GPS was heard saying, “I give up. You’re on your own!” LOL! The GPS didn’t really say that, but we did have to turn around to get on the right highway.
What direction are you headed as a believer? The new direction for the believer is to be heavenly. Heaven and earth are of separate directions and cannot be followed at the same time. So, live with heaven as your pursuit!
2. Gospel living destroys the old ways (3:5-7)
The Holy Spirit does the work of enabling grace in every believer; however, every believer has a responsibility as well. Here it is – we must choose to suppress our self-centeredness like we would suppress weeds or rats (vermin). This is only possible through the grace of God. In other words, I do not need more self-discipline as much as I simply need more of Jesus! In Colossians 3:5-7, we are shown specific places to suppress our self-centeredness. The list includes immorality and covetousness – areas of which some embraced before gospel living became a reality.
Years ago, a bee had come into our home. Now bees are a problem for me. Their stinger hurts and causes pain, but that’s not the problem for me. My problem is that I am allergic to bees. The last time I got stung was as a teenager. I was stung on my ankle. My foot swelled to the point that I could not bend my foot at all. My whole foot and lower calf swelled significantly. Today my allergies has increased to many more things and my allergic response is now even more significant. I have an EPI pin in my desk. Because of other allergies, my lips and my face have on occasion swelled to 3 or 4 times the normal size, my throat and chest have tightened…it gets scary. I have had one experience with anaphylactic shock…and that was enough. So, back to the bee in the house. I had one thing in mind: kill the bee! I did whatever it took to kill the bee. If I did not kill the bee, the bee could cause serious damage to me.
This is crucial for gospel living! If we do not choose to destroy (mortify) sinful deeds in our life, the sinful deeds will destroy our life.
Here’s the reality: the gospel is stronger than my self-centered appetite and lustful passions! Remember, heaven is holy. Gospel living pursuits are heavenly, so our pursuits must be holy (Rom. 13:14; Jas. 1:27).
3. Gospel living discards the old ways (3:8-9)
The next few verses (Colossians 3:8-11) continue the same direction and same destruction with the call to discard the choices a believer used to make before gospel living began as a believer. Here is the list the scriptures include for us to which we are to give heed. This list is also included in Ephesians 4:31-32 regarding Paul’s discourse on bitterness.
Anger. This includes a temper, as well as vengeance.
Wrath. This is the progression of anger. It includes the spheres of indignation, heated anger, and boiling up.
Malice. The progression continues with the desire to cause physical harm or to injure.
Blasphemy. This is understood with terms like “railing” and “evil speaking.” Blasphemy wants to cause injury through slanderous words.
Filthy Communication. This directs our attention to foul, lewd, indecent, and obscene speech.
Lie not. This one is clear. Tell the truth!
Some time ago, I decided it was time to thin out my wardrobe. Some of the clothes did not fit anymore, some of the clothes were beyond repair with holes, and some of the clothes looked like I was trying to dress like I was still in college as a 20-year-old. I had no business wearing any of those clothes. I had changed and my clothes needed to change as well.
Gospel living discards these old ways of our former life (the old man). Gospel living takes off (like a piece of clothing) these lifestyle choices we used to put on before we began a relationship with Jesus Christ. Now we must choose to put on new spiritual clothes with the Holy Spirit’s help.