Do All in the Name of Jesus

February 17, 2013

Lesson: Colossians 3:1–17

Key Verse: Colossians 3:17

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Introduction

When you read the stories of the life of the men of the Reformation, from Hus to Luther to Calvin, and so on, you not only read about the Reformation of the Church of our Lord, but the Reformation of lives. God changed the nature of those whom he would call as servants, as true ministers of his Word. When you read of the persecution and killing of God’s servants, you are reminded of the old nature, unredeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Hus was a man for whom Christ died. His growth in Christ is seen in his growth out of the false doctrines of the church of Rome into the truth of the Word of God. John Hus spoke this of himself: “When I was young in years and reason, I too belonged to the foolish sect. But when the Lord gave me the knowledge of Scripture, I discharged that kind of stupidity from my foolish mind.”

Our life in Christ is one of dying to sin and living to him who redeemed us. It is a move from the stupidity of lies and disobedience, to one of truth and obedience. It is through the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that the Spirit of God leads us into all truth, telling us about the glorious things of Christ, through whom and in whom we live and have our being.

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Our Ascension—Colossians 3:1–4

“Ascension follows resurrection: hence, if we are members of Christ, we must ascend into heaven, because he, on being raised up from the dead, was received up into heaven (Mark 16:19), that he might draw us up with him. Now, we seek those things which are above, when in our minds we are truly sojourners in this world, and are not bound to it” (John Calvin).

Paul understands the truth of our resurrection as God has revealed it: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.” We are talking about our spiritual resurrection. We were once dead in sin. Now we are alive with Christ, having had our sins imputed to him and nailed with Him on Calvary’s cross, and being raised with him in victory, our sins being paid for, and forgiven.

Our ascension is seen in our new vision of life. We look to Christ, our King, who reigns over all things from heaven. Our ascension is recognized as we set our minds on things above, heavenly things, those things which our Father in heaven reveals to us through His Holy Scriptures. Setting our “affections” and our “moral considerations” on Christ who reigns victorious above us, we acknowledge that we are dead to sins and alive to Christ. For in him and his Word alone do we attain righteousness in our words and deeds. Our life is then truly “hid with Christ in God.” Therefore, Christ, “who is our life,” shall appear before us in his glory, and we shall also appear with him in that glory. We shall know fully that we belong to him and to the Father who has loved us.

Discussion: What is the meaning of Christ’s ascension to us?

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Put to Death—Colossians 3:5-11

The victorious ascended Christ, having paid the ransom price for our souls, makes the old nature inoperable. Paul lists for us a number of sins, or transgressions of the law of God, which are operable in our old nature. The world around us would not have us speak of these things as sin. We spoke of those who consider certain sins as just making a mistake. Other “sins” they redefine so that they become acts of goodness (such as homosexual relationships). Then, there is the moving of blame from personal to inanimate. Society can be blamed for wrong doing, as easily as it is claimed that Mother Nature produces seeds for the evolutionary product of beasts and men.

It must be understood that when we are speaking of the two natures of the Christian, we are not talking about a dual personality. There is no such thing as a person having many personalities, thereby becoming one or the other, bringing about the confusion of the court as to who shall receive the blame. There is only one spirit or soul. The soul, when expressing itself, is doing just that, expressing the self. The self, or soul, because of sin, serves one of two masters, sin or righteousness, self as god, or the true God. Multiple personalities are the result of the soul desiring the rule of self over God.

We are told, by God’s Scripture, to put to death “your members,” which bear the marks of fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, etc., because they are at war with God and deserve his wrath. Self battles between two natures, between the desire to serve self or God. Scripture tells us that, because of our new resurrection and new nature, we are able to put self to death, making our fleshly desires inoperable in our daily lives. To make it clearer, Scripture speaks of those evil “members” as a walk. The things that we once desired to practice, we must not practice. And we have, by the grace of God, through the indwelling Spirit and his written Word, the ability to put them to death, to have victory over them.

We put off lies, blasphemy, filthy language, etc., by putting on the new man, by doing those things that are righteous.  Example: We defeat lying by practicing the truth. We replace a bad habit with a good habit. We do this by being renewed daily, through Scripture, looking to Christ Jesus, growing in the knowledge of God the Father who created us, and redeemed us through His Son.

Discussion: How do we put to death those things of our old nature? What is our motivation?

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The Christian Life—Colossians 3:12–17

What is a Christian? He is one who looks to Christ and his Word, believing on him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. What does it mean then to have a Christian life? It means that the redeemed child of God recognizes the Savior who redeemed him, understands that unique relationship he has with God the Father, and walks in a new righteousness.

What does it mean to have a new nature, a new life? God tells us that we are his elect. He has chosen us to be his people. We are here, not because we have made a choice, but because our Father in heaven has made the choice. We are his elect. The nature of the elect, is seen in the words holy and beloved. (Holy defines the word, elect, it expands its meaning). Holy means to be sanctified, set apart, or consecrated. You may consecrate a certain building for a particular use. A house is set apart has an abiding place for a family. God sets us apart as his people for a particular use.

Jesus Christ prays, speaking to his Father in heaven about those whom he calls his disciples. He says, “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:19). Christ Jesus set himself apart, sanctified himself, as the Savior of the elect: those whom God the Father chose to be his children. By Christ’s sanctification we are sanctified, set apart in the truth of his Word. We come to know the truth that he gave his life for us, and we are now the children of God. Thus we are called “beloved”—ones who have been, and are being, loved by God.

Therefore, let us put our new nature to work; for the Spirit is at work in us. We are God’s children by the sanctifying work of Christ on the cross. We are to act, therefore, as children of God, holy and sanctified. Therefore, we are not only to do righteous things, but we are enabled to do righteous and good things that glorify our Father in heaven. Note the list that is before us, those things which we must put on: tender mercies, meekness, longsuffering, forgiving one another, etc. These are not things we must hunt for, they are things which are present, and must be put on. If someone gives us a set of clothes, the right size and color, and says put them on, we do so because we are able, and they are pleasing and fitting.

So with those things of righteousness: put them on, says Paul. God has given to us the gifts or fruits of the Spirit. We find that they are pleasing to the sight, they fit every occasion, they look good on us, and they glorify our Father in heaven. God also enables us to put them, to act righteously—to love one another, to obey God’s Word, to love God, etc. The self battles those old practices of sin and selfishness; but by the grace of God and His Word, the Spirit takes off our sin, and the Spirit puts on us the righteousness of Christ.

This new nature is revealed in our fellowship with one another as we study and worship together. We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in “all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Therefore, whatever we do, in word or deed, let us do so in the name of our Savior and King, Christ Jesus, giving thanks to our heavenly Father by the Son, for such a continued victory over sin in our lives.

Discussion: What does it mean to live a Christian life?

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2013 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.