MPC
9th June 2019.June 9 - Colossians 3:1-17 - "Be Who You Really Are"
MPC
9th June 2019.
Jeremy Wales
I wonder what's been your experience with self-improvement? We're in a series on Paul's letter to the Colossians and it's all about growth. What it takes to keep growing as a person and what are some dead-ends to avoid. And as I've been following the series from Doug and Phil, I couldn't help noticing how what Paul's saying actually has some overlaps with the self-help genre. Now, self-help books tend to get a bad rap, don't they? A bit like New Year's resolutions. They're notorious for giving you a good feeling when you resolve to change, but do we end up putting much of it into practice?
Well, someone who really did put it all into practice is journalist Marianne Power. At 36 she found herself chronically broke, single and hungover. She admits she can't blame the self-help books she'd read in the past for her current problems because she never actually did much of what they said to do. So she launches herself on a year-long experiment, which she traces in her recent book Help me! And it makes for interesting reading. Each month she takes a different self-help classic, does absolutely everything it says, and tells us the results.
Kate Northrup's Money, A Love Story
Tony Robbins' Unleash the Power Within
Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now
Matthew Hussey's Get the Guy
Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life
Power's aim was to do it all properly this time. So that by the end of the year she'd be out of debt, healthy and loved by a great guy. And it actually worked... for a while. Listen to what she says in the book's conclusion:
In... April, I felt... brilliant. I was so proud of myself. Really, so so proud. But [by December] I was done. I was done with trying to eradicate all my bad bits, done with going to war with myself for all my perceived failings. I was done with trying to be Highly Effective or spending every second in a state of blissful zen. I was tired of the affirmations and faking happiness when I just wanted to swear and be grumpy.
She says the problem was:
With every book my expectations of life increased... The higher the bar was set, the more I felt like I was failing. The more I hunted down Perfect Me the more she eluded me... All I could see were my flaws and failings and I thought I needed to fix myself before anyone would love me.
That sounds like a petty painful experiment, doesn't it? But I suspect she could have learned the same hard lesson with much less pain from last week's sermon. In Colossians 2 Paul unpacked the problem with all humanity's attempts at self-improvement. New rules, spiritual experiences, physical discipline. They can do something. But they can't change who you really are.
Well, this week, Colossians 3, Paul says Jesus can.
Take a look at the negative things Paul lists in v5, and v8-9. Lust, greed, anger, slander, lying. Whether you're Christian or not. Wouldn't you like less of those in your life? In your relationships? Then look at the positive things in v12-15. Compassion, patience, forgiveness, love, peace. Whether you're Christian or not. Don't you want more of those in your life? In your relationships? The question is, then, what's so magical about trusting in Jesus? How can Paul say Jesus will make this change in you like nothing else can? And how does it work? What do you have to do to get that change?
Paul says Jesus can change you in a way you could never change yourself. And we're going to see, to get that change it takes 3 steps.
The 1st step is this...
Know who you really are. Paul says trusting Jesus does change who you really are. He says when your trust is in Jesus and his Spirit is in you, then you're joined with Jesus. You're now one with him. So that what's true of Jesus is now true of you. His death for sin counts as yours. His resurrection from death guarantees yours. you are now in christ. That's who you are now. The first step to change and growth is to know that and keep it in mind.
See that's what he says there in v1. He says: Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is. Again, v2, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things [not on your life here and now]. Why not set your mind on life here and now? v3 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.
Notice what Paul is saying. He's not saying you should think as if you had died and been raised with Christ. Look at what he's saying. He's saying if your trust is in Jesus and his Spirit is in you, then you have died and been raised with Christ.
Because you're one with Jesus. You're in Christ. That's who you are now. So your real life is not the one you're experiencing here and now. That's just a prelude to your real life. Your real is life with Christ. Paul says if you trust in Jesus, then that's the fact. You just need to know that fact. And not forget it. Keep your mind set on it at all times. Because it's the simple act of keeping that in mind that creates deep, lasting change.
Keeping that in mind that creates deep, lasting change. Because knowing who you are determines what you wear.
Let me show you what I mean. Wednesday night the mighty Maroons won State of Origin game 1 in yet another great, come-from-behind victory. And of course all the players know they're Maroons, they know who they are, so guess what they all wear? That's right. maroon. Because that's who they are. And they know that's who they are. None of them makes the mistake of turning up in their club uniform.
But if double-try-scorer Dane Gagai did somehow turn up in his South Sydney uniform, someone would've had to remind him who he really is. You're not South Sydney tonight, mate. Take that off. You've actually got the honour of being a maroon. So dress like it.
Now that's how it works for the person who's in the Maroons. And that's how it works for the person who's in Christ. If your trust is in him and his Spirit is in you, then you're one with Christ. That's who you are. And as long you remember who you are, that'll change what you wear. The attitude to life you walk around in, the behaviours you put on display. They won't be your old attitude and behaviours any more. The destructive ones you could never free yourself from. Your attitude to life will now be that of Christ himself. Your behaviours will now be like those of Christ himself. Because that's who you are now. If only you remember that. See that's what Paul is saying in v5. He says [because of who you really are and where your real life is in v1-4; because you're in Christ therefore] Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: [whatever desires would only make sense if your real life was here and now, not with Christ]
v7 Paul says: You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these... why?
v9 since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator [which is Christ].
Remember who you are really are in Christ and you'll take off your old attitudes and behaviours that don't fit with that.
So, for example. When you're in the grip of lust. Don't try to justify it as "natural." Remember who you are in Christ. Remember that in Jesus you've already died for that lust. So it's ok to own up to it. But it's not ok to continue it. To sexually objectify peoplecreated by Christ doesn't fit with being in Christ yourself. Besides, you'll know your happiness doesn't depend on getting every sexual experience you can here and now, when your remember your real life is with Christ.
When you're in the grip of anger. With your kids or your parents or your partner or your co-workers or your neighbours. Don't try to excuse it as "understandable frustration". Remember who you are in Christ. Remember that in Jesus you've already died for that anger. So it's ok to own up to it. But it's not ok to continue it.
This rage against people created by Christ doesn't fit with being in Christ yourself. Besides, whatever they've done to you here and now isn't going to jeopardise your real life, which remember is with Christ.
When you're in the grip of greed. Always wanting more money, more stuff than you really need, like most of us Aussies actually. Don't try to excuse it as "aspiration" or "healthy ambition". Remember who you are in Christ. Remember that in Jesus you've already died for that greed. So it's ok to own up to it. But it's not ok to continue it. Remember where your real life is, with Christ, not in the house and car you have today and the upgrades you want tomorrow.
Remember who you really are now. And you'll take off your old uniform. The one that belongs with your old life without Christ. Of course, you can't just take off your old uniform and walk around naked. You need to put something in its place. You need to put on your new uniform. The one that fits with the fact that you're now in Christ.
That's what Paul says in v12. He says Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, [which is what you really are because you're in Jesus and he is chosen, holy and loved... therefore] clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
When you remember who you really are in Christ, you won't just take off your old uniform. You'll put on your new uniform. The one that goes with who you are now. The attitudes and behaviours of Christ himself. Because you're in him.
Now, this putting on of Christ because you're in Christ, it's actually not something you can do all by yourself. It's something which all people who are in Christ have to do together. Which makes sense if you think about it. If you're in Christ. And you're in Christ. You're both in Christ together. You need to remember who you really are in Christ. and you need to remember who other people really are in Christ as well.
It's like we're all in the same people mover. Obviously we all have the same ultimate destination and we'll get there at the same time. When we understand that, what sense would it make to try and compete with each other? To race each other? To run each other off the road? Obviously, you don't even consider that, when you know you're in the same car.
In the same way, in Christ the traditional divisions between people dissolve completely. V11 There's no more Gentile vs. Jew, slave vs. free. In Christ, there's not even Queenslander vs. Southerner! It makes no sense for people who are in Christ together to fight with each other. To think ourselves better than each other. To not forgive each other, when Christ has forgiven us all. To not love each other, when Christ loves us all.
When we remember who we all are in Christ together - then we will v12 have humility before each other, gentleness and patience with each other, compassion, forgiveness v13 and love for each other v14. We'll have peace with each other, v15, because we each have peace with Christ. That's what will happen when we remember who we all are in Christ together. Wouldn't you like to be part of a community like that?
Well, there's another way that putting on Christ is a team sport.
And it's really crucial. Remember Paul started v1-2 by saying set your mind on who you are in Christ. It's a fact whether you're thinking about it or not, but to have its effects in your life you need to set your mind on it. Well it turns out we can actually help each other here.
Check out v16. Paul says: Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly [the simple but profound message about Jesus dying for your sins and rising to give you new life - let it go down deep and grow in you - how?] As you teach and admonish one another. My job is to set your mind on who you really are in Christ. Your job is to set my mind on who I really am in Christ.
Now you might think: that's easy for you, Jeremy, when you get to preach. Well so do you, whenever we sing together. Did you notice the rest of v16? 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom [how?] through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. When we sing - not necessarily with genuine talent but with genuine thankfulness to God for forgiveness and new life - when we do that we're actually doing the work of setting each other's minds on Christ. Reminding each other who we really are in Christ. So that we can be can be who we really are, in the rest of our lives.
You've got a job to do here at church every week. And not just when you're on a roster. Setting other people's minds on Christ. We need you here. I need you here. Because we're in Christ together. And when we remind each other of that, that's what will form us into a genuinely Christ-like community, like nothing else can.
When we started this passage, you might have been sceptical that all this talk of heaven could be much use for life on earth.
Have you heard the old saying? Some people are so heavenly minded they're no earthly good. And here's Paul saying be heavenly minded!
Know who you really are in Christ and that life here and now is just a prelude to your real life with him. But I hope you can see by now that nothing could more powerful for life here and now - for change in you as an individual and for change in us a community - than being heavenly minded. Knowing who you really are in Christ and that your real life is with him - that's what will free you to take off your old self, and put on Christ. In a way nothing else comes close to.
Much better than that old saying is this quote from Christian author C. S. Lewis. He says: Aim at heaven and you'll get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
You see what he's saying? As we fix our minds on Jesus above our life here and now, that's what will produce the change that will fix so much of what's wrong with life here and now. But if instead we just try to fix our lives here and now, by ourselves without Jesus, we miss out on all of that. I love the way Lewis puts it. Except perhaps for the word aim at heaven. Only because it could be taken to imply that we don't already have heaven. When Paul's point here is that, in Christ, we do.
Christ's death for sin counts as ours. Our sins are already paid for. Christ's resurrection from death guarantees ours. It's settled already. That's why, did you notice v12, Paul doesn't say so that you can become God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself in Christ-like attitudes and behaviours. What he says is: as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved. In Christ, that's who you are already. Marriane Power said her best attempts at self-improvement just left her seeing the failures she'd have to fix before anyone could love her.
When you're in Christ you know you're loved already, no matter your own failures. Because you're in Christ. That's why - did you notice - v15, 16 and 17, all three verses end with "be thankful". It's from knowing who you are in Christ, and the life with Christ which that guarantees, and being thankful for that - that's what will move us to put off our old selves and put on Christ. To be who we really are in Christ. Let's pray that we'll do that.