Welcome to Relentless Truth with John Warren, the podcast that extracts truth from a wide range of topics, revealing who God is, who we are, and how we relate to each other. Now, here's John with this week's powerful and practical insights. Welcome to Relentless Truth. I'm John Warren. It's good to be with you again. Please like, share, review, and subscribe to Relentless Truth. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts, or you can go to our website, johnmorrinmedia.com.
Feel free to send along a comment there using our contact page or email me directly at john@johnmorrenmedia.com. Well, we are making our way through Paul's epistle to the Colossians to the Colossian church, and, we have reached chapter 3. This is a beautiful epistle on the, our completeness in Christ or perhaps said more theologically correctly, Christ's completeness. This is a a a chapter on Christology, the study of Jesus Christ our lord.
And we've reached chapter 3, and it is it is just full of rich truth, and I'll I'll do the disclaimer that it is it is tempting to go on a rabbit trail with just about every sentence in this chapter. There's a podcast episode in every sentence. There's a sermon in every sentence in this in this chapter. For example, we start with verse 1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Now, just think about all the lessons we learn in that verse. If you've been raised with Christ, think about that. He he's he's been talking about these warnings and he just warned about asceticism. He's he's setting this this church straight on some problems, legalism, angel worship, and asceticism in the in the previous chapter, the the second half of the previous chapter. And and he's saying that these things that you're doing, there are no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
So he's referencing he's going back to verses 14 and 15. He's going back beyond that, but I'm just gonna read those. I'm starting the middle of the sentence, which I shouldn't do, but by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands, this he set aside nailing it to the cross. The previous part is God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him.
He was not overcome, in other words, by by Rome, by the soldiers, by anyone in the process, Jew or Gentile. He gave himself. He surrendered himself, and that that's an important distinction. Well, by faith, Paul knows, Paul has been teaching that our sins are our record of debt is canceled, and and he's used this word ginosko and epiginosko, the word for knowledge or knowing, and and he's and and that's an intimate knowledge and understanding. We've talked about this many times.
And so, he's he's saying if you're incorporated with him the way Paul describes it in in Romans 6. Just just go back and read Romans 6, and and you'll see that that he's talking about being incorporated. He's the word baptism. He's talking about being incorporated in Christ. Christ in us, us in him. And and this this just is so beautiful. If you've been raised with Christ, resurrected to new life with Christ. Seek the things that are above.
This is a present imperative. This is a do this now and forever. Seek the things that are above in heaven, he's saying. The the the cure for the sins of the flesh, he's just told us, is submission to the Holy Spirit. But now he says, if then you were raised with Christ. That's that's the idea. If then you have been raised with Christ. If if you were raised with Christ, and you have been, then seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand
of God. We could go on and on about his being making intercession for for us. He he sits at the right hand of the father, interceding on our behalf. Then in verse 2, he says, set your minds this is an imperative. Set your minds on things that are above. He just said, seek the things that are above, and now he's reinforcing it. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
Just keep in mind, constantly to tell yourself as we read this, as you study the book of Colossians, keep the audience in mind. They worship the things that were on the earth. Themselves, in the case of the gnostics, doing and being self sufficient, in the case of legalists, and in the case of ascetics, giving things up. So just important to keep that in mind. For you have died, verse 3, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Hidden to the lost that is. Hidden to the world.
It it it shouldn't cause us concern when people in the world wonder, scratch their heads and say, wow, why do you do that? What what do you mean you're in Christ and Christ is in you? If you start talking theology, the depths of theology, as Paul explains them in these books we've been studying, with a person who's not a Christian, they're gonna look at you like you're crazy. And there's a reason for that. The identification of the believer with Christ.
So that that he would be in the believer and the believer would be in him is what Paul is talking about. So verse 4, when whenever would be a better word to use here, but, anyway, whenever Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. When Christ who is your life, Christ is the very life of the believer. Spit the spiritual bread of of the believer.
When Christ who is your life, that's that's the the source and the and the pattern is the idea if you look up those words in the Greek. When Christ who is the source and pattern of your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. He's talking about our future glory, and then he starts off with a therefore put to death therefore. So because of this, because you'll appear with him in glory, put off what is earthly in you. And this put to death, he says, put to death therefore.
Mortify it. Kill it. Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. I I'm convinced that all of our sin is a certain type of idolatry that is placing something ahead of God if you think about it. All of our sin is idolatry, but some worse than others, and this list is pretty bad. Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desires, and covetousness. Wanting what isn't ours is is kind of the theme through all of those.
Verse 6, on account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away, and he's gonna name some more. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. He's talking about putting aside negative behaviors, bad behaviors. This isn't a suggestion, these are imperatives. Verse 9, listen to this imperative. Do not lie to one another.
In my classes, I ask my students once we've established some trust, very loving, caring, smart, kind students. I I asked them, how many of you have never lied? In 10 years of teaching, about a 100 students a year, no one's ever raised their hand. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. That's a mouthful.
So he's using a clothing metaphor, having put off the new self, and he contrasts it with, having put on the new self. I'm sorry. Having put off the old self and put on the new self. It's it's a contrasting with old and new clothing, which is and Tim Challis does a good job of this in his book, virtual theology visual theology. I'm sorry. If you've never read that book, it's it's an easy read, and I would commend it to you. Tim Chalis is the author.
He has a chapter on putting off and putting on 2 separate chapters. This word knowledge, being renewed in knowledge, doesn't that remind you of renewing your mind in in Romans 12? Well, it should, Romans 12:2. But look at this, that's that word epigynosis. That's that strong form of knowing with understanding intimacy, becoming 1, becoming united in him, which is having put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Wow. That that doesn't that shake you?
Thrill you? It just it just it should suspend us in this state of of awe and marveling. The new self, which is being renewed in knowledge. This process God goes through, this renewing your mind, intimately renewing your mind, Christ in you and me, the hope of glory, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Verse 11, last verse in this paragraph.
Here, there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all. This this says all spiritual richness is in Christ. Christ is all and in all. I I'm teaching in the fall, coming up, a Bible class that I hope is well attended that Is on the attributes of God again like I I did I did several podcast episodes on this a while back about 6 months
ago. I think it was maybe a little longer and It's just amazing to think about God being of one substance one essence one one nature, and not having these individual attributes that we talk about him as if and, you know, even in the title, I I call the study the attributes of God. I should say this simple simple substance of God Because it's it's one substance. It's it's simply one all the attributes are one side. They didn't come from other places. But but listen to this, Christ is all
and in all. We talked about the unity of the Father and the Son, the God in 3 persons, and now we see Christ is all and in all. Christ is everything to us He says there's not Jew and Greek the people aren't divided circumcised and uncircumcised He's saying that stuff doesn't matter. If study the the the laws value in the New Testament. What is the New Testament summary of the law to glorify God and love your neighbor as yourself? And and look at how Christ fulfilled the law.
He did. Some people don't like that. They wanna hang on. I'm not saying he abolished the law. He did not. It still shows us the character of God. It reveals who God is.
But this this notion of Christ being all and in all it is is just a a beautiful concept this new covenant made possible by his blood confirmed by his blood and Paul talks about this in Romans 3 if you want to go back and look I think it's verse 20 and following where he talks about him being our propitiation that is the Mercy seat the blood that was sprinkled on the the Mercy seat on the day of atonement Christ is the spotless lamb who was slain. He is all and in all he's creator.
He's we could go on and on he is all and in all then in verse 12 we start a new paragraph put on then so he's going to tell us this clothing metaphor He's gonna tell us what to put on. As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
This this is a section, these two verses, verses 12 and 13 in Colossians 3, that I would love to get everyone I know, including myself, to to fully comply with, to implement, to deploy this this bearing with one another. And if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other. He he already said in Romans 12, he says, outdo each other and showing each other kindness. Forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive. You know think about this just I know this is it these are simple lessons today and We're not talking about the meaning of a lot of the greek words because I think we've done that pretty well here so far but but think about this for a second as the Lord has forgiven you when you think about those words your relationship with other people is not like God's relationship, Jesus Christ our Lord's relationship with us.
Our sin is an affront to his holiness, to his righteousness. Our our sin is is more offensive to him, to his nature, to his character than we can imagine. He is holy, set apart, and pure, transcendent, apart from us. He he is he is pure. He is love. He is purity. He is sinlessness. And and so he has forgiven us through his son so as the Lord has forgiven if we if that if that occurs to us when that occurs to us it changes our lives, the significance of God forgiving us.
And it's not just you, it's me, and it's your neighbor, and it's other it's it's it's you're not the only dirty rotten sinner. We're all in good company, and it it is because he first loved us. He first forgave us as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. If you want a basis for forgiveness, it's that, because you were forgiven by our Lord Jesus Christ, by the shedding of his blood. Think about that. You were justified by faith.
The simple beautiful gospel is incredibly logical is true That prompts us then to be able to forgive It don't look at the other person and say, well, what redeeming qualities they have? What are they? Do they deserve my forgiveness? If they have that here's what we do. Have they complied with all my expectations? Are they humble? Have they asked for forgiveness? Do they even know what they did? Are are are they are are are they even worth forgiving? Is in essence what we say sometimes.
As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. That is an imperative. That is a thumping you right between the eyes, thumping us right between the eyes imperative. And above all these, he goes on, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. You know, we mock this expression. Love is the answer. Love is everything. But love, if properly understood, is everything.
And Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body Just think about that. This beautiful perspective.
This this piece to which indeed you were called in one body that the peace of Christ rule in your hearts that word rule is to act as an umpire Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which you were indeed you were called in 1 body But when we say peace and love this is what we're actually talking about these words are actually weighty To love it is is to
extend grace without reciprocity. To to care about the needs of the of the of the loved loved person without regard for merit or reciprocity. That's what Agape is. Above all these, put on love. This is another imperative this is what we're to do Which binds everything together in perfect harmony We all need to strive to be more loving and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in 1 body And then he closes with this and be thankful.
Don't underestimate the power of a thankful heart. He doesn't say, hope God gives you the ability to blank. No. He says, be thankful. Be thankful. Stop, pause, stop fretting, and be thankful. Well, I don't I don't know how to be thank Yes, you do. Be grateful. You are loved by God Almighty. Be thankful. You're not so low that God's grace doesn't reach you. You're not so accomplished that you don't require His grace. Be thankful. Be grateful. Look at look at how he's built his argument here.
You must forgive put on love forgive each other put on love let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful Paul there's no secret to life James Taylor wrote a song that says secret of life is enjoying the passage of time it no no no Paul gives us the secret of to life right here Just just read the end of chapter 3, the last paragraph in chapter 3. Just beautiful. I guess it's the not quite the last paragraph.
Then he says, and whatever you do in word or deed, so this is inclusive here, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Do everything in the name of it with his authority and approval. All that he is and has done is in his name. I am that I am. Do do everything in the name. In the beginning was the word, and the word was
with God, and the word was God. Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him I love the way Paul gives us the imperative and then he goes off to the side and says here's another angle on that same imperative. It's just beautiful the way if you if you watch his pattern, he gives you the
imperative and then a sentence later. He'll he'll reinforce it and Then he goes on there is another paragraph Wives submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord this is this is a functional command not not a not an inferiority thing And I I know that's hard for people to understand, but but it it's biblical. You know, it's it doesn't say husbands, therefore, lord, your authority over your wife or or you're not equal or No. It's a functioning issue. Families function better when it goes this
way. This is in God's word. This isn't replaced by some cultural norm today. It it it doesn't the husbands are to love our wives and and do not be harsh with them. Verse 19 says, elsewhere, we're to love them as Christ loved the church. Christ gave his life for the church, so That's another conversation for another day. Wives, submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord. In other words, Adam and Eve were were structured this way. It was fitting to God to design us this way functionally.
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. It has the idea of bitterness there. Don't be bitter with them. Children, obey your parents in everything. This is talking about dependent children. Obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke or exasperate your children, lest they become discouraged. That's talking about losing heart. We've all done that at various stages. Don't do that.
Bondservants, slaves that is obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service, not just not just people pleasing. And he he says, not just way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sin sincerity, sincerity of heart That has the idea of without a fold, purely, without fault, but with sincerity of heart fearing the lord. So many of our problems are solved by understanding god's love for us and our relationship with him. It informs
all of our human relationships. That's the point Paul is making here. Whatever you do, work heartily, heartily as for the Lord and not for men. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You're not doing that accounting, that legal work, that electrical work, that plumbing, that carpenter work, carpenter work, that consulting work, that pastoral work, whatever it is, you're not you're not doing it for the compensation. You're doing it for the Lord.
Knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Boom. For the wrongdoer will be paid back that is judged for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. We don't judge anything without some partiality. You look at conflicts of interest, nuance, and partiality, and playing favorites, and all of that in our country, in the United States, my goodness, probably in the entire western world.
Well, that that is chapter 3, for the for the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. God is on the throne. You see you see what's happening here? The the entire focus of of this chapter is on really, very richly, who who God is. Who God is, and how he he operates. And that informs us in our in our earthly relationships.
If you know what's happened to you, he says at the beginning, if you've been raised to if you if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. If if our minds are are are on Christ for walking in him, he's in us, we're in him. That that that close relational tie that is implicit in that word, epignosis, that knowledge word, knowledge of him. It's not an academic word.
It's a it's a it's a word used in the Septuagint to describe intimacy between a man and a woman. This is closeness, knowledge, intimate knowledge. Intimate closeness. So that that's what Paul is getting across here. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the Earth. These are these are imperatives. These are instructions for us. God is both transcendent and imminent. Isn't that beautiful? With us, loving in relationship with us.
And then Paul goes on to say, this is the reason Christ in you is the reason you can put off therefore what is earthly in you, and he names several categories of sin, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry, And then he goes on and warns warns about anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth, and then he goes into lying. Don't lie to to each other. You put off the old self with its practices, and it put on the new self.
It is because but but and he and he ends the paragraph with but Christ is all and and all. Recognize that. Meditate on that. I'm reading in the Psalms right now. What it's just beautiful to read the the beauty of who the godhead is in in the Psalms, particularly those written by David are just beautiful. And then he goes he goes on in this chapter to talk about
what to put on. Because of what Christ has done, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him, being thankful. Having a thankful heart sort of sums it all up, doesn't it? And he's already talked about bearing with each other, forgiving. So be forgiving, be loving, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Be peaceful.
Be thankful. He says, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Praise God, he's saying. Paul is saying with thanksgiving. Really, a lot of this has to do, doesn't it, with getting our eyes off of ourselves. It is just so easy. We are so self consumed.
I was just talking to someone about, he was talking about how a disillusioned he is with people who sit on their phones all day and and sit at a restaurant and just look at their phones. I I don't I don't know what we've become. I know I sound old when I say that. I know those phones are wonderful in in a lot of ways, but sitting and looking at them while we're together is kinda stupid. Can't we compartmentalize that? Do you ever you ever look on your iPhone at your screen time?
Goodness. Not something I wanna see. So anyway, this is wonderful, wonderful section of scripture. Paul is giving us imperatives left and right. Colossians 3, just read it for yourselves. It'll be a blessing to you. And and what it's basically saying is get your eyes off yourself and on he is everything. He He's everything. He he is everything. He he the the the mystery has been unfolded for us to see to some extent, and we can rest in him. He is
in us, and we are in him. What wonderful promises. Well, I've been repeating myself for a couple of minutes, so we're gonna wrap this discussion up. That was Colossians 3. The beauty just overwhelms me, and I kinda look at the text and stammer and stutter as I as I think about the best way to wrap this up. I I believe Paul did a pretty good job here on his own. So we'll we'll take on, chapter 4 next week. This has this series has been a blessing. Thank you for listening. Please
tell your friends about us. It's making a difference. It it's this podcast has grown substantially over the years. This is wrapping up our 3rd year now, and we're past our 3rd year anniversary now. So thank you for listening. I hope it's a blessing to you. Feel free to send along a comment on our comment form on the website, johnmorrinmedia.com, or send an email directly to me at john@johnmorrinmedia.com. Please take a look and and review our
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