Welcome to Weekly Words for the Week of 11/4/2007….

REFLECTIONS ON – Colossians 3:1-17 “Transformed by Grace”

This week, we come to the 8^th installment in our series on Colossians: “A God so big, A God so small”.  This week we catch a glimpse of the very practical work of grace Jesus Christ is doing in each of our lives. Take a look at Colossians 3:1-17…

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. 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.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ 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: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, 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. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Paul’s 3 Point Explanation of HOW to LIVE IN CHRIST and beyond the shadows and limitations of Life without Christ. Those 3 points are 1) A New Viewpoint, 2) Releasing the Past and 3) Soaking up grace..

A New Viewpoint: Seek Things that are above and look at this world from above. (v1-4)

Our text today is a hinge point in Colossians. Paul opens Colossians with that marvelous description of the Supremacy of Christ in Chapter 1 – “he is the visible image of the invisible God, the first born among all Creation”.  In that opening Paul uses the Greek word “prototokos” to describe Jesus as first-born. It’s the word from which we derive ‘prototype’. Jesus is depicted as the prototype of a new and redeemed humanity.

Moving into Chapter 2, Paul discusses errant views and practices that diminish Christ’ Supremacy – theological issues, mainly, but also forms of religiosity that look good, but don’t produce fruit. Paul calls those “shadows” while Christ is “the reality”.

NOW…Paul turns to the POSITIVE….what does it look like to be IN and WITH CHRIST – how do we do that? What do we do? What will our lives look like? If HE is the PROTOTYPE for a new and redeemed humanity, how will we appropriate that?

First of all – our point of view will change. We stop looking down and looking into our selves…and we begin seeing life from a heavenly point of view where Christ rules with God the Father and the Spirit. Our desire for identification with Christ draws us to deeply desire to DIE to all that is not of HEAVENLY and ETERNAL value .. and to LIVE TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN CHRIST NOW AND FOREVER…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.

Leave the past Behind (v5-12). Dying to what is NOT HEAVENLY and ETERNAL. You will remember that in Chapter 2 of Colossians, Paul attacks external forms of RELIGIOSITY that look like Godliness, but don’t necessarily produce CHRIST-LIKENESS or LOVE IN ACTION. Now…Paul moves on to the inner practices that plague broken human beings separating us from God’s will, our on best selves and from each other. So, since we have died with Christ, we can apply his crucifixion to the elimination of ‘death impulses’ in us…⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:

Impulse sins tied to the distortion of God given drives – such as,  sexual immorality, , impurity, lust, evil desires, greed. These ‘impulse’ sins demonstrate our lack of control and focus on Christ … they indicate “letting yourself go”. Paul says, “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” – he graciously claims the power of Christ’s resurrection and healing in our lives over these sins.

Paul then moves from impulse sins that may well be hidden to behaviors that directly destroy others. “⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:” the list includes anger, rage, malice, slander. These are sins of Aggression that abuse and destroy others. We cannot say “that’s just the way I am” in one breath and “In Christ I am a new creation” with the next.

Paul also appeals to common decency when he calls us to remove “filthy language from your lips. “ Paul’s is concerned about polluting the social landscape with unnecessary vulgarity.This is one of my downfalls. I cuss too much.And, in a culture with vulgarity on every television show, movie, video game, magazine, website and awful filth being spoken at once family friendly events like baseball and football games….I THINK I HAD BETTER WORK ON BEING A BETTER ROLE MODEL…BECAUSE THINGS ARE OUT OF CONTROL.

Do not lie to each other. I love Paul’s little reminder to always tell the truth…about who we are and about what is going on … to be direct, vulnerable and truthful with one another is a KEY indicator of HEALTHY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. Again Paul graciously reminds us that in Christ we are headed the right direction and that God is at work in us. He refers to our sins in past tense: “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.” Notice here: TRANSFORMATION of life…CHANGED LIVES…and a CHANGED WORLD is the natural outcome of authentic Christianity. It is the ONE AND ONLY MEASURE!!

Soak up Grace (v13-17). The cool thing here is that as people who TAKE OFF THE OLD, we are not left “naked of character” or charm. Rather, we are reinvigorated by all of the things we can PUT ON…in the PLACE OF THE OLD. ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,” Notice here how our new self does not come out of obligation, guilt, shame or duty…but out of the depths of our BELOVEDNESS in the eyes of GOD who would die for us on the Cross so that we might live with HIM: clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. As opposed to the sins of Agression, these are virtues of “understanding”. If you have read Steven Covey’s ‘seven habits of highly effective people’ you are familiar with one of the most important habits “Seek first to understand and then to be understood”. These virtues are indicators that we are looking at people from God’s perspective, stifling impulses and doing our best to live out love in action.

¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

These virtues are ACTIVE … they take understanding and apply it in place of our normal reactions which are “self-preservation” oriented…and they allow us to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others in our relationship networks.

¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Looking for world peace? Memorize verse 14 and apply to everything you do, every vote you cast, every dollar you spend. God help me to want to do this and see the heavenly here on earth.

And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Forgiven and Transformed people are GRATEFUL PEOPLE and they share their gratitude in COMMON LIFE and they BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP…and naturally seek ways to make the well-spring of all of their actions the Love of Christ.

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 98 Kids: 5 Offering: $6,440.00

Monday Night Football @ Goofy’s Bar & Grill 5:30pm Tomorrow.

Women’s small group? Contact Hayden Smith hsmith@sanctuarycrc.org

Men’s or other small group. Contact Mark Mohrlang mark.mohrlang@gmail.com

PRAYER –

Lord, on this All Soul’s Sunday, we thank you for all those who have gone before us in the faith, paving the way for us to live and believe in you.

Jesus, we pray for peace in the world.

Holy Spirit, guide the conscience of each citizen as we vote in important elections this week in Seattle and elsewhere.

As winter comes, we pray Father, that you will care for the homeless and help all of us who are able to mobilize with aid. Thank you that Lynn has found a home. Praise God!

God, we pray for the Green Bean under its new schedule and with Hayden Smith as manager and Lisa Etter working mornings, that you will continue to bless and use the Green Bean to Love our world.

Hey, go out and make it a great and grace filled week!

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org