Latest / Reformed Thinking / Raised with Christ and Clothed in Grace (Colossians 3:1-17)

Transcript

Raised with Christ and Clothed in Grace (Colossians 3:1-17) · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Usually when we talk about a building's architecture, there
0:02
is this expectation of pristine perfection.
0:07
Right. Yeah, like the blueprint itself.
0:09
Yeah, you look at the blueprint, the clean white lines on the
0:11
blue paper, and the architect points at it and says, you know,
0:14
there it is, perfect. The lines are clean, the angles
0:16
are precise, and the vision is it's totally clear.
0:20
It is binary. I mean it is either drawn
0:23
correctly or it is not. A blueprint really does not
0:26
tolerate ambiguity. But then you step onto the
0:28
actual construction site and suddenly that pristine drawing
0:31
is just gone. Oh yeah, totally different
0:34
world. You are looking at a landscape
0:35
of mud, loud machinery, sweat and, you know, immense friction.
0:41
The theoretical perfection collides violently with the
0:44
gritty reality of building something in the dirt.
0:46
Right, the boots on the ground reality.
0:48
Spot on. Welcome to Reformed thinking.
0:50
Today we are looking at a text that bridges that massive gap
0:53
between the clean blueprint of high theology and the muddy
0:57
construction site of dearly holiness.
0:59
Yes. So today we are unpacking an
1:01
extensive theological commentary on Colossians chapter 3 verses
1:05
one through 17. And just to set the stage for
1:07
you listening, the Apostle Paul does not allow the believer to
1:11
admire the blueprint from a distance without getting their
1:14
boots muddy. No, he really does not.
1:16
This text stands like a massive mountain Ridge.
1:19
On one side you have the staggering doctrine of Christ's
1:23
absolute supremacy, right? And on the other side you have
1:26
the ordinary, everyday paths of Christian obedience.
1:30
We're talking about speech desires, corporate worship and
1:34
domestic relationships. So our mission for this deep
1:37
dive today is to show you how the reality of being raised with
1:40
Christ, how that concept crushes to very common extremes that you
1:44
probably see all around. You extremes that are
1:46
unfortunately very prevalent. Yeah, on one side we have
1:49
legalism. That is the idea of following
1:52
strict rules to earn salvation. Right.
1:54
And to basically bribe God with your behavior.
1:56
Spot on. And then on the other side we
1:58
have antinomianism, which is living recklessly without any
2:02
moral constraints, because you think grace covers it all
2:04
anyway. Yeah, the idea that since I'm
2:07
forgiven, I can just do whatever I want.
2:08
Right, so the material we are diving into provides thorough
2:12
pastoral and exegetical insights into Paul's letter, heavily
2:16
rooted in federal headship and progressive sanctification.
2:19
The central argument here is that the Christian life is not
2:23
about moral self improvement. It is not about mystical self
2:26
discovery. Thank goodness.
2:27
Right. It is about an objective
2:29
resurrection life that must be expressed through earthly
2:33
obedience. But to grasp why Paul is
2:36
demanding this specific type of earthly obedience, we have to
2:40
look at the construction site he was dealing with in the ancient
2:42
world. Yeah, because letters are
2:43
written to specific people for specific reasons.
2:46
We can't forget that. Right, they aren't just floating
2:48
theological treatises. So the setting here is around
2:51
8060 to 62. Paul is sitting in a Roman
2:54
prison. He is writing to a church in the
2:56
Lycus Valley in a city called Colisea.
2:59
Right now, Paul did not plant this church.
3:02
A man named Epifrost did. So what is the historical
3:05
context of the city like? What was going on there?
3:08
Well, Carlos, it was a declining commercial center.
3:10
It was kind of overshadowed by its wealthier neighbors like
3:12
Laotia and Hieropolis. Oh, OK.
3:15
So it was sort of the smaller, struggling sister city.
3:17
Yeah, but it was a massive cultural melting pot.
3:20
You had Greco Roman philosophy, indigenous Phrygian folk
3:24
religion, and a large diaspora Jewish population all living in
3:28
really close proximity. Which is a recipe for mixing
3:31
everything together. Oh.
3:32
Absolutely. This created a fertile ground
3:34
for theological syncretism, and secretism is the blending of
3:39
different religious beliefs into a new toxic mixture.
3:44
So Epiphras actually travelled all the way to Rome to inform
3:47
Paul of a specific theological virus infecting the
3:50
Congregation, right? Yeah, scholars call it the
3:52
Colossian heresy. So looking at the background
3:54
material, this Colossian heresy was an incredibly strange blend
3:58
of ideas. Very strange.
3:59
It's almost hard to categorize. Right On one hand, you had
4:01
Jewish legalism involving strict adherence to festivals, new
4:05
moons, sabbaths and dietary laws.
4:07
Yeah, the very rigid calendar based religion.
4:10
But on the other hand it included proto gnostic Pagan
4:12
mysticism, Angel worship and extreme fleshly asceticism.
4:17
Which is fascinating combining those elements.
4:19
And asceticism means severely punishing the physical body,
4:22
right? Yeah, basically starving or
4:24
beating the body to achieve a spiritual high.
4:27
The false teachers were essentially claiming that Jesus
4:30
Christ was insufficient for spiritual maturity.
4:33
Wait, insufficient. They claimed you needed more
4:35
than Jesus. That was the pitch.
4:38
They told the Colossians that they needed hidden knowledge or
4:41
they needed to follow harsh bodily rules to truly reach the
4:45
next level of spirituality. That's wild.
4:47
The false teachers argued that Christ was perhaps just a
4:50
stepping stone in a broader spiritual hierarchy.
4:53
They insisted the believer needed something more to conquer
4:56
the sinful flesh. So they pushed external
4:58
regulations. Yes, they sold the idea that
5:01
human effort and extreme physical denial were the keys to
5:04
unlocking a higher spiritual plane.
5:06
You know, it sounds a lot like a modern spiritual diet trend.
5:10
Oh totally. You see people today who
5:11
mistakenly think the key to holiness or the key to a pure
5:14
life is just an extreme self reliant detox.
5:18
Yeah, a lot of influencers sell that exact concept.
5:21
Right. They adopt A mindset of of do
5:25
not touch, do not taste, do not look.
5:27
They believe that if they just restrict themselves enough
5:29
through sheer human willpower, they will achieve spiritual
5:33
perfection. Right, relying entirely on their
5:35
own strength to starve their bad habits.
5:38
So why does that approach fail so miserably?
5:41
Because we know it does. It fails because human willpower
5:45
cannot cure a dead heart. I mean, Paul addresses this
5:49
specific failure of willpower at the end of chapter 2, right
5:53
before our main text begins. What does he say there?
5:56
He points out that these man made rules have an appearance of
5:58
wisdom. They look impressive.
6:00
Sure, when you see someone subjecting their body to extreme
6:03
discipline, it looks pious. Yeah, you think, wow, that guy
6:05
is really disciplined, but Paul says they are of absolutely no
6:09
value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
6:11
Wow. No value at all.
6:13
None. Restricting the physical body
6:15
does nothing to alter the corrupted desires of the
6:18
internal soul. The rules only create a facade
6:20
of wisdom, while the internal rot remains completely
6:23
untouched. OK, so if that spiritual detox
6:27
of human willpower completely fails to conquer sin, where does
6:32
the believer turn? Well, Paul shifts the focus
6:35
upward. He introduces the true engine of
6:38
Christian ethics, pointing to what God has already done.
6:41
Right, and the commentary we are looking at highlights a massive
6:44
concept here. The theological indicative must
6:47
always precede the moral imperative.
6:49
That is the core of it all. Let's break those terms down
6:52
South. Everyone listening is on the
6:53
same page. What do we mean by indicative
6:55
and imperative? The grammar is the theology
6:58
here. The indicative is a statement of
7:00
objective fact. It declares what God has already
7:03
accomplished on behalf of the believer.
7:04
Like a historical certainty, yes.
7:07
And the imperative is a command. It is what God demands the
7:10
believer to do. So facts first, then commands.
7:13
Precisely in reformed theology, the indicative always grounds
7:16
the imperative. We obey because of what has
7:18
already been done, not to achieve a certain status.
7:21
So Paul begins chapter 3 with a first class conditional clause.
7:25
If then you have been raised with Christ.
7:27
Yeah, and in the original Greek syntax, a first class
7:31
conditional clause assumes the statement is a settled fact for
7:34
the sake of the argument. So it translates accurately as
7:39
since then you have been raised with Christ, right?
7:42
It's not a hypothetical, it's a reality.
7:44
The notes spend a lot of time on this concept of federal and
7:48
spiritual union with Christ. To help you visualize this,
7:52
think about how an ambassador operates.
7:54
Oh, that's a good way to look at it.
7:55
When a nation's ambassador signs a treaty, every single citizen
7:59
of that country is bound by that treaty, even if they were
8:03
sleeping in their beds thousands of miles away when the pen hit
8:05
the paper. Yeah, because the ambassador
8:07
acts as the federal head. Right.
8:09
So what happened to Christ historically happened to the
8:11
believer spiritually. We were Co crucified with him,
8:15
Co buried with him, and Co resurrected with him.
8:18
And because of this massive indicative reality, Paul issues
8:21
2 urgent commands in verses one and two.
8:24
He says to seek the things that are above and to set your minds
8:28
on things that are above. And setting your mind is more
8:29
than just thinking about clouds and hearts, yeah.
8:32
Oh absolutely. The Greek word Paul uses for set
8:34
your minds is fronite. Fronite, yeah.
8:38
This is not a command to possess.
8:39
Intellectual trivia about heaven fro night encompasses the
8:42
intellect, the will, and the affections.
8:45
Oh, so it's the whole inner person?
8:47
Yes, it demands a total cognitive and affectional
8:50
reorientation. In the Greco Roman world, to set
8:54
your mind on earthly things meant adopting the worldview and
8:57
the value system of the Pagan culture.
9:00
So Paul demands A radical cognitive break from the
9:03
surrounding world. Yes, you have to evaluate
9:05
everything through the lens of your heavenly citizenship and
9:08
the authority of the enthroned Christ.
9:10
He gives the reason for this heavenly orientation in verse
9:13
three. He writes, For You have died,
9:14
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
9:17
That phrase is staggering. It really is hidden with Christ
9:19
in God. The commentary notes that this
9:22
guarantees absolute security. The old identity under the
9:25
dominion of sin has been decisively judged, and the new
9:29
life is currently concealed and protected in the heavenly throne
9:32
room. Yeah, it is entirely safe, and
9:34
the text we are analyzing also carries an explicit
9:36
eschatological view regarding verse 4, specifically a
9:41
premillennial perspective. Oh, OK, let's dig into that.
9:44
So verse 4 says when Christ who is your life appears, then you
9:48
also will appear with Him in glory.
9:51
The author anticipates the future physical return of Christ
9:54
so. It's very tangible.
9:56
Very tangible. The view presented is that
9:58
believers are currently hidden, but when Christ appears, the
10:02
veil will be pulled back. Wow.
10:04
The author argues that believers will be revealed and glorified
10:07
physical bodies entirely free from the presence of sin,
10:11
reigning with Him physically on Earth.
10:13
No, I have to ask a question that I think anyone listening to
10:15
this might be wondering right now.
10:16
Sure, go ahead. If our life is completely
10:18
hidden, if our salvation is absolutely secure in heaven and
10:22
guarded by God himself, wouldn't that make people lazy down here
10:26
on earth? That is the classic objection.
10:28
Yeah, I mean, it sounds like having an eternal trust fund
10:30
that you can never lose. If my future glory is
10:33
guaranteed, why do I need to fight so hard against my bad
10:36
habits today? Why not just coast?
10:37
That tension is the very thing that separates grace from
10:41
legalism. The author of our material
10:44
addresses this specific objection directly.
10:47
And what do they say? The argument is that absolute
10:50
heavenly security is the only motivation capable of fighting
10:53
earthly sin. Wait, really?
10:55
The only motivation? Yeah, think about it.
10:59
Legalism produces paralyzing anxiety because you're standing
11:02
before God is always in jeopardy based on your performance.
11:06
Right. You are always wondering if you
11:07
did enough today to keep God happy.
11:09
And that anxiety eventually leads to despair or hypocritical
11:14
pride. But monarchistic grace, the
11:17
reality that God alone accomplishes salvation, removes
11:20
that anxiety entirely. Oh, I see.
11:22
You're freed from the burden of earning your salvation, which
11:25
liberates you to pursue holiness out of immense gratitude rather
11:28
than fearful obligation. That shifts the whole paradigm.
11:31
But because we are still walking around on this muddy
11:33
construction site, what happens to the lingering corruption in
11:36
our physical bodies? We still have to deal with the
11:38
dirt. Right.
11:39
If the core identity is secure in heaven, the lingering sin on
11:43
earth has to be addressed. Paul pivots drastically from a
11:47
comforting theological reality to a highly militant command.
11:51
He really shifts gears. Yeah, in verse 5 he writes, Put
11:54
to death, therefore what is earthly in you?
11:58
The transition word therefore is the logical hand here.
12:00
Because you are secure in heaven, therefore you must
12:02
execute the sin remaining in your flesh.
12:04
Yes, the Greek word Paul uses is necrosity.
12:08
It is a violent, decisive command.
12:10
It literally means to put to death or to execute.
12:13
So it's not a gentle management strategy.
12:15
Not at all. Paul does not use a gentle term
12:18
for releasing or dismissing sin. He demands slaughter.
12:21
The author quotes the Puritan theologian John Owen here, who
12:24
famously stated be killing sin or it will be killing you.
12:28
Wow, be killing sin or it will be killing you.
12:31
Yeah, that is intense. It is Paul is describing the
12:34
agonizing process of mortification, where the
12:36
justified believer actively wages war against their
12:39
remaining fleshly corruption. And we get 2 distinct catalogs
12:42
of five sins each year. Let's walk through this.
12:44
The first list in verse 5 focuses on internal and sexual
12:47
sins. He names sexual immorality,
12:50
impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness.
12:54
Notice how internal those last few are.
12:56
Passion. Evil desire.
12:58
Yeah, and then the second list down in verse 8 targets communal
13:02
and bubble sins. He lists anger, wrath, malice,
13:05
slander and obscene talk. The.
13:07
Specificity tells us that Paul does not allow for respectable
13:10
sins. Respectable sins.
13:12
I like that phrasing. You are not commanded to
13:14
negotiate with sin, or to manage it, or to give it a
13:16
psychological rebranding. So it sounds better.
13:19
Right, like calling Wrath. Just venting.
13:21
Precisely, the command is to put it away completely, because the
13:25
wrath of God is coming upon these worldly practices.
13:29
You know the material sites some sobering statistics from the
13:32
Barna group regarding pornography usage within modern
13:35
church. Yeah, those numbers are pretty
13:36
alarming. The data suggests an incredibly
13:39
high percentage of self identified Christian men and
13:41
women actively view pornography. It's pervasive.
13:44
And the author uses this data to point out the urgent need for
13:47
true violent repentance. We have a tendency to treat
13:51
these sins as psychological struggles that require
13:54
therapeutic management. We soften the language.
13:56
Yeah, but the author insists the text demands execution of the
14:00
sin. It is not something to be
14:02
managed. It is an enemy to be killed.
14:05
Moving down to verse 11, Paul brings this concept of
14:08
mortification to its final conclusion within the community,
14:11
he writes Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and
14:15
uncircumcised, barbarian, city and slave free, but Christ is
14:19
all and in all. Now I want to pause here for a
14:22
second. The material we are reviewing
14:24
applies verse 11 to some very current debates.
14:26
It has, yes. Just to be completely clear to
14:28
you listening, we are not taking a political side here or
14:31
endorsing this specific viewpoint, but we are
14:34
impartially outlining the author's argument.
14:36
Right, we are just conveying the source material.
14:39
Exactly. I mean that is spot on.
14:41
The author applies this verse as a direct refutation of modern
14:44
political ideologies like critical race theory,
14:47
intersectionality and Marxism. The argument presented is that
14:52
the cross obliterates all grievance based identity
14:55
politics. The author asserts that true
14:58
unity is found only when all earthly divisions and class
15:02
distinctions are completely submitted to the Lordship of
15:04
Christ. OK, so how does that apply to
15:06
the people in the pews? Well, the position taken is that
15:09
in the new humanity of the Church, racial, cultural, and
15:13
socioeconomic distinctions can no longer function as grounds
15:16
for division or superiority. Believers must view one another
15:20
entirely through the lens of their shared union with Christ.
15:24
So the union with Christ supersedes all of those earthly
15:27
categories. According to this author, yes,
15:30
that is the argument. Bringing it back to the
15:31
mechanics of mortification, I think about wedding a garden.
15:34
Oh, that's a great analogy. Yeah, if you want a beautiful
15:37
garden, you cannot just take a pair of scissors and trim the
15:40
visible top of the weeds to make the dirt look nice for a few
15:42
days. Right, because the root is still
15:44
alive underground, yeah. Right, it will grow back faster
15:47
and stronger. To actually kill the weed, you
15:49
have to dig your hands into the dirt and RIP the plant out by
15:52
its roots. Which disrupts the soil.
15:54
Yeah, it disrupts the soil. It is violent, it is bloody and
15:57
it is painful, but it is the only way to stop the the weed
16:00
from choking the good plants. How does that translate to the
16:03
sins Paul is listing? Well.
16:05
The root of the weed is always internal desire.
16:08
Paul ends the first list of sins in a fascinating way, he says.
16:12
And covetousness, which is idolatry.
16:16
OK, that is interesting. He equates A seemingly ordinary
16:19
sin, like wanting more money or wanting someone else's property
16:22
with the ancient Pagan practice of bowing down to a carved piece
16:26
of wood. Yeah, he draws a Direct Line
16:28
between the two. How does covetousness actually
16:31
cross the line into idolatry? What is the mechanism happening
16:34
in the human heart there? Covetousness becomes idolatry
16:37
because desire turns into worship when a created thing
16:41
replaces the Creator as the soul's ultimate satisfaction.
16:44
OK, break that down a bit more. Think about the psychology of
16:47
it. When the insatiable desire for
16:49
money, sex, status or comfort becomes the primary driving
16:53
force of your heart, you are actively worshipping yourself
16:56
and the creation rather than God.
16:58
Oh wow, so you are replacing God on the throne of your heart?
17:02
Spot on. You are saying I must have this
17:04
thing to be happy and I will sin to get it, or I will sin if I do
17:07
not get it. Mortification requires ripping
17:10
out that specific root of idolatry.
17:12
But if you RIP all these weeds out of the soil, you are just
17:15
left with an empty plot of dirt in the garden.
17:18
Yeah, and nature abhors a vacuum.
17:19
And so does the spiritual life. You cannot just remain empty.
17:22
We must put something else on. Which leads into verses 12 to
17:26
14, focusing on vivification or putting on the heavenly
17:30
wardrobe. Just as Paul used the harsh
17:32
language of execution for sin, he now uses the gentle metaphor
17:36
of clothing for righteousness. It is a beautiful shift in tone,
17:40
he writes in verse 12. Put on them the Greek word is ND
17:44
sass. Yeah.
17:46
In the ancient world, taking on a new garment often signified
17:49
taking on a new allegiance or a new identity.
17:51
So it's deeply symbolic. Very much so.
17:54
You have stripped off the grave clothes of the old nature, and
17:57
now you must actively clothe yourself with the graces of the
18:00
new creation. He gives a massive theological
18:03
motivation for putting on these new clothes.
18:05
He addresses the Colossians as God's chosen ones, holy and
18:10
beloved. And the commentary stresses that
18:12
this is tied to the doctrine of unconditional election.
18:16
For anyone listening who might be unfamiliar with that term, it
18:19
means God chose to save a people for himself based entirely on
18:22
his own sovereign will. Right, not based on any foreseen
18:26
merit or good behavior in the people themselves.
18:28
So believers do not put on these virtues in order to become
18:31
chosen. They put them on because they
18:33
are already chosen, set apart, and loved by God.
18:36
There is the indicative driving the imperative again.
18:39
It all comes it. Really does.
18:41
And the virtues Paul lists are highly relational.
18:44
He commands them to put on compassionate hearts, kindness,
18:47
humility, meekness, and patience.
18:50
Those are tough ones. They are These are not private
18:52
feelings you experience while meditating alone in a room.
18:56
They are necessary garments for the immense friction of life
18:59
together inside the local church.
19:01
Because church life involves a lot of friction.
19:04
Oh, constant friction. Mortification without
19:07
vivification becomes harsh and barren.
19:09
You end up with an empty, rigid morality where you are just
19:13
angry at sin but have no joy. I think we've all met people
19:17
like that. Sadly, yes, but vivification
19:20
without mortification is shallow and false.
19:23
You pretend to be kind while harboring secret resentments.
19:26
So you need both ripping out the weeds and planting the good
19:29
seeds. Both are required.
19:31
The central action that holds these relational virtues
19:33
together is forgiveness, Paul writes in verse 13.
19:37
Bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against
19:40
another, forgiving each other. As the Lord has forgiven you, so
19:43
you also must forgive. Notice how realistic Paul is.
19:47
He acknowledges the people in the church are going to annoy
19:49
each other and hurt each other. He assumes there will be
19:51
complaints. Yes.
19:53
Then he says in verse 14 that love is the bond of perfection
19:57
that ties all the other virtues together.
19:59
So without love, patience is just passive tolerance and
20:03
humility is just a theatrical performance.
20:05
Spot on, and the standard for this forgiveness is
20:08
breathtaking. You are commanded to forgive
20:11
specific debts, just as the Lord forgave you.
20:14
That is a high. Bar it is the highest bar
20:17
Christian forgiveness is not the denial of an offence.
20:20
It is not saying, oh, it wasn't a big deal.
20:23
Right, it doesn't sweep abuse under the rug.
20:25
No, it is a conscious refusal of vengeance.
20:28
You are releasing the Debtor in light of the massive Divine
20:32
Mercy you've already received. Love acts as the structural belt
20:36
that holds the entire wardrobe in mature harmony.
20:39
You know I am thinking about the phrase people use in the
20:41
corporate world, right? Dress for the job you want, not
20:44
the job you have. Right.
20:46
People buy an expensive suit hoping it will convince the boss
20:48
to promote. Them It sounds like Paul is
20:50
flipping that upside down. Is he essentially telling
20:53
believers to dress for the identity they already have?
20:56
Absolutely. You already possessed the
20:58
identity of a resurrected St. You already hold the highest
21:02
possible position as a Co heir with Christ.
21:05
So act like it. Yeah, therefore you must wear
21:08
the uniform that matches your current reality.
21:10
The passage transitions from the solitary internal warfare of the
21:14
mind into the external friction of corporate church life.
21:18
And the consensus in the material is that these specific
21:21
virtues perfectly mirror the character of Jesus Christ.
21:24
Yes. By putting on these virtues, the
21:27
Church is actively fulfilling the original image of God in
21:31
humanity. The image that was shattered by
21:33
sin. Right shattered in the garden,
21:35
but is now being restored by Christ, the last Adam.
21:37
That is beautiful. Now this new heavenly wardrobe
21:41
isn't just for looking good in a private mirror at home.
21:44
It is the required uniform for the gathered community.
21:47
The internal disposition of the heart must translate into an
21:50
external corporate reality. Let's look at verses 15 through
21:53
17, which focus on corporate separate worship and the concept
21:56
of living corumdeo. OK, Paul gives 3 governing
21:59
commands for the gathered community.
22:01
First, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
22:05
Second, let the word of Christ dwell abundantly among you.
22:09
Third, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
22:12
Let's. Start with the first one.
22:13
Let the peace of Christ rule. The word translated as rule
22:18
regarding the peace of Christ literally means to act as an
22:21
umpire. An umpire like in baseball.
22:23
Yeah, like a referee. When disputes or rivalries arise
22:27
within the congregation, the objective peace established by
22:30
the cross must act as the governing authority that settles
22:33
the conflict. It makes the call.
22:35
It makes the call and everyone has to submit to it.
22:37
OK, the second command is to let the Word of Christ dwell
22:40
abundantly in the congregation. Paul says this happens through
22:43
teaching, admonishing and singing psalms, hymns and
22:46
spiritual songs with thankfulness.
22:48
Now, the material we are reviewing outlines a strict
22:51
cessationist viewpoint regarding this specific command.
22:54
Again, to be completely clear to you listening, we are not
22:56
endorsing or attacking this theological stance.
22:59
Right. We are simply imparting what is
23:01
in the material. So what does the author say?
23:04
The author advocates for what is called the regulative principle
23:07
of worship. The argument presented is
23:09
against modern charismatic movements, emotionally driven
23:12
rock concerts, or the seeking of new divine revelations.
23:16
So they prefer a very specific style of gathering.
23:19
Very specific. The author asserts that the Word
23:22
of Christ refers exclusively to the closed Canon of objective
23:27
written scriptures. OK, so the Bible alone.
23:30
Yes, and that corporate worship should be saturated with
23:33
rigorous doctrinal truth rather than shallow entertainment.
23:37
And what is their reasoning for that?
23:39
The stance taken is that the congregation becomes resistant
23:42
to theological error only as the written word becomes a permanent
23:46
resident among them through robust teaching and doctrinally
23:50
heavy singing. So how does that connect to the
23:52
broader reformed understanding of the law?
23:54
Because we hear about the uses of the law a lot.
23:56
It connects directly to a concept known as the third use
23:59
of the law or the normative use. To give you some context, if you
24:02
are listening, the first use of the law restrains societal evil
24:05
like speed limits. Right.
24:08
The second use exposes our sin to drive us to Christ for
24:12
salvation. Like a mirror showing you the
24:14
dirt on your face. And the third use guides
24:17
justified believers in how to live in grateful obedience.
24:20
Spawn on the Word of Christ. Dwelling abundantly provides the
24:24
congregation with the third use of the law.
24:27
It shapes their minds and affections for holy living.
24:30
OK, that makes sense. The final command in verse 17 is
24:33
incredibly vast. Paul writes, And whatever you do
24:38
in Word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
24:41
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
24:44
It covers literally everything. Practically speaking, what does
24:47
that look like? I mean, does doing everything in
24:49
the name of the Lord Jesus mean I have to say a vocal prayer
24:52
before I change a dirty diaper or before I format an Excel
24:56
spreadsheet? Or is Paul talking about about a
24:58
broader mindset? It is entirely about the broader
25:00
mindset of total submission. The phrase in the name of the
25:03
Lord Jesus means operating under His mediatorial Lordship and
25:06
authority. Like doing it as his
25:08
representative? Yes, the theological concept
25:11
here is living corum deo. That is a Latin phrase that
25:16
translates to before the face of God.
25:18
Before the face of God. The author argues that there is
25:21
absolutely no division between the secular and the sacred in
25:24
the Christian life. Which is huge because we
25:26
constantly try to divide those up.
25:28
We have church life and we have work life.
25:30
But Paul says no. Every ordinary task, from
25:34
domestic duties like changing diapers to business management
25:37
to studying for a math exam, is brought under the authority of
25:41
Christ. So how do you actually do that?
25:43
It means asking the question, can this specific action be done
25:47
in a way that honors Christ and can ioffer thanks to the Father
25:50
while doing it? It redefines the entire scope of
25:53
human existence. The mundane chores you dread
25:56
doing are elevated to acts of spiritual worship when they are
25:59
done with gratitude under the authority of the King.
26:01
And notice that gratitude is mentioned three times in these
26:04
final verses. Three times he really hammers at
26:06
it. Thankfulness is the aroma that
26:08
keeps obedience from becoming a grim, legalistic chore.
26:11
It keeps liberty from turning into careless indulgence.
26:15
Looking at the whole passage we've covered, we see a complete
26:18
architectural blueprint for the Christian life.
26:20
We really do. It starts in the heavenly throne
26:23
room with the exalted Christ. It moves down into the violent
26:26
execution of internal earthly sin.
26:28
Then it moves outward into the clothing of relational virtues
26:33
like compassion and forgiveness. Right.
26:36
It gathers the believers together in corporate worship
26:39
regulated by the Word of Christ. Finally, it scatters the
26:42
believers back into the ordinary world, demanding that every
26:46
single word and deed be offered in the name of the Lord Jesus.
26:50
The text forces you to constantly look upward to find
26:54
the strength for the daily grind downward.
26:56
Because you cannot survive the construction site without
26:58
constantly referencing the perfect blueprint.
27:00
No, you would build a crooked house.
27:03
The objective reality of your union with Christ dictates the
27:06
practical reality of your daily behavior.
27:08
It truly is a comprehensive grammar for sanctification.
27:12
The indicative of grace guarantees the imperative of
27:15
obedience. It leaves no room for a
27:17
Christianity that admires Jesus as a moral teacher while
27:20
refusing to execute the sins of the flesh.
27:23
Right, you can't just like his quotes but ignore his commands.
27:26
And it also leaves no room for a Christianity that relies on
27:29
human willpower to conquer the heart.
27:33
Christ is not just the subject of Christian doctrine.
27:35
He is the very life of the Christian.
27:38
I want to leave you with a final thought to Mull over.
27:41
Take that incredible reality of being hidden in Christ and press
27:45
it into your ordinary routine. Think about tomorrow morning.
27:48
Yeah, if you woke up tomorrow morning fully and completely
27:51
convinced that your true life was already permanently hidden
27:54
and entirely secure with Christ in the heavens, how would that
27:58
alter your biggest anxieties today?
28:00
It changes everything. If the final outcome is
28:02
perfectly guaranteed, how much more courage would you have to
28:05
ruthlessly RIP the weeds out of your own garden?
28:08
Much of our obedience in this life will remain unseen,
28:11
misunderstood, or unrewarded by the surrounding culture.
28:14
That is so true. A quiet refusal of lust, A
28:18
restrained tongue when you are angry, A costly act of private
28:21
forgiveness. These things receive no human
28:24
applause. No one hands you an award for
28:26
those things. No, but they are not hidden from
28:29
God. They are stored beneath his gaze
28:32
until the day Christ appears. Take some time this week to
28:35
evaluate your own spiritual wardrobe.
28:37
Look at the motivations behind your daily routines.
28:40
Are you relying on the spiritual detox of your own willpower, or
28:44
are you resting in the finished work of the resurrected King?
28:47
It's a question we have to ask ourselves every day.
28:50
Thank you so much for joining us for this deep dive into
28:52
Colossians Chapter 3. We appreciate you taking the
28:55
time to wade through the muddy construction site with us to
28:58
look at the beauty of the architectural blueprint.
29:00
Until next time, keep your mindset on the things above.