Paul's Concern For Representing Jesus The Right Way Series

Colossians 3:10-17 [NLT]

January 30, 2013

Oak Park Baptist Church – Wed Bible Study Series

Colossians Bible Study

Paul’s continues to clarify his teaching on the proper attitude and action of those in the body of Christ:

Over the past few weeks we have been looking at how Paul was encouraging the believers in Colossae and how he had heard of the false teaching being taught…

Paul was extremely adamant that believers should NOT listen to the things these false teachers were saying but rather they should hold fast to the Gospel Paul had given them and to Christ who was ALL they needed!

Paul denounced their teaching and exalted Christ in ch1-2 BUT in the beginning of ch3 we find Paul begins to flesh out what the believer’s life should look like…”SINCE you have Christ, this is what your life should look like…”

Now when we looked at the first part of ch3 last week, we saw what Paul laid out as what should NOT be part of the believer’s life. Paul taught that things such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires or greed had no place in the life of a believer.

He also taught that the believer must make the effort (implied here is that this effort will only happen thru the power of the Holy Spirit) But the believer must make the effort to rid their lives of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, unwholesome speech and that they should NEVER lie to each other!

What Paul was teaching them was that these things were the things from their old sinful nature AND that they were incompatible with a life ‘In Christ’ so they must lay aside these things so that they can live a life that reflects Christ as their ‘new life’!

Paul said that these things served only one purpose and that was to satisfy our old sin nature! These things only lead to God’s wrath being poured out in our lives!

In other words, what Paul was saying is that these things he mentioned for believers to get out of their lives… these things serve ONLY ourselves and the end result is NOT good…So if this is the result of these things, why would you continue to allow these things to be a part of your life?

We also looked at how it MAY look from the surface that Paul was simply giving them HIS list of things to do or NOT do instead of the lists that these false teachers had laid out for these believers!

That is NOT the case. The difference is that these false teachers laid out things to do so the believers could achieve holiness before God! It was a works based philosophy, it sounded spiritual but it was NOT the plan of God!

On the other hand Paul’s ‘list’ was NOT a list for the purpose of achieving holiness. In fact, Paul knew that NOTHING these believers could do would help them achieve holiness! Holiness comes from God thru the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives! It does NOT come from things we do…

The list Paul lays out is a list of things that reflect what a life ALREADY FILLED with the holiness of God should look like!

The ‘evil’ things mentioned by Paul simply are not compatible with a life dedicated to serving Christ! The life of a believer should reflect Christ and HIS holiness and it cannot reflect the selfish desires of our sin nature!

So Paul had laid out what the believer’s life should NOT look like but here in v10 he begins to lay out what the believer’s life SHOULD look like so lets read what Paul has to say beginning in v10:

10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Here Paul clarifies his point as he stresses that in Christ each believer is being ‘renewed’ and that they must strive to live their life becoming more and more like Christ!

Paul continues to share that there were no boundaries to God’s work in changing people. All who came to Christ could and would be renewed if they submitted and surrendered to Christ! Paul re-emphasizes that Christ is ALL that matters!

It is NOT about ritual or ceremony! It is not about what you do or don’t eat! It is about Christ and Christ alone and Christ wants to see all come to Him!

12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.