Counseling and leadership materials tell us that we need to sandwich negative information with positive reinforcement. Holy Spirit inspires Paul to do this same thing: foundational statement 3: 1-4(positive); areas of sinfulness that will cripple Christian living 3:5-9 (negative); now moves us into the positive of correct Christian living.
One survey discovered that teams led through positive focus have shown to outperform negatively motivated teams in learning and performance by a factor of up to four to one. Team members managed through positive emotions process information faster, are better at complex bargaining, are more creative, flexible and integrative in their thinking as well. They have lower rates of absenteeism, lower stress, contribute more profit per employee and stay at the same company longer.
In a personal sense, people who work and embrace a positive environment can live up to 10 years longer, overcome problems in less than half the time, are half as likely to be depressed and will have more successful relationships and marriages.
Negatives that address sinful behavior are necessary to our understanding. Unfortunately, there are preachers who spend their time doing nothing but haranguing about the negative. Not the balance of NT nor should it be the balance of NT preaching. Let’s move back to the positive….read the whole context again.
A new set of clothes
Col. 3: 10-11
1. The new life
The old set of clothes are taken off. New set needed. GK. Root – putting on of clothes. Not only place for concept – even more advanced: Gal. 3:27; Rom. 13:27. Col. Put on the new man….
Note the conscious activity of the human will – putting off the old man and putting on the new man are activities of our decision. Let go and let God is not nearly enough.
Human effort and creativity required: Phil. 2:12-13
Balancing truth – your effort matched by God’s activity.
2. The new life constantly renewed
Put on the new man and keep on putting on the new man Continuous activity of choosing to follow Christ rather than following our sinful nature. Not a one time only decision. In fact, the Lord is quite specific about the necessity of renewal.
Luke 9:23…daily.
We need to be careful to have a quiet time. Quiet time – not legalism; renewal.
Ps. 63:1-2 KJV O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Take up cross daily; seek Him early. New life is being renewed.
3. The means of renewal
Knowledge of God --- two dimensions: continually learning more about Him; continuously walking with Him.
We study the Word – not as launching pad for pride (he knows his Bible); not as source material for debate (no, I think you have that wrong). Study of the Word is meant to be truth gathering and life altering.
No excuse for lack of personal study. There are those who complain, “I don’t understand…” Listen, two bits of info you need . 1. God describes His Word as living. Not just a book; there is spiritual power within the covers. 2. God has planted the author within the Christian. You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit; He is the Author of Scripture; the one who inspired its writing. “I don’t understand….” Seen Africans with a 1st grade education; reading a Bible that linguistically is harder than the KJV – pages are worn out from use. Rejoiced to have a new one…
Amazed by the debate about version: People who haven’t read it who insist that the KJV is the only valid one!
Learn more about HIM…
Walk with Him.
We learn to walk during the good times and the bad times: One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, “If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would never come back, you wouldn’t be saying what you’re saying.”
Tragically, a few days later, Tucker’s wife was killed in a train wreck. Her body was brought to Chicago and carried to the same Citadel for the funeral. After the service the bereaved preacher looked down into the silent face of his wife and then turned to those attending.
“The other day a man told me I wouldn’t speak of the sympathy of Jesus if my wife had just died. If that man is here, I want to tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus. I want that man to know that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today.”
Tucker did not possess a mere religion; he walked with Christ. If you’re not walking with Him daily, can be hard to find Him when its tough…..
4. The goal of renewal
return to the beginning. Gen. 1:26 – image of God
parallel – breathes the breath of life; man becomes living soul.
The Image of God (often appearing in Latin as Imago Dei) is a concept and theological doctrine that asserts that human beings are created in God’s image and therefore have inherent value independent of their utility or function.
True..but lacking. Vestiges of the image are there – shows the value. Fallen man does not possess the image of original design. The goal of renewal is to bring us back to reflect the image of God: NT says it this way “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”
5. The results of renewal
every human distinction eliminated – no longer equality of sinfulness; now equality of greatness. Ground is level at the foot of the Cross – every man; every woman a sinner – worthy of judgment and death.
New creation – every person has a new circumference to their world: Christ.
Does that describe your life this morning?
