It's certainly good to see everybody.
You was able to make it out this evening and we are continuing
continuing, our study and the third chapter of Colossians.
And the versus under consideration, tonight are
verses 7 through 11 of chapter 3. in these upcoming versus Paul
has given us a lot of very practical things that we can
live by on how to put up our old, sinful way of life and how
to put on a new christ-like life and and what that looks like and
and some tools that we can use and it's just a very practical
set of verses not only in what we're studying tonight, but but
through the rest of the chapter, honestly, And there's a lot of
things that can be talked about in these few verses.
So I kind of had to choose to stop going deeper into certain
subjects, so I could get the study taken care of.
But there is so much information and so much that we can learn by
just by these few verses. I want to go ahead and read the
first 11 verses of Chapter 3 of Colossians.
It says there, beginning in verse 1.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which
are above where Christ is sitting, at the right hand of
God, set your mind on things above, not on things on the
earth for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God, when Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory, therefore put to death your
members which are on on the earth.
Fornication uncleanness passion, evil desire land.
And die evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry
because of the because of these things, the wrath of God is
coming upon the sons of disobedience in which you
yourselves, once walk when you lived in them.
But now yourselves are to put up all these anger wrath, malice
blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth do not lie to one
another. Since you have put off the old
man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed.
And knowledge according to the image of him who created him
where there is, neither Greek, nor Jew circumcised nor
uncircumcised, Barbarian scythian, slave nor free.
But Christ is in all is all, and in all so, beginning in verse
number 7, We have the question posed to us.
What is meant by the phrase you yourselves?
Once walked when you lived in them.
So this phrase is in direct reference to the attributes that
were mentioned in verse 5, which were fornication uncleanness
passion, evil, desire, desire and covetousness.
So Paul was telling the Colossians that they at one time
before following Christ, they too could have possibly have
these characteristics. He's instructing and trying to
show that that the old way that we used to live or the old man.
That's how that was before they became Christians and such for
us today. When we choose a Life of Christ,
there are things that we need to change.
Is complete lifestyle. Change that happens.
When we look at a few passages, that kind of describe that in
1st, Corinthians 6, verse 9 through 11 says, do not be
deceived. Neither fornicators nor nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor
thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers nor
extortioners will inherit the Kingdom.
Of God and such were some of you but you were washed, but you
were Sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of God, also
in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 3, it says, and he I'm
sorry and you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins
in which you once walked, according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit,
who now works in the sons of Disobedience among whom all
also, we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, and of the Mind, And
were by Nature children of Wrath just as the others also.
In Titus 3 verses 3 through 5, it says, for we ourselves were
also once foolish disobedient, deceived serving, various lusts
and Pleasures living in Malice and envy hateful and hating one
another. But when the kindness and love
of God, our savior toward man appeared not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to his
Mercy, he saved us. Through the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
So, these passages of scripture give us characteristics of what,
a way of life was prior to becoming a Christian as choosing
to obey the gospel and follow Jesus.
But when we are washed baptism, First, Corinthians 6:11, We Are
Made Alive, Ephesians 2:1 by the washing or baptism.
That is described in Titus 3:5. So, these characteristics should
be wiped away from Our Lives when we choose to follow Jesus
and follow Christ and follow God's word.
They do not. They now those characteristics
characteristics. Now, do not Define Our Lives of
who we are. That was a present.
That was a past old man that we put off.
And that all happens when we are baptized into Christ.
We make a conscious decision to change who we once were now.
God does not do the work for us. He does not make up our own
minds when we are washed of our old ways, and our old way of
life, it does not mean that God now controls are thinking and
controls, our way of life, and we are just robots and he and we
are unable to sin. That's not what that means.
We are still capable of Sending you, we all sin, but it's not,
it's not stating in these verses that when we choose a Life of
Christ, God is now in the driver's seat and controlling
everything we do. We still have free will and
still have choices to make the word walked here in verse 7 is
defined as to regulate one's life.
That's how Thayer defines it. It is continuous way of life or
lifestyle. Meaning that, that is how we
choose to live our life. We choose to make those
decisions daily. It is a daily progression and
when we live for Christ, that is now our lifestyle.
Even though we have a life of Christ, we still May slip up
stumble or fall by committing any of these things that were
mentioned in the verses, but that is now not our way of life.
Our way of life is now focusing on Jesus and God's desire for us
and Paul in the next verse gives us some practical ways on how to
put off the old man. And what the old man looks like.
So that brings us to question number 2, which deals with verse
8, says, Define the following words in this verse In verse 8
says, but now your you yourselves are put to let me
start over, I'm sorry. But now you yourselves are to
put off all these anger wrath, malice blasphemy filthy language
out of your mouth. I know Frank just asked for a
couple of definitions of these, but I'm going to go ahead and
try to touch on each one of these descriptions, that has
made. So anger, the word anger, here
is a noun This is talking about not how we get angry sometimes
at just some certain situations. This is talking about
indignation a slow Burning Anger, that controls everything
that you do every decision you make.
It is something that is subsiding in you and just burns.
So it's a different word than what we find in Ephesians, 4:26,
Expert says, be angry and sin. Not, there's no conflict between
Ephesians 4:26 and the word anger here in verse 8.
Because when we read this passage and other passages like
this, we are allowed to be angry at situations and circumstances
and choices. As long as we do not sin with
that anger, but to be perpetually, angry to have a
burn in our hearts to have a control, our crew.
Things and control. Our emotions that is where we
are, so susceptible to sinning and giving a devil, a foothold
in our lives The word wrath, the Wrath, the word wrath here is
described as Rage or an outburst of passion a boiling over of the
anger that we just talked about that Shone out early.
You know, if we let that anger to sit in our hearts and burn,
it's going to come out somehow and it comes out in Wrath and
and then that goes right onto the word malice, which gives us
an ill will that has a desire to injure.
So all based upon anger, if we let that anger sit, it just
keeps growing and growing and growing and we have ill will
towards other people. Malice.
We want, we want people to hurt. The next word blasphemy.
This is something I learned in. And this was defined as a verbal
insult intentionally, uttered intended to injure, another or
defame their name. I always thought that blasphemy
only could be done to God. And, and by studying this, we
can quote on quote, be Blasphemous to somebody else.
By, by speaking ill, towards them or in, are insulting them,
or Or whatever it may be. It can be against anyone who we
speak evil against. And then the last description
here. Filthy communication is pretty
self-explanatory. I've seen speech, it includes
insults bullying vulgar language all, which is the meeting
demeaning to not only the person whom is directed to, but those
who met in be in close proximity to the word spoken.
So, it's pretty interesting on how the progression of these
words build. You have anger in your life,
it's a slow burning, it then turns into Rath, which becomes
that your anger becomes an outburst of passion, and then
that passion and anger turns into malice, where you desire,
someone to be injured. And in that in that that anger
still has potential to become Blasphemous where you're
speaking verbal insults to somebody.
And then of course, along with that comes the filthy
communication. So very practical stuff that we
can learn from in just those few little words there that brings
us to our third question. Number three, how does one put
off the old man? And his deeds and this is in
verse 9. It says do not lie to one
another since you have put off the old man with his deeds.
Putting off the old man is a reference like we've already
touched on to change as made when we choose in life of a
Christian would become New. Creations, the old
characteristics of sinful decisions.
We make no longer and we make a choice to stop living for our
own selfish desires and our own selfish loves, and we put that
old way that we used to be behind us.
We are choosing a New Life of Christ, and when we change or
put off that old way of life, we To replace it with something.
We have to replace it with the new man that is talked about, in
the New River in the next verse. And that deals.
With verse number 10, how does one put on the new man?
And what is meant by the phrase? Renewed in knowledge verse 10
and that says and have put on the new man who is renewed in
knowledge according to the image of him who created him.
So if we wanted to give these couple of verses and especially
this verse kind of an overall arching word to describe it, it
comes down to repentance. Repentance is the word where
things change in our life. We put off the old man and we
put on the new man, we change our life completely in another
Direction, living a lifestyle that is conducive to Jesus
lifestyle and his commands. So we are to become living
sacrifices as described in Romans 12 verse 1.
All that we now do is for God and not for our own fleshly
desires. Putting on a new man changes
everything about our life. All that we once knew.
And thought we had a knowledge on becomes insignificant to the
knowledge that we now have by gaining, but that we now gain by
serving, God and growing in our knowledge of him and his will.
And that can only be done by reading the word of God and
understanding the knowledge that is in there and renewing our
knowledge and life and understanding more of what his
desire is for us. We cannot be renewed into a new
man by any other way than what's written in the in the word of
God. So Paul gives us some positive
affirmation that we can be made new through those through that
way of Understanding God's will for us.
I want to read. And if you have your Bibles open
to Ephesians 4, starting in verse 20 and will read through
32, And just while we read this, I mean this this these few
verses really touch on everything that we talked about
here in Colossians and there's there's phrases in here that
we're going to recognize as we read them.
It says, they're beginning in verse 20, but you have not so
learned Christ if indeed, you have heard him and have been
taught by him. As the truth is in Jesus that
you put off concerning your former conduct the old man,
which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and beer.
Renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new
man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and
Holiness, therefore, put putting away lying, Let each one of you
speak truth in his neighbor with his neighbor for, we are members
of one. Another be angry and do not sin,
do not let the sun, go down on your wrath, nor give place to
the devil, let him who stole steal no longer, but rather Him
labor working with his hands and what is good?
That he may have something to give him who has need, let no
corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for
necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers
and do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness wrath anger,
clamor and evil. Speaking be put away from you
with all malice and be kind. To one another tender-hearted
forgiving one another. Even as God in Christ, forgave
you In verse 11. Which deals with the question?
Number five, that were. It says at now breakdown this
version explain. Its meaning verse 11 says, where
there is, neither Greek nor Jew circumcised nor Ernst
uncircumcised, Barbarian scythian, slave nor free.
But Christ is all and in all This is very, very simple.
Christ is available and accessible to all.
The Jews thought very highly of themselves and believe that they
were the only one who had the privilege of accessing God, the
Creator. Paul reaffirms here that it does
not matter where you are from. What nationality we are, what
color our skin is what language we speak, whether we are in
bondage to someone or a master of some, it does not matter.
What state or your circumstances, you may be in,
Jesus is king of all Nations, and died for all, and his
salvation is available to all that is what Paul is saying.
In this verse 11 doesn't matter where you're from doesn't matter
if you're a Jew by blood or or whatever.
The case may be, everybody has the same privilege.
To access Christ. And we are commanded that, we
have to control ourselves. We have to have our self under
subjection, because that's what Jesus has called us to do.
That's what we are instructed to do.
And if we don't, Paul tells us right here.
What happens if we do not have our anger under control, You
know, free counseling right here in Colossians 3 or 7 through 11
on practical living ways and how to deal with our emotions and if
we don't deal with them and if we don't keep them under
control, how they can expound and be problems.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.