The Prison Epistles
Sermon Forty-four
Colossians 3:12-17
Congregational Characteristics
(part 6)
Jim Bordwine, Th.D.
Introduction
Have you ever had an experience in which you felt both excited and eager, on the one hand, but frightened and intimidated, on the other? Usually, we react one way or the other—either we encounter something that excites us and creates in us a desire to go forward, or we encounter something that scares us a bit and creates in us a measure of fear. There aren’t too many episodes in life in which both kinds of reactions are produced at the same time.
There’s a parallel to this notion in the Christian life. It happens when we encounter some teaching or some aspect of being a follower of Christ that excites us, on the one hand, because we truly want to be the kind of person we see described in the Word, and makes us step back and hesitate, on the other, because what is described seems to be too much, too difficult to achieve or too demanding.
Several weeks ago, I began a sermon by noting that every congregation in the Church of Christ has distinguishing characteristics. During my service as a minister, I stated, I have heard individual congregations described as friendly or not very friendly, warm or cold, young or old, exciting or boring, interested in evangelism or not interested in evangelism, mission-minded or not interested in missions, doctrinally sound or doctrinally loose, family-friendly or grumpy, seeker-friendly or unwelcoming to strangers, contemporary or traditional.
I went on to say that congregations give “first impressions,” just like people, but I think we often judge congregations using invalid or ultimately unimportant criteria. When it comes to what a congregation is really like and what it is really all about, what matters is not impressions based on limited experience or an opinion offered by someone else; what really matters is the self-awareness of that congregation, but which I mean the congregation’s understanding of what it is and how it is supposed to appear in the world and what marks should be present.
That was our introduction to one of the richest and most challenging passages in Paul’s letter to the believers who made up the Colossian congregation. We have been studying just a few verses in the third chapter of this epistle and what we have found are verses that are both exciting and scary. They are exciting because in this passage, Paul tells us what we are and what we can be; but they are scary verses, too, because in them Paul tells us what we are and what we should be. There are few places in his letters where the apostle packs more into such a short space—in terms of explaining the Christian life—than he does in Col. 3:12-17.
I’ll read our text, once again and for the final time in this sermon series:
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
03. The third characteristic has to do with the attitude we adopt (vv. 15-17)
We are looking at characteristics that Paul says should be found in a congregation of believers—and these are not characteristics to be found only in formal worship, but traits that are to mark the people of God in everything they do or attempt, everything they say or contemplate. You’ll recall that the first characteristic has to do with knowing who we are. We spent a lot of time looking at v. 12 where the apostle refers to the Colossian Christians as “those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved.” This, I emphasized before, is the beginning place for a congregation’s self-awareness; this is where we begin before we worry about anything else. We start with who we are because this is what determines everything else—it determines the goals we set for our church and for ourselves as members of this body, it determines how we will use the resources God puts at our disposal, it determines the activities we will emphasize and those we will not take part in, and it determines how we worship.
To say that we are “chosen of God” means that He determined to save us and give us a place in His family. It means He sought us and called us and now preserves us as His own forever. This fact definitely has a bearing on how a Christian thinks of himself. To be “chosen of God” implies purpose and direction. It means we are not our own, but are His and our lives, therefore, are to unfold for His glory.
After speaking to you about that statement in v. 12, I asked you to take a week and think about what it means to be the chosen of God. I said to you that understanding the implications of Paul’s statement is the key to a happy marriage and a happy family and a productive life. I said that there are some teachings in Scripture that, while helpful, are not essential to a well-ordered life before the Lord. But the fact that we are the chosen of God is not one of them. This teaching is of the essence of what it means to know God and be known by Him in salvation.
Then, having made this monumentally important declaration about the status of believers, Paul continued and spoke of a second characteristic, which he conveys by means of an analogy. Paul writes of taking off old garments, meaning the setting aside of the characteristics we had prior to salvation, and putting on new garments, meaning characteristics that are products of our regeneration and our ongoing growth in the faith.
You’ll remember that Paul said believers are to wear the clothing of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He taught that we are also to be marked by forgiveness of one another. He concentrates on the “why” of forgiveness—that is, Paul focuses on why I should forgive those perceived wrongs done against me and why I should forgive those genuine wrongs done against me. I have to be a forgiving person if I’m a Christian because I have been forgiven. It is the height of hypocrisy for a Christian to be stingy with forgiveness; it is, in fact, a denial of the Lord Jesus who paid for our sins and made possible God’s forgiveness of us. So, as one of God’s children, I am to be clothed, as it were, in forgiveness.
At the conclusion of that sermon, I went over each of the terms Paul uses—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness—and asked you to compare yourself to the description the apostle gives us. I noted that all those traits are to be found in those who are the chosen of God. I suggested that as the chosen of God, these are not qualities we need to attain, but qualities that are in us that need to be manifested. This is what God’s chosen people look like and our challenge it to give expression to what we are in Christ Jesus.
That brought us to the third characteristic, which we are now examining, and that is the attitude we adopt. I pointed out that in vv. 15-17, the one unifying element is thanksgiving. We are, Paul says, to allow the peace of Christ to govern our lives and if we do that, if we allow all that Christ has done for us rule in our hearts, then we are going to be thankful people. In response to what Paul said, I asked you this question: What is directing your life or what is the key factor that makes you the kind of person you are?
I noted further that everyone is governed by something—beliefs, experiences, fears, worries, sin. Whatever it is, it makes you the person you are now and it has a big influence on all the relationships in which you participate. A person who has the peace of Christ ruling in his heart will be immediately noticeable because he will be the person who isn’t shaken by every bump in the road or by every situation in which he doesn’t get or have exactly what he wants. The peace of Christ brings stability and the ability to persevere.
And in terms of the attitude we are to adopt as the people of God, Paul added that we are to teach and admonish one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs so that the word of Christ dwells within us—and we are to do this with thankfulness. I left you with several thoughts regarding the application of Paul’s words about psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, one of which was the notion that the people of God, those chosen of God, are to be a singing people. He is honored by our glad and Biblically accurate singing—in our churches and in our homes. He takes pleasure in the sounds of singing that rise from the homes and congregations of His redeemed.
Paul makes it clear that we are to be, above all else, thankful people. That is supposed to be the essence of our attitude. We are thankful when we let the peace of Christ govern us and we express our thankfulness to God in our songs and hymns. Then, in v. 17, we find one last exhortation from Paul regarding the thankful attitude we are to adopt as those who carry the name of the Savior in this life. Now, before we look in detail at that last verse, I want you to think for a couple of minutes about all that Paul has prior to this. For the past five Sundays, we have been looking at vv. 12-16—five sermons on five verses. That’s a slower pace than I normally keep in my preaching. I covered less in these sermons than I normally would for one simple reason: there is so much here, so much instruction, so much insight, so much help for us as we live out our days before the Lord.
But I’ll make a confession: when I read through vv. 12-16, and seriously contemplate the kind of person Paul is describing there, I want to turn away. Who can meet the standard set down by the apostle? In truth, I can only attempt to live as Paul describes. I know myself and I know I don’t think of myself as “the chosen of God” all the time. I know myself and I know I don’t wear those beautiful garments of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness all the time. I know myself and I know that while I understand what the “peace of Christ” is, I don’t let it rule in my heart always, but often replace it with anxiety. Who can hope to live like this?
I would understand if you had questions and doubts about what Paul says in these verses. I would understand completely if your reaction to these verses was one of resignation: “How can I possibly live as the apostle teaches? I try, but I keep falling.” I would understand that response. You might think that Paul is simply asking too much. Hasn’t the apostle put before us characteristics that we just cannot possibly manifest? Does he really think that Christian people, people who still live in the sin-cursed world and who wrestle daily with the challenges of maintaining a decent witness can exhibit compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as defining traits of our lives?
And what about forgiveness? Does Paul really expect us to “bear with one another and forgive each other” no matter what has been done to us or what we think has been done to us? Does he really expect us to set aside every wrong and every complaint we have? Our lists are so long! Surely there is a sin in there somewhere or a complaint in there somewhere that has merit and that, therefore, could be held in reserve! Does Paul seriously think that we can imitate Christ in our forgiveness of one another?
And is he speaking sincerely when he writes that we are to be governed by the peace of Christ day in and day out? What kind of commandment is that? Did Paul live some kind of sheltered life or did he have some kind of supernatural powers that would lead him to believe we can really deal with this ugly fallen world and maintain thankfulness in our hearts? Isn’t he asking too much? Does Paul think we can go around singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that edify and challenge and admonish when we’ve got jobs to work and houses to clean and children to raise? Come on, Paul! I ask again, therefore: “Who can meet the standard set down by the apostle?” Who can hope to live like this?
Well, apparently, Paul thought all Christians could live as he describes. He thought that, no doubt, because he was anchoring his thinking in Christ, not in the individuals to whom he was writing. He writes knowing that these Christians are the chosen of God, knowing that they have Christ in them and, therefore, can exhibit all those wonderful qualities, such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness; Paul writes knowing that Christ had, indeed, given them peace with God and they could, therefore, live accordingly. He writes knowing that the word of Christ was dwelling in them and could be communicated in an edifying manner though psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Paul’s confidence was not in the Colossians; his confidence was in their Savior. By Him and in Him, there were no insurmountable obstacles to living as Paul describes.
Our problem, of course, is that we read a passage like this and almost automatically assume that the ability to live as Paul describes depends on us, as if we have no Spirit dwelling in us, as if our hearts have not been regenerated, and as if the seed of holiness has not been implanted within. But that’s not Paul’s perspective. His perspective is that we are “the chosen of God” in Christ Jesus and that is why I asked you to take a full week and contemplate the implications of that declaration. If we are the chosen of God, then all that Paul describes must be true of us. That is the apostle’s perspective and that is why he speaks so pointedly in this passage. You cannot be “chosen of God” and have a callous, cold, uncaring heart. You cannot be “chosen of God” and be unkind or arrogant or harsh or impatient or unforgiving. That’s because Christ is living in you and He is all the things Paul describes.
Well, I hope you’ve thought ahead so that what comes next doesn’t catch you completely off guard. All that Paul has written up to this point is nothing compared to what he says in v. 17. At least, up until v. 17, Paul was specific about how we were to think and act. But now, the man ends this section of his letter to those Colossians who were living in one of the most depraved periods in human history with this: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (v. 17)
What is this but a “blanket” exhortation that covers every aspect of our lives? Now, it’s not just those several areas of thinking and conduct that Paul has specified in which we are called to thankfulness; now, it’s “whatever [we] say” and “whatever [we] do” that comes under consideration. This means that no part of our lives is exempt from the implications of belonging to Christ; this means you do not have a large part or a small part of your life that is not affected by Christ; this means that you have no portion of what you say or do that is not related to your faith. “Whatever you do in word or deed,” Paul declares, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the father.”
This covers, as I’ve said, everything we think, say, and do; it covers every motivation we have, every plan we make, every hope we hold. It applies to every conversation, every project to which we put our hand, every story we tell, every report we listen to, everything we look upon, everything we read. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
To say anything or to do anything “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” of course, means to speak or act in a way consistent with His character and teaching. To say something in His name, is to speak like Christ. To do something in His name is to act like Christ. This is what the Christian life is supposed to be—it is supposed to be a reflection, as it were, of the Savior. You life is supposed to be an imitation of the One who gave Himself for you. This, too, is what it means to be “the chosen of God.” Our lives are to be lived in such a fashion that Christ is detectable when we speak and act. No matter what we do, His presence and our dedication to Him is to be heard and seen.
Application
Don’t turn away from Paul’s wide-open exhortation: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Think about how many words you speak in a day and how many things you do in a week. Think about how much time you spend planning your life and analyzing the lives of others. Think about how many bits of information you listen to each week and how many pieces of information you pass along to others. Think about your typical day or your typical week. Think about your time in the home and your time away from home. Think about what you watch and read. Think about where you go on the Internet and which CD you just purchased. Think about the conversations you had with your wife this past week. Think about how you spent the time God provided for you. And then let the Word of God cut deep into your soul, if necessary, when it says “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
How much of what you said and did this past week was said or done in the name of the Lord Jesus? That is, how much of your activity reflected His purity and His priorities and His sacrifice for you? This isn’t an unimportant issue or one that has little bearing on your life. This is the issue for you as a Christian. Is Christ heard and seen in your life? What is most important in your life, expression of what you want or expression of Christ through you? What moves you, motivates you, and controls you? What do you convey when you speak or act or react or plan?
Can you look at your life just this past week and, after remembering all that you did in word or deed, give thanks to God through the Lord Jesus? Are you living a life “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” as Paul says? Are you days marked by faithfulness to Him or do you think of Him only on Sundays when you come to church? Is your whole life laid out before Him or is there some part that you are hiding from Him, some part that you refuse to let Him govern?
Paul leaves no room to hide. Whatever you do in word or deed, he writes, you are to do all in the name of—that is, for the glory of—the Lord Jesus, even while you give thanks through Him to God the Father. Living for the sake of Christ, Paul teaches, makes us thankful people. Living so that He is honored and seen in us—that is our calling.
Let’s pray …
Conclusion
Paul’s last exhortation to us in this passage is a tough one. It amounts to submitting every area of our lives in service to the honor of our Savior. But this is reasonable, is it not? He did, after all, purchase us with His own life. This sacrament reminds us every week that Jesus saved us from condemnation by giving Himself in our place. Of course, therefore, we are to live for Him.
As you receive the elements, pray that God will strengthen you so that you can do just what Paul commanded. Pray that your relationship with the Savior would, indeed, be obvious in your speech and conduct—that is, in everything you do.
The Scripture says:
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28)