Pastor Marty Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 3:59PM Colossians 3:18-23. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday October 12, 2025.
Here is the audio. We will have the article up later.
Email Article | Print Article | Share Article | tagged Children, Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Family, Home, Husbands, Parenting, Wives Pastor Marty Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 3:54PM Colossians 3:12-17. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
In the previous section, Paul had given us a list of the things that Christians need to put off, or to take off. He generally mentioned in verse 10 that we should then put on the new self that is being renewed into the image of Christ. The section before us gives a summary list of the virtues and character of Christ that we need to put on. Essentially, we are putting off everything that is not Jesus and putting on everything that is Jesus. In order to do that, we will need to get to know him by reading the Word of God and by spending time in prayer with him.
Let’s look at our passage.
Back in verse 1, Paul used the conditional “if” to challenge them. “If you have been raised with Christ, then set your mind on the things above.” This was talking about having a heavenly perspective about things on the earth, doing earthly things for God’s purpose. This is what the Lord’s prayer is getting out. “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The conditional is not used to disqualify them, but rather to underline the importance of the command.
In verse 12, he does something similar. Here, we have, “As those who have been chosen of God, then…” This has the effect of tying the theological truth (you have been chosen of God) with a practical result in the way we live life- we will get to what that is in a moment. Our theology should be logically connected to the way we live our life. Our walk needs to line up with our talk. We cannot claim to be a child of God while living like the devil.
So, who are these chosen ones? God has chosen all those who will put their faith in Jesus, the Christ.
There are some who challenge this understanding of God’s choice. They believe it puts us in the place of saving ourselves. They will typically say that the only reason you choose to follow Jesus is because God first chose you individually. If He had not chosen you, then you would have never truly believed in Jesus. At least, this is what they would say. The problem here is that God from eternity past knew who would do what. Yet, the contention of such theologians is that God chose people without any thought about what they would do. He sovereignly chose some and didn’t others. You may appear to choose Christ, but it is only because God first chose you.
I believe this is a misunderstanding of God and of His sovereignty. All through Scripture, God is calling for us to choose Him. “Choose this day whom you will serve!” “Whose on the Lord’s side? Come over here!” The Gospel of Jesus is always presented as something we need to believe without coercion.
Thus, the character of God is such that He will not force us to come to Him. Both because He is loving and because He is just, it is wrong to conceive of God controlling our ability to choose Him. However, in the name of upholding the sovereignty of God- by saying He controls everything without anything from us- they actually end up limiting the sovereignty of God. Essentially, they are saying that God cannot be sovereign enough to carve out a place wherein people can be free to choose Him.
Truly, we cannot save ourselves even by believing. The only reason faith can save is because God through Jesus did a real work of paying the price for sins. A simple analogy is that of a meal. If God never cooked the meal and put the plate in front of us, none of us are capable of feeding (saving) ourselves. However, when God in His sovereignty cooks the meal, spreads the table, and calls whosoever will respond to eat at His table, the responding person is not saving themselves. Rather, they are submitting to the sovereign choice of a God who is demonstrating His saving love to them. When God puts the plate of grace in front of a person, they are able to believe and respond. We are not save by our faith, but we are saved through it.
Paul further describes them as holy and beloved. When you put your faith in Jesus, you become holy. This does not mean that you walk on water and never sin. A holy person is a person who has been set apart by God for His purposes. Similar to a holy bowl in the temple of old, an Israelite should never take the holy bowls from the temple in order to impress people they are having over for dinner at their home. The distinction is that there are common things that we all do, and there are holy things. Christians are no longer to live their lives like everyone else, the common people. We are to live our lives solely for the purposes of Christ. In fact, the New Testament actually increases the concept of being holy because everything in our life becomes holy now. We are to do all that we do for the purposes, glory, and honor of Christ.
You are also a loved one (beloved) of God. The word for beloved is speaking of something done in the past that has continuing effects into the present. You have been dearly loved by God by the work of Jesus Christ and the bringing of salvation to your door.
In all of these things, being chosen, holy and loved of God, it is not intended to make us look down our noses at those who do not believe. God’s love calls all to join the chosen and holy community. He calls all to repent and join those who have stepped into Christ by faith. Of course, none of us deserve to be in this place of His love. However, we have been brought in through the work of Jesus and through our faith in him.
This leads up to a “therefore” moment. Since you are chosen of God, holy and beloved, you should put on some things that we will get to in a moment. This begins a list of virtues, or rather, the character of Christ. It is using the language of clothing that was started earlier in the section on the vices we need to “take off.” We undress our lives of the things of this world, and we dress ourselves with the character of Christ, the image of Christ. We are taking off the works that our flesh generates and putting on the character and works that the Lord Jesus Christ generates through the Holy Spirit working in us.
Let me take humility- which we will talk about in a bit- for an example. We are not called to put on humility as we might define it, or as the world defines it. We are called to put on humility as it is defined by God and especially revealed through the words and actions of the Lord Jesus. It is His image we are donning. We look to him to understand the what and the why of humility.
This world loves to give lip service to love, toleration, justice, equality, and inclusivity. However, the definition of these things, and how they are actually lived out, often lead to a perverted expression of them. Seeking these things for the sake of saying we are doing them puts us in the driver’s seat. It is a form of self justification. Society will continue to adjust the definitions of these things according to the desires of their sinful flesh. Christians are called to embrace Christ and let his humility be lived through us.
So what are we putting on? First, we put on a heart of compassion. There are two words here, even though some translations will translate it with one word. The first word refers to a deep place in the guts of a person. It is best translated as heart, but we might get a glimpse of the meaning in our description of “getting the butterflies.” Notice that we do not speak of the butterflies as being in our heart, but rather our stomach. So, the type of compassion they are describing comes from a deep place that is deep within you and is accompanied by a feeling in the pit of our stomach. In this case, it is not the butterflies (nervous excitement of what is ahead). It is compassion for someone’s predicament. You did not cause their plight, but their misery has touched something deep within you and motivated you to action.
Compassion is the first word that God uses to describe Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6. That Hebrew word also has the emphasis on a deep-seated compassion for those in misery.
We want to be careful of only having a heart of compassion for people that we like, or for people in which it is socially acceptable to help. Putting on the compassion of Christ will put you at a Samaritan well talking to a woman who is very far from God. The people around you (even the woman herself) may protest that you shouldn’t do this. However, Christ expressed the great compassion that God the Father had for her by giving her his compassion in the moment.
We are also told to put on kindness. Kindness somewhat speaks for itself, but it speaks of a general disposition of goodness towards others. A person who is kind has a kind of default setting. They are predisposed to being good, benign towards others.
We are to put on humility as we said before. This is a lowliness of mind towards others (and God). Our position or standing does not influence the way we speak and deal with people. We do not approach them as superiors, nor even as equals. We come with lowliness of mind, knowing that God helps the humble, but resists the proud.
It is easy to think that you are humble when you think about God. The real test is in our relationships with one another. When we think we are smarter than others around us, when we compare ourselves to them and think that we are better than them, we will act in ways that are anything but humble. How smart and how much better than us Is Jesus? Yet, how humble was he in the face of men who were clearly wicked? Did you deserve Christ to come down and serve you by taking your place on a cross? No, you do not; none of us do. Lay down your pride and judgments and simply serve others for Christ.
We also put on gentleness. The gentleness of a person says nothing about how strong they are. Gentleness at its core is not about weakness, but about control of strength so as not to cause injury. What is true in the physical is also true in the way we approach one another.
Of course, we should remind ourselves that these virtues of Christ are not some kind of law. When Jesus whipped the men out of the temple, it did not look gentle. We are to be gentle with one another, but sometimes a strong word and strong action is necessary. However, it must be the image of Christ and the Spirit of Christ that is governing our words and actions in that moment.
We are to put on patience. The word here has the idea of a long fuse. We need to be slow to anger (another virtue that God uses to describe Himself in Exodus 34:6). You need to take off your short fuse and put on a long fuse, and not long as you define it. We put on the long fuse of Christ with one another.
In verse 13, Paul moves deeper in the virtues, showing how they lead to virtuous actions. It is not enough to think virtuous thoughts. Such virtues will and must always lead to virtuous action.
Bearing with one another is the picture of someone who may need to be carried from time to time. It is never convenient to have to carry someone, but love compels people to use our strength to help the weak in whatever form it occurs. In fact, we all need to be carried, whether metaphorically or literally, at times.
What do I mean about a metaphorical carrying? None of us are perfect, despite the attitude of some. There is a certain heaviness that others experience in those less than perfect moments. The choice to either overlook, i.e., not make an issue of something, or to bring up the issue, but with an attitude of love, is a heaviness that others must carry in the presence of my differences from Jesus. Some of these are sin. I am disobeying the commands of Christ. Others are simply offenses. My personality is grating on yours, and of course, those differences can lead to overt sinful choices. When we ask for forgiveness and extend forgiveness, we are choosing to carry the weight of one another. When we step in and help in moments that were even caused by the lack of foresight of the other, we are choosing to carry them. We should make room for one another by not holding on to the sins and the offenses that others have done to us. Perhaps we should think of it this way. Our sinful flesh would rather hold on to the weight of the sins and offenses, never letting go, when Christ would have us drop the list we are keeping and carry a different weight, the burden of love for a person.
The best way to begin carrying a person is to pray for them. Ask God to change your heart. Ask Him to help you see what you can say, or not say, do, or not do. Be committed to a good relationship in the name of Jesus. Ask for wisdom on how what things should be overlooked as trivialities and what things need to be addressed in love. Ultimately, be committed to carrying the weight of working things out with a person who may not be easy for you. In fact, I am sure that all of us have people who have found it hard to carry us in such a way.
Paul’s next point of forgiveness is a natural next point as I mentioned above. We all need to learn to forgive each other. Of course, there are times when people persist in belligerence and refuse to get along. However, Paul is calling us to this commitment of love. Love forgives. Love refuses to hold on to a record of wrongs. Love never quits!
Paul says the same thing in another way. “Whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Think about this. Did Christ forgive you of your sins because you became perfect? No. It was first because he loves you and secondly because you responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We must be quit to let go of complaints in forgiveness. If a person refuses to deal with offenses, we are still to move forward by keeping the door open for reconciliation. Here is a prayer to try. “Lord, this offended me, and it is hard to let go. I turn this over to you and trust you with whatever happens. Let me do only what you want me to do. Let me say only what you want me to say.”
Verse 14 then states, “Beyond all these things…” Some versions say “Above all these things…” Since Paul has been using the language of clothing, it may be better to translate this as “On top of all these things…” This final thing is like the outer cloak that everyone would recognize as your cloak. It is the signature touch to getting dressed in the Character of Christ. We are to put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Thinking of love as if it were clothing may seem strange. However, it makes sense. Love is something that is not generally welling up from within our soul. It is often the conviction of the Holy Spirit pointing us to this thing called love that challenges us to pick it up and clothe ourselves with it.
Although love will help people to have a bond of unity, this most likely refers to love as the virtue that ties all of these character traits together into a bond of perfection, or a unity of full maturity. If we only contemplated these character traits as individual items on a list, they may be twisted beyond the point. It is love that teaches us when gentleness must give way to a firmness and perhaps to a harsh word. All of these things should be seen as facets of love which ties them all together into a perfect man, the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Love is being committed to the good and well-being of another as God defines it. Jesus said it best. “Love one another as I have loved you!”
How did Jesus love us? He did it with his whole heart, even when it hurt, sacrificially, undeniably, outwardly, etc., etc., etc. He is calling us to love one another this way.
In verse 15, Paul gives them an imperative. However, it is an imperative about letting something happen to you that God will do, if you yield. You are the question here, not God.
We are told to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. The word for “rule” here has the idea of an umpire. In other words, let the peace of Christ have such a position in your heart and mind that it is calling the shots and grading our attempts.
The Colossians were dealing with some men who were coming into their church and making judgments about how they were serving Christ and what they believed. Some disconcerted Colossians were listening to these men and following their judgments. Yet, Paul knew that these men were leading them into the philosophies of men and the legalism of religionists.
This admonition to let the peace of Christ call the shots in your life would be a protection against those who would try to trouble our hearts about whether we were acceptable to God or following Him correctly.
The peace of Christ can be seen in different ways. First, it is the peace that Jesus creates between us and God the Father. In Jesus, we can know that God the Father does not see us as an enemy. He sees you as His child. This knowledge can be a protection when others try to scare you about how God sees you.
However, the peace of Christ can also be seen as something that is an internal experience. Just as Jesus stood up in the boat and cried, “Peace! Be still!,” so we have many times when we need the Spirit of Christ to silence the internal troubled waters. This comes as we spend time in prayer, seeking His wisdom and direction.
Finally, the peace of Christ can also be the external experience that believers have between one another. In the context of this passage, all of these have their place. They work in a three part combination. My relationship with God the Father leads to an inner experience, which can then lead to working for the external peace between brothers and sisters. We have been called to this peace of Christ in one body (vs 15) by One Lord and One Spirit!
This is the work that the Spirit of God will do and is even now doing in our fellowship with one another. However, you, I, need to cooperate with this purpose of His.
He qualifies this activity with the phrase, “and be thankful.” This is the first of three times that he reminds the Colossians (us) to do these things while also being thankful. Have you ever done something you were supposed to do, but with the wrong heart, perhaps begrudgingly? Yes, we need to work for peace between us, but we need to do so without complaining to God about others. Yes, this is hard, but God is in it. Trust Him! Give thanks that you are not doing this by yourself. You are partnering with One who is greater than anything you may face! Give thanks!
The second thing that we need to let happen is that we need to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. The Word of Christ is firstly the Scriptures. Not just the words that are in red, but the whole thing. All Scripture is God-breathed, and the spirit of prophecy is Jesus. Read it and bring it into your heart and mind. Take ownership of this need to have God’s Word dwelling in you. Yes, churches and pastors are handy, but take time to go further. Ask God for a love of His Word. The idea of the Word dwelling richly in our hearts has to do with the fruitfulness of the Word of God. It is a seed that is intended to grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Take time to prepare the soil of your heart. Till up the hard parts, roll out the big rocks, and spend some time weeding in your heart so that God’s Word may be fruitful in your life. This is its normative effect. This is why we do not read the word as a mere exercise in quantity. Rather, we spend time praying about what we read and meditating on it. We spend time fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit over what the Word is saying to us.
Paul adds to do this with all wisdom. This does not mean our wisdom, but the wisdom of Christ. This too is a part of our prayers and meditations. They had received wisdom about the Scriptures from Christ and his apostles. When others come along later and try to trouble the waters, wisdom would say to be careful. You already have everything you need in Christ. Turn back to Him instead of looking to a man on this earth.
He continues telling them to be teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Of course, we can teach and admonish without singing, but there is something about singing that takes God’s Word to the next level. In some ways, it is a spiritual warfare that pushes out the enemy. It is easy to say words that you don’t believe, but it is much harder to sing them. In fact, a person may begin singing half-heartedly, but songs have a way of lifting us and calling us to a higher place of worship.
Yet, notice the second occurrence of thankfulness. “Singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” In the midst of heavy brothers, offenses, and forgiveness, in the midst of attempts to take off cruddy clothing and to put on the attire of Christ, we can sing with thankfulness and gusto because we are doing it for Christ! He ain’t heavy; He’s my brother! How can a heart sing this, say this, without first coming to grips with the Lord who has carried us all and made us to be brothers to Himself? Even in the midst of stony hearts and hurtful actions, we can be thankful that the God is working out His salvation in us and through us!
Singing to Christ about the glories of who He is, what He has done, and how we are called to be like Him, can drive the devil out of a situation and put our hearts in the right way.
Verse 17 then becomes a summation to this section. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Everything I do or say should be done in the name of Jesus.
What does that mean? “In the name” speaks to doing these things in His place. You are to be Him in the lives of others. Your goal should be to let Jesus do through you what He would do if He were there. It also has the idea of doing it in the reputation of Christ. Everything we do can affect how people see Christ. Of course, this can be intimidating because we are not perfect. Still, I am representing Him and should not act in such a way to dishonor Him. What do I do if I have acted selfishly and not as Christ would have me? Be honest. Confess your error and ask for forgiveness. Point people to the truth of Christ rather than yourself.
Finally, “in the name” also speaks to doing these things in His purpose, as an ambassador, and as a service unto Him. If we were more conscious of this in everything we said and did, we would be far more circumspect in our actions towards one another.
He then reminds us for the third time to be “giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” How can we get a heart like this, a heart that does tough stuff with a thankful and cheerful heart? We can only get it from Jesus, one day at a time, one dying to self at a time. May God help us to truly believe that He can help to transform our hearts over time and lead us in living out the image of God that He so perfectly revealed and is even now inspiring within us.
Email Article | Print Article | Share Article | tagged Chosen, Compassion, Forgiveness, Gentleness, Holy, Humility, Kindness, Love, Patience, Peace, Unity, Virtues Pastor Marty Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 3:52PM Colossians 3:1-11. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
In the first two chapters, we have looked at the details of who Jesus is. He is the Messiah, but he is more than that. He is also the Creator who even hold all things together. It is a mistake to think of Jesus as merely a human who has been elevated to a high position. He is the first light that came forth from the Father to do His will in creation, and he is now doing the Father’s will in the New Creation.
The identity of Jesus is also connected to what he has done, particularly in the salvation that he has done for all who believe upon him. In Jesus, believers don’t just have all that they will need. We really do have all things, period, in Christ. There is absolutely nothing that others can come along and offer us that we don’t already have in Christ. This is where the Colossians have been susceptible to the deceivers and charlatans in their midst. These charlatans are not adding anything to Christ. Instead, they are separating you from trusting Christ completely.
In chapter 3, Paul now turns to an exhortation on what it means to live for Christ in the light of these great doctrinal truths laid out in chapters one and two.
Let’s look at our passage.
Paul begins with the words, “Therefore, if…” He is giving some conclusion type statements that flow out of what has been said so far. The teaching of who Christ is and what he has done is intended to make an impact upon the life of those who embrace it.
The conditional, “if,” is not so much questioning whether this has happened, but rather, lays out a logical progression from that reality. Thus, it can some times have the sense of “since this is true, then….” Of course, Paul is addressing a group. It is possible that he means it both ways. Some of them may need to examine themselves, whether they are truly in the faith. However, the main concern is for the Colossian Christians to see how the truths about Jesus should connect to their daily walk.
Also, though he is speaking to them as a group, and he will list some imperatives that are also in the plural, each one of them (us) will need to make an individual decision to heed the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Paul.
This brings us to the second part of the conditional statement. Paul basically says the same thing two different ways. First, they are to keep seeking, and second, they are to set their minds on the things above. The first has to do with seeking something, which can be seen as an external things. Yet, the second helps us to see that Paul is not just concerned about external action. The focus of our minds and the activity of our life need to be the things that are above where Christ is. Essentially, Paul is calling us to be concerned with heavenly matters, the purposes and desires of God.
We see this in the Lord’s prayer. We are praying that the Lord’s Kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Paul is not just talking about contemplating mysteries in the heaven. He is talking about the reality that it is the desire of God that we live out His purposes on this earth. However, this takes a person who is looking for that, seeking it, focused on it. What is God’s will for me down here?
Let’s take Jesus for example. He could have lived his life in a mortal body any number of ways, but God the Father had a particular purpose for his mortal body. Jesus sought to live out the purposes of heaven, of his heavenly Father, rather than purposes that his fleshly body would like. Yet, the Father wanted him to sacrifice that mortal life in order to redeem those who would believe on Jesus. God’s concerns are very different from ours. He really wants to save anyone who wants His help.
This helps us to see why the kings of the earth and all those who have power cannot save humanity, even if they really wanted to do so. Unless they die to themselves and seek the purposes of God, they are doomed to seek the purposes of their flesh. Humanity has a spiritual problem that cannot be solved through fleshly means.
What Paul is saying here is the same thing that Jesus was saying in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:31-34. He was challenging his followers to quit seeking the things of their flesh and focusing their minds on how they can get the things of this world for their flesh. Rather, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and God will make sure our bodies and lives are provisioned. Notice, that seeking the Kingdom of God is seeking His purpose and will. Yet, the rule of God has very real focus on what happens on this earth. If you live for your flesh, you will live at a level that only brings death. However, if you live for the will of God, then you will live at a level that brings life into this world.
You see when we pray, “Your Kingdom Come; Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are not asking God to fix everyone else around us so that our experience and circumstances are good. Rather, we are praying for God to show us what that would look like in us, in our life. God, let your Kingdom come…through me! This is what Jesus did.
God is greatly concerned about the earth, about our jobs, our marriages, our families, the politics of our land, etc. But, He is calling us to seek Him and live lives focused on what He would have us do. His heart will direct our earthly enterprise, and we will become something greater than we could ever be as His purpose flows through us into the world around us. It starts in me, and then moves to my family, then to my neighbors, and beyond. This is to be our focus.
In verse one, Paul emphasized that Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. On one hand, he could know this because Jesus ascended into heaven before his disciples. Also, the Deacon Stephen described Christ standing at the right hand of the Father during his stoning. Yet, this is also a direct allusion to Psalm 110. David’s lord is seated at the Father’s right hand, and he rules over those who volunteer to serve him. This will go on until the time the Father is ready to put Messiah’s enemies under his feet. This is also connected to the Son of Man in Daniel 7, although we are not told there that the Son of Man sits at the Father’s right hand. To be seated at the right hand of the throne is to be able to exercise the power of the throne. Jesus has authority over all powers and authorities in the heavens and on the earth (Colossians 2:10).
Why does the Messiah sit at the Father’s hands for a season? The Father is allowing people on earth to make a decision. Will they be on the side of His Messiah, or will they follow the path of the flesh? Yet, his sitting at the right hand of the Father also has a sense to it where the Christ and his glory is “hidden” (verse 3). Jesus did not show himself to the whole world following his resurrection. Rather, he showed himself to a select group who would be his witnesses to the world. More than this, he confirmed that this was more than a trick through signs and wonders, which involved amazing healings, casting out demons, and many other amazing miracles.
Of course, we are not in heaven. We are here on the earth. This is why Paul reminds us that our life is hidden in Christ and will be revealed in glory at the glorious Second Coming of Jesus. This isn’t obvious to the world, and you too may have trouble believing it at times.
At the Second Coming, Christ in all his glory will be revealed to the world (Revelation 19). Yet, at this time, we also will be revealed in glory. This is what Romans 8:19 is referencing. The whole creation groans, eagerly awaiting the revelation of the sons of God (that’s you and me!). It will be quite obvious who you are on that day. We are to live today in the light of the glory that we are destined to receive.
Since you are a child of God who is going to come with Christ in glorified form, then you should be focused on something in particular today. Verse 5 literally calls us to put to death “those members that are connected to the earth.” What does that mean?
This is limb terminology, the members refer to the parts of the body, particularly the limbs. Of course, Paul is not suggesting that we lop off hands and start gouging out eyes, literally. The “limbs” or “members” that we are to remove are listed in verse five. But, before we get into the list, we should recognize that we do not do these things in order to be saved. Paul is pointing to the glorious future we have with Christ as the reason to remove these things. Simply put, we do not do these things in order to be saved, but because He has saved us. We don’t do them to have a future, but because God has promised us a glorious future.
It might be easier to think of this in pruning terms. Jesus in John 15:2 says that every branch in him that bears fruit will still be pruned in order to be more fruitful. Paul is picturing bad things that need to be cut off. However, pruning may also cut off perfectly good things. They are removed in order to make room for carbon dioxide and sunlight. This increases fruitfulness.
Though pruning may be easier for us to understand, putting things to death and hacking off limbs refers to war. And, if you have ever tried to fight against sin, you know that it is a difficult battle in which you will need to kill the lusts of the flesh within yourself over and over again.
Christ is coming (verse 4), and the wrath of God will come upon those who continue in disobedience to the Father and His Messiah (verse 6). They continue to reject Jesus and the new life that he offers.
So, we need to be cutthroat about sexual immorality in our life, that is any sexual activity that is outside of a marriage commitment between one man and one woman. We need to remove that from our life. We also need to cut off impure things, passion (driven by the flesh), evil desires, and greed, which is called idolatry.
Idolatry is the worship of something that is not God in His place. It is to surrender to something that is created the type of devotion and influence on your life that only God should be given. A greedy person can never have enough. They are never satisfied because the thing they greedily desire has become something more than it should be in their life. We see this in the lives of people who are greedy for money, or can never get enough alcohol or drugs. These things take over their lives and become the sole purpose that directs their lives to the detriment of all other people, even themselves.
In verse 7, he highlights that this is how they used to live (before Christ). You used to be this way, but you can also be pulled back into those things. A believer lives a life of focus on the purposes of heaven and not the purposes of their own flesh. Believers are putting off these things of the flesh.
This is what verse eight emphasizes. Paul uses the language of taking off and putting on clothing. We are to put off the “clothing” of the prior life, lived in the darkness of ignorance. We can take off the sinful desires and actions of our heart, and we can then put on the righteousness of Christ.
This leads to another list.
The things of our past, flesh-focused life involve anger and wrath. The word malice ahs the idea of having an over all demeanor of being bad to others. We are to take off (or put off) slander. The word is literally blasphemy, but was used of both God and other humans. At its core, blasphemy is saying something that is not true about others. It is a form of lying. It can be done knowingly, on purpose, but it can also be done out of a lack of concern about the truth. I can slander people who I don’t like because I feel like they are bad, but have never taken the time to find out the truth. These things are wrong and called blasphemy. He also tells them to put off abusive (or filthy) speech. He ends the list with lying to one another. Verse 9 refers to this activity as the “old self,” or “old man.” These are the kinds of things that your old self used to do. Cut them out of your life. Take off those clothes and burn them in the fireplace!
Of course, we will have failures, but over time, if we keep focused, God will give us victory and we will become more and more fruitful for the Kingdom of God. You can’t do this alone, or by your own strength. The good news is that it is God who is working with you and in you to make this possible.
Put on the new self (new man) (v. 10-11)
In verse 9 and 10, Paul pictures this taking off and putting on as something that happened in the past. “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self…” This is something that we have to embrace. There is a point in our life where we hear the Spirit calling us to die to the old life and come alive to the new. The positive response of our heart to the Spirit happened at a point of time, and it had a real transformative effect within us.
Yet, this putting to death of the flesh is not done in one day. It will not be done by one decision or action. I see this first part as a sort of burning the ships behind you. Another image is that of “crossing the Rubicon.” You reach a place where you are committed to putting these things to death. This is what Paul is referencing here, your decision to follow Jesus, and not yourself or the world.
Yet, verse 10 tells us that the new self “is being renewed (renovated) to a true knowledge…” This renewal is not in the past tense. Rather, it is a present process that is happening in the life of the person who has chosen to follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit daily works in our life to help us prune, put to death, those things that are of the old man. He also works in our life to help us put on, cause to grow, the new self that looks like Jesus (the image of Christ). Next week, we will look at a list of good things that Paul gives, but verse 10 gives us the principle that governs the list. We are not only being renewed into the image of Jesus as he is right now in the heavens. We are first being renewed into the image of Jesus as he lived out the purposes of God the Father on this earth. We are learning to follow him in his humility, suffering, and commitment to pleasing the Father. He is our pattern, our template, the image that we seek to live out in this life.
There is a cooperation between the Holy Spirit and us in this renovation. The power is His, but we must take the steps of faith to see it flow through our lives. This renovation is finally completed by the power of Christ at our resurrection.
Verse 11 ends with the point that this renewal is such that the distinctions of this world become irrelevant. The distinctions that he lists could be expanded into others. In Christ, believers are not focused on distinctions that have been important in the past: Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian or Scythian, slave or free, etc. The purpose of God is to save all people no matter how far from him they have been, and no matter what class of people they are a part.
Why is this so? It is so because Christ is everything and is in everything. That last part is not meant in a New Age sort of way. Paul is telling them that Christ is everything you need, regardless of how many poor categories you may find yourself. He is your everything, and he will be in all the things that you face in your life. He is with the martyr at the end of his life. He is with the evangelist when someone ridicules and spits in his face. Christ is with you in all these battles that you fight against your old man. When you feel like God has forsaken you, trust His word that says He hasn’t! Know that even in this thing you are facing, the Lord Jesus is working out the purpose and will of God the Father. You are a part of His Kingdom coming into this world!
Email Article | Print Article | Share Article | tagged Christian, Glory, Image of God, New Self, Old Self, Raised, Righteousness, Sanctification, Second Coming, Sin Pastor Marty Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:03PM The audio begins at about 5 minutes into the sermon. Apologies.