Sermon: The Christian’s Identity

I invite you to turn to Colossians 3 Colossians 3 1 to 17.

I'll read the 17 verses of Colossians 3.

Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on Earthly things. For you died. And your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your Earthly nature. sexual immorality impurity lust evil desires and greed

Which is idolatry? Because of these the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived, but now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these. anger rage malice slander and filthy language from your lips do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.

Here there is no Gentile or Jew. circumcised or uncircumcised Barbarian scythian slave or free but Christ is all. and is in all Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved clothe yourselves with compassion kindness. humility gentleness and patience bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. forgive as the Lord forgave you and over all these virtues put on love which binds

them all together in perfect Unity. Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms hymns and songs from the spirit. singing to God with gratitude in your hearts and whatever you do. Whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father

through him. This is the word of the Lord.

How do you identify yourself?

All of us identify ourselves in some ways. superficially you might call yourself a an Asian American a Caucasian an African American you might call yourself male or female you might call yourself.

an old age pensioner a Young Turk You might call yourself a an athlete. you might call yourself a failed intellectual Relatively superficial things but we all have our labels of self understanding. But of course this becomes more complex today when there is such a demand for us to identify ourselves in acceptable ways. So instead of identifying yourself as a male or female you may identify yourself as binary.

and your choice of self-identification may be deeply anti-authoritarian that is against the labeling that you've inherited whether by family or culture or church or whatever you identify yourself in other ways and and provided you use the labels and the ways of self-identification that the culture approves you you are held up as a star for yourself identification. And sooner or later as you press against these things in the

culture both good and indifferent and questionable. Sooner or later you're forced if you're a Christian to ask yourself. How do I identify myself as a Christian? What does that mean? What does it look like? I'm persuaded that one of the most insightful passages addressing that question is the one we've just read. How should Christians identify themselves? and this half chapter or so offers three principles for us to espouse

number one liveth the right address

number two wear the right clothes and number three sing the right song. That's what the text says. first of all

Have the right address. versus one to eight since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God set your mind on things above. That's where you belong. That's your home. Not on Earthly things. For you died. And your life is now hidden with Christ in God. The idea seems to be that. Christ is already at the right hand of the father. He's in the new heaven already.

and your identified with Christ so that when God looks at you. He looks at you through the lens of Christ. He sees he sees you in Christ. That's where Christ is. That's what Your address is too. Now there are different ways of getting that idea across in Paul's letters. Ephesians and Colossians are especially strong in this respect. In Ephesians chapter 1 we come across an expression that is found five times in the New Testament all in Ephesians. It's worth looking at those times Ephesians

1 verse 3 to begin with praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the Heavenly Realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Heavenly Realms is the expression that shows up five times in the Bible and all five are in Ephesians. the sphere of these blessings from Christ is the Heavenly realms look at the next occurrence the same chapter. Verse 19 which is talking about the incomparably great power of God working in

us to transform us and then we read 19B that power is the same as the mighty strength. He exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand. in the Heavenly realms In other words the power that is at work within us to transform us is the same power. It's the same species of power as as was made manifest when God raised Christ from the dead same power. And seated him in the Heavenly Realms. That's pretty

straightforward. Christ died was buried. He rose again. And descended to the right hand of the Majesty on high. to the fathers right hand in the Heavenly realms again chapter 2 verse 6 God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the Heavenly Realms. That's a little harder to understand. Because at one level I certainly have not been raised from the dead. Not yet. 1st Corinthians 15 urges me to look forward to that event, but at the moment I I'm not

dead let alone raised from the dead. I'm getting close, but I'm not dead yet and certainly haven't been raised from the dead and yet this text says that I am to think of myself as raised from the dead God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the Heavenly Realms. What is meant by that? press on to chapter 3 verse 10 God's intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the

Heavenly realms. That is one of the things that is going on in the proclamation of the Gospel is the confrontation of angelic Powers Fallen Angelic powers in The Heavenly Realms. The sphere of conflict is not only on Earth in this world. It's even in the Heavenly realms and again chapter 6 verse 12 Our struggle is not against flesh and blood that is against people. But against the rulers against the authorities against the powers

of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly Realms. Our struggle is a cosmic struggle. So what is meant by these diverse references to the Heavenly realms? well, I'll tell you the best summary that I've heard I picked it up from a friend of mine and when you first hear it you think Theological. Jargon But once you've sorted out what the theological jargon is, it's really quite insightful and helps us understand what it

means to be seated with Christ in the Heavenly realms. My friend likes to say this is an example of the spatial equivalence of inaugurated eschatology now before that puts you off. Think through very carefully what it means the spatial equivalent of inaugurated eschatology start at the back end eschatology. Eschatology is simply a word that talks about last things. It's it's the discourse about last things. It's the logos of the eschaton and eschatology the

the word about the last things Inaugurated eschatology recognizes that there are some things that belong to the end the last things that are already inaugurated now, they're not coming to the end but they've started it's inaugurated eschatology and there's a great deal in the Christian Gospel that is presented that way in the New Testament. For example we're used to thinking that the final Judgment of God comes at the end of

the age. But there is a sense in which justification is precisely. An instance of the inauguration of ultimate eschatology already. God turns to broken people like you and me to sinful people to guilty people and says you're just I declare you to be just not because we are perfectly just but because Christ bore my sin in his own body on the tree. His righteousness has been reckon to me. My sin has been reckoned to him.

And this is So Satisfied God that God himself declares. Don Carson your just that's an instance of inaugurated. eschatology But there are lots of other examples. we know from many parts of the New Testament that our ultimate hope is the new Heaven and the new Earth Resurrection existence. We're not there yet. That's belongs to the end. It belongs to eschatology. But there is a sense in which we've got a down payment. The holy spirit is portrayed sometimes as the down

payment of the ultimate inheritance. Already he works to conform us to Christ to make us like him. and and the church is to be a kind of

an announcement in advance of the community at the end. Were an outpost in time of what is coming at the end? This is inaugurated eschatology. That's the way the church is to live. With one foot deeply grounded in the new Heaven and the new Earth which is still to come.

And there are other instances of the same. now my friend says these references to

Heavenly dwellings and heavenly residences and alike are instances of the spatial equivalent. Of inaugurated eschatology with inaugurated eschatology, you're measuring things along a time frame. We're pressing toward the end. But already before the end things have started. They're inaugurated. It's along a Time axis. But this is the spatial equivalent. That is you're not there yet, but Space has been moved around so that that final state

is already begun now already you have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies. The idea is that I am so identified with Christ Christ is so identified with me that when God looks at me. He sees me. not parked in East Lansing, Michigan so much as parked with Christ at the right hand of God. That's where I belong. That's my address. That's my home. That's where I'm identified. That's where I must identify myself. Since then you have been raised with Christ. Wait a

minute. I have been raised with Christ. Christ has been raised but I won't be raised till the end. Mmm, yes, but there's a sense in which you are so identified with Christ that if he's been raised you're raised with him. God sees you in that perspective. He identifies you that way. The Bible elsewhere tells us that we've been crucified with Christ. Well, literally I've never been crucified. I I haven't died with Christ in

some literal sense and yet in a real sense. I have been crucified with Christ as Galatians, 2:20 and 21 put it I've been crucified with Christ yet. Nevertheless. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me. So I I've died with Christ. I've identified with his death. I've been raised with Christ. I've been identified with his life. and already the future has claimed the present it's inaugurated. Eschatology. It's the spatial equivalent of

inaugurated eschatology. So as a result. The Apostle exhorts us set your mind therefore on things above not on Earthly things. That's your real home. Some of us have been brought up in homes where it's considered important to maintain the family honor the family name the the subculture that you live in don't do anything that brings embarrassment to the family name. Well, there is a sense in which Christians name the name of Christ. We're we're identified with him.

So set your mind on things above that's your home address. Not on Earthly things for you died. Well it in one sense. They they haven't died but there's another sense in which they have died Christ died for them and their life is now his life. You died in your life is now hidden with Christ in God. so What does this entail? What should we do about it? verse 5 put to death therefore whatever belongs to your Earthly nature.

Put to death as a strong verb murder. Take on these Earthly sinful things and kill them off. What kind of things? sexual immorality impurity lust which is going to say something about pornography. Kill it off. evil desires and greed Which is idolatry? Why is greed at All A Dollar Tree well? Whatever you want the most. Becomes God for you. The thing might even be a good thing. But if this good thing that you want let alone

a bad thing if it's good thing that you want is what you want the most.

Then it's idolatry. It takes over as God in your life. Now put to death. Your idolatry your greed which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming you used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived, but now you must also rid your cells kill off murder put to death. Other such things all such things as these anger. rage malice slander and filthy language from your lips

in the new Heaven and the new Earth on the last day when we have Resurrection existence, we won't be passing on dirty jokes.

conceivable

we're tied up with another existence.

It would be bringing shame on our home address.

And already that is our home address.

choose the right address

second wear the right clothes in verses 9 the controlling metaphor changes it has to do with putting things off. It's a clothing expression and putting things on and other clothing expression. Look at verse 9. Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices verse 10 and have put on the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge of in the image of the Creator verse 10. Therefore. It's God's chosen

people. Holy and dearly loved clothe yourself with compassion in verse 14 and over all these virtues put on love that is over everything else, but on an Overcoat Called Love Which binds it all together forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Now this metaphor of taking things off and putting things on is not uncommon one in Paul. In Ephesians 4 we read these words.

You were taught with regard to your former way of life. To put off your old self take off those dirty clothes. to put off your old self

Which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. To be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self. Created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. So also here. Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices. That's looking at the change in clothing as bound up with your very conversion at conversion. What you are doing is getting rid of the old clothes and putting on

new clothes. But then as Paul goes on with his Exposition, it's very clear that we we have an ongoing responsibility to take off the old clothes and put on the new clothes. It's an ongoing privilege and obligation. and the first specific moral instruction that that entails he points out in verse 11 is put off racism Did you notice that verse 11 here there is no Gentile or Jew. circumcised or uncircumcised Barbarian sythian slave for free but Christ

is all and is in all if you have a congregation where all the brothers and sisters in Christ have put on the old self. And put on the new self, there's no racism. It's inconceivable. Because in Christ when you're wearing the new clothes. it's not like the old clothes with all of their biases and prejudices and and dislikes and sensitivities to offense None of that.

The entailment of putting off the old clothes and putting on the new clothes is a life without racism.

But it it's it's not just that specific sin as God's chosen people. Holy and dearly loved clothe yourself with compassion. kindness humility Have you ever gone to bed at night? After a real snarky, tiff with your spouse.

You know, it was her fault. Now if I were female, I would say that the other way around, you know, it was his fault. And you haven't listened to the scripture that tells us not to let the sun go down on our Roth. So we've gone to bed in a mighty sulk. The next morning you wake up. You've had not a bad night's sleep. And then you remember the night before?

Now what clothes are going to put on?

Are you going to put on yesterday's dirty grubs? Smelly stinky clothes from yesterday.

Renew, all the bitterness score points all fix her. I won't talk to her.

Or are you going to put on new clothes? What do they look like?

Clothe yourselves with compassion. kindness humility gentleness and patience that's an ongoing responsibility day by day day by day. day by day because we've already made the decisive turning by God's grace getting rid of our old clothes putting on new ones. That it becomes an ongoing responsibility to put on the new clothes. bear with each other forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone forgive as

the Lord forgave you.

where the right clothes that's part of yourself identity the right address the right clothes.

third sing the right song verses 15 to 17 The gospel in these three verses is referred to by a variety of Expressions three times once in each verse. Let the Peace of Christ That is the peace that Christ gives not just psychological well-being but peace with God transformation character shalom. Peace with God the gospel. Let the Peace of Christ rule in your heart since his members of one body you were called to peace And be thankful. Let the message of Christ verse 15

the Peace of Christ verse 16 the message of Christ the gospel. Rule in your heart let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms hymns and songs from the spirit singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do verse 17 whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord. Jesus not really means in line with the gospel. What is bound up with the coming

of Christ who he is what he came for? the gospel constrains things Now there is a segment of evangelicalism that somehow. Lives with the impression that the gospel is designed for Outsiders. You preach the gospel to Outsiders for insiders. You don't preach the gospel You Preach discipleship. They don't need the gospel. They've got the gospel. What you need now is discipleship. But all you have to do is read through the New Testament

quickly and look at up look up every instance of any word related to gospel and you discover how often the emphasis is on applying the gospel to Believers to Christians. We're familiar with. Ephesians 5 for example husbands love your wives. As Christ loved the church.

That is the moral incentive to love your spouse. Is mandated by the gospel itself Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. or In this passage forgive verse 13 forgive as the Lord forgave you not forgive because it's psychologically damaging not to forgive forgive because well You know you you want to get over this Tiff and get on with life? Forgive because you might have made a mistake. It's more than that for the Christian forgive us.

Christ forgave You it's a gospel mandate. And and that's why in many places in the New Testament. There's an emphasis simultaneously on what is unique about Christ's death. That can't be duplicated in our lives. We are saved by Christ's dead. and on the other hand an emphasis on the moral Exemplar of Christ's death So for example in First Peter 2. We read at the end of the chapter. He himself bore our sins in his body on

the cross. So that we might die to sins and live for righteousness by his wounds. You have been healed. Hear the emphasis on is on Christ's unique death a substitute sacrifice. He he bore our sins. He he took our guilt he he saved us That's what he did. But a few verses earlier we read a different emphasis. To this you were called. That is to suffering. For no good reason to this you were called because Christ suffered

for you leaving you an example. That you should follow in his steps.

He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth when they hurl their insults at him. He did not retaliate when he suffered he made no threats instead. He entrusted himself to him who judges justly. To this you were called. Because Christ suffered for you. In other words the gospel comes to us. And not only saves Us by its unique. substitution But the gospel comes to us and teaches us how to live. Christ suffered for you leaving you an example that

you should follow in his steps. And it's within that framework that these three verses Colossians 3 15 to 17. Not only stress the gospel, but come back three times to the matter of gratitude. Did you notice that? verse 15 Let the Peace of Christ rule in your heart since his members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful Verse 16 let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms

hymns and songs from the spirit singing to God. with gratitude in your hearts verse 17 and whatever you do whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him. Our Lives Our Gospel lives are to be characterized by gratitude and with all of this emphasis on singing as you sing to one another through psalms and hymns and songs from the spirit the songs we sing are characterized by

gratitude

I've had occasion to me quite a number of really excellent faithful evangelists in many countries. I have never met a fruitful evangelist whose life is characterized by bitterness and whining. It is so unattractive. The bitter whining person may think the deep down in his or her life. he or she is projecting a kind of victim mentality. I'm more of a victim than you are. Pity Me No, no the evangelists. I know our characterized

typically. by gratitude there is something winsome. As well as Godly. about gratitude when you meet people who live life gratefully, even though they're suffering from some painful disease or have been hit by bereavement and loss when you meet such people and discover that they're full of gratitude before the Lord. God deep down you say I'd like to be like that.

So sing the right song. Not only have the right address and where the right clothes. but sing the right song for our lives are to be characterized by gratitude. gratefulness because we do have so much for which to be with grateful. We have the gospel blessings that are briefly alluded to in this verse we've been reconciled with God. We have hope not only for this life but for the life to come. We anticipate Resurrection existence on the last day.

And we have brothers and sisters in Christ in the church. an opportunities for service and for some of us the service that we render is is having the right attitude admits an extremely difficult life.

Be grateful.

I used to nurture bitterness to count up every slight. The worlds of moral Wilderness and I have felt its blight. self-pity ruled resentment reigned no one understood my pain. I spiraled down in murky night. Insisting that I had the right to hate and hate again.

I am ashamed. O Lord forgive but then the gospel taught me how to contemplate the cross. For their Christ died for me and now I've glimpsed the bitter cost. He bore abuse and blows and Hate. He did not retaliate. triumphant malice reared and tossed blind rage at him. He never lost the love that conquers hate.

O Lord forgive I am ashamed. to make no threat to smile forgive to love and not because I must for Jesus showed me how to love and Trust the one who's just to suffer wrong and feel the pain certain that the loss is game. O God, I want so much to trust. to follow Jesus on the cross to love and love again.

I am ashamed. Oh Lord. forgive

So, how should you identify yourself?

Choose the right address.

where the right clothes sing the right song Let us pray.

Forgive us in our sinful inconsistencies and rebellions. draws closer to the Christ that we may not only more greatly appreciate his love for us that led him to Bear our sin in his own body on the tree.

But give to us a desire. To suffer with him that we may reign with him. to identify with him in the cross in the resurrection in his life of Glory even now so that we join with Christians across the centuries who have said Yes, yes. Even so come Lord Jesus. In whose name we pray. amen