Him of the messages, such were
you. Such were you. Colossians chapter
three, let's read the context. We're starting in verse one and
we'll go all the way to verse seven. And tonight's verses,
we're doing two verses tonight, will be verses 6 and verse 7. Such were you. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above. For Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness
which is idolatry. for which things sake the wrath
of God cometh on the children of disobedience, in the which
ye also walk some time when ye lived in them. Our verses tonight
will be verses 6 and 7. But last week, let's do a little
overview. Last week we looked at verse
5 and we considered that mortifying our members is when we look to
Christ We mortify our members through the eye of faith. We
have this body of sin that we carry around everywhere. And
the old man. But we have a new spirit within
us. We who are born again by the Holy Ghost. We have a new
nature within us and it wars. It wars with the flesh. But the
way to mortify our members is to set our set the eye of faith,
the eye of faith. upon Christ, upon Christ and
him alone. And we know from scripture that
it's the love of Christ that constrains us, isn't it? It's
the love of Christ. So mortifying our members are
seeking the things that are above and setting our affections on
on things above by believing that we died with Christ. And
we see that in verse three and that he is our life in verse
four. So we see Paul Paul, after having
took apart the legalism of the false teachers, is now pointing
them right to Christ. And remember, in chapter one,
he's already set before us the preeminence of Christ and the
supremacy of Christ in chapter one and two. And then in the
latter part of chapter two, he dealt with the false teachers
bluntly. And now he's he's telling the
Colossian believers, set your mind, set your heart, set your
affections upon Christ and him alone. And we are sinners. We know that we're sinners by
birth, nature and choice. And we sin. We sin in thought.
We sin in word and we sin indeed. But we who are saved, we we mortify
our members by looking to Christ, looking to him alone, by believing. that all my sins, all my sins,
all of them, in thought, in word, in deed, all of them, every single
one of them, were laid upon my suffering Savior. Laid upon Him. And he paid everything
God demanded by believing. We mortify our members by believing
that when Jesus Christ died, he died for all my sins. There's
not one left. He paid it all. That's why he
could cry out, it is finished. And he did that for every single
one of his elect, every single one. We mortify the flesh and our
members by believing that Jesus Christ by himself has purged
all our sins. As far as the east is from the
west. We mortify our members by believing
that Jesus Christ is our only hope for acceptance before God.
That's the only hope we have. Which hope we have is an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast. This hope in Christ is sure. It's a sure. It's a nail in the
sure place. Scripture says it's sure and
it's steadfast. It won't be moved. It won't be
moved. Because it's in him and it's
him who gives it to us. Oh my, which entereth into that
within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered,
even Jesus made in the high priest up to the order of Melchizedek,
Hebrews 6, 19 and 20. So this is how we mortify the
deeds of the flesh, brethren. And this is what we are told
to do in scripture, to look to Christ. Paul's telling us in
this chapter, look to Christ, look to him. Look to the one
who is the author and finisher of your faith. Look to him. Don't
look to yourself. We did that in religion, didn't
we? We look to Christ. And then what does the believer
do? He lives a life or she lives
a life of constantly doing that. Until we go home to glory and
Brother Calvin is now face to face, he's beholding the King. and he's sinless. My, my, but
his hope was Christ in him alone. Christ in him alone. This I say
then, walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust
of the flesh, for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit
against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one
to another, so that ye cannot do the things you would. Galatians
5, 16 and 17. And as I said last week, teaching
practical godliness, which a lot of places do, they preach practical
godliness, but preaching that without the gospel will only
promote self-righteousness. You'll get a bunch of Pharisees
running around. you'll get a bunch of Pharisees. And the solution,
the solution that Paul pens to the legalism problem, which is
spoken of in Colossians chapter two, verses 20 and 23, touch
not, taste not, handle not, right? The solution to that is not reckless
abandon. We don't go crazy, right? We
don't, we're not antinomian. We don't believe you go out the
door and go crazy. No, rather the believer is exhorted by Paul,
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to look to Christ, to
look to Christ in him alone. and mortify the members of the
body, this body of death. And beloved, we will do that
until our dying day. Then the battle's over. The battle's
over for Brother Calvin. He's ceased from his labor. It's
over. It's over. And one day it will be for us. So let us remember the miracle
of grace at the new birth. The miracle of grace is the new
birth. God, the Holy Spirit. Gives life to dead sinners. Gives
life to dead sinners. And by his sovereign power, he
draws us what lovingly to Christ doesn't he draws us lovingly
to Christ. He shows us our need for Christ.
showing that we are helpless, hopeless, totally depraved sinners
in desperate need of Him, in desperate need of God's mercy.
And the Holy Spirit points us right to Christ and draws us
to Him. And then we spend a life relying on, resting and hoping
in Christ and Him alone. As we battle, as we battle this
flesh, The believer is given eyes to see Christ, that he is
the God-man mediator, that he is the one who redeemed his people
from all their sins. And that this work is perfect.
Beloved, it's perfect. Oh, it's perfect. It's absolutely
perfect. And look at verse ten of Chapter
two. And this we cannot emphasize
this enough. It is complete. And you are complete
in him, which is the head of all principality and power. That
is the that is the answer to all legalists. I am complete
in Christ. I'm absolutely complete in Christ. I'm a sinner still, but I'm a
sinner saved by grace and I'm completing Christ. He's my everything.
He's all my acceptance before God. And the Holy Spirit gives
us eyes. gives us eyes to see Christ,
grants us faith to see Jesus Christ seated in the heavenlies
on his sovereign throne of power, and he is Lord of all. We looked
at that Sunday school this last Sunday. He is Lord of everything.
We don't make him nothing. He's already Lord. He's already
Lord. So the ability to mortify the
flesh can only be accomplished by renewing or regenerating work
of God in the mind and soul, which makes us hate that which
we once loved. Now we hate sin. We once loved
it. And now we hate it. Now we hate
it. And we must continue in the faith.
Look at Colossians 123. We must continue in the faith
and not allow anyone or anything to move us away from the hope
of the gospel, which we've heard. And we pray that God would give
us the grace and strength and he keeps his people. Look at
Colossians 123, if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye
have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under
heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. And we know that
God's Holy Spirit keeps us, doesn't he? He keeps us. He keeps us. So God give us strength to mortify
our members, to mortify this flesh, this body of death, as
Paul called it, which battles against our new nature every
day. So let's look at our two verses again, in light of all
that. Colossians 3, 6 and 7, for which
things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience,
into which ye also walked some time when ye lived in them. Look at verse six, what a sobering
verse. For which things sake the wrath
of God cometh on the children of disobedience. Very somber
words right here. Very somber because we as believers
know that if it wasn't for the grace of God that made a difference
in our lives, we would be right there. We would be right there. Somber words. These are not empty
words. These are not empty words. The
wrath of God. For which things sake, the wrath
of God. The wrath of a holy and righteous God. These are not empty words as
the coming of God's wrath is just as sure as God himself.
Just as sure as God himself. And here before us, we see the
destructive consequence of the sins mentioned in verse five. As they provoke divine wrath.
And also, let us know that it's not just for these sins. but
all sin. These are just the ones mentioned
here, but it's for that divine wrath falls upon the children
of disobedience for all. And if it wasn't for the mercy
of God and the distinguishing grace of God, it would have fell
upon us, too. But the wrath that was due the
believer all fell upon Christ. It didn't go unpaid. fell upon Christ for his people
and he bore it all. So let us think of this. Those who mocked and laughed
at God. Those who mocked and laughed
at God's wrath in the days of Noah. They're not laughing now. Some of Lot's own children and
the people of Sodom mocked and laughed at God's wrath, but they're
not laughing now. Unbelieving Jews mocked and laughed
at the words from John the Baptist. Who hath warned you to flee from
the wrath to come? They're not laughing now. Just like in every generation,
the people who are alive today, Even today, we have people today
who laugh and mock at God's coming wrath. But, beloved, like all
those who have died in their sins before them, there is coming
a day when their foolish laughter will one day come to an end.
And this is sober. This is a sober subject. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 9. God is willing to show his wrath
and his wrath cometh on the children of disobedience. Look at Romans
chapter 9, starting in verse 21 to 28. Look at this. Hath not the pot of power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? So God has the sovereign choice
and power to do whatever he will, right? To make a vessel of honor
and a vessel of dishonor. It's his choice. He can do whatever
he pleases. What if God willing to show his
wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering,
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? and that he might
make known the riches of his glory. Look at this on the vessels
of mercy. God's people, beloved vessels
of mercy. I don't deserve that. Which he had for prepared and
the glory. Even us, whom he had called not
of the Jews only, but also the Gentiles. As he saith in OC,
I will call them my people, which were not my people. That's us. And her beloved, which which
was not beloved. And it shall come to pass that
in the place where it is said unto them, you are not my people.
There shall they be called the children of a living God. Isaiah also crieth concerning
Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as
the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved, for he will finish
the work and cut it short in righteousness, because a short
work will the Lord make upon the earth. So now who are the
children of disobedience? Well, religious folks will start
chiming off right away. There start chiming off right
away. And I know because I did it myself to my shame. And I
thank God that I was able to go down to the mission after
the Lord saved me. And when he called me to preach,
I thank God that he allowed me to go down to the mission and
find out that most of those guys and most of those who were there
at that mission, that gospel mission. They were just like me. Something had happened, though,
in their life, or an addiction, or something, they'd made wrong
decisions, but it was, we know it's sin, but still, they were
no different than me. That could have been me, if not
for the grace of God and Christ. So religious people, though,
right away, they're trying off, right away, they're saying, oh,
those are the drunks, and the murderers, and the prostitutes
and people who rob banks and the criminals. But let it be sounded that the
children of disobedience are all those who refuse to believe
the record God has given of his son. The record that is clearly set
forth in this book. Not just the people who are living
moral lives Not just the ones who are considered to be an asset
to communities they live in, but never darken the door of
a church, but also all religious people. Think of this. All religious
people who are involved in the religion of works. They mix man's works with the
finished work of Christ, and they're perverting the perfect
work. And thus, they're preaching a false gospel. They're preaching
salvation by a man's doing. And they, too, are the children
of disobedience. That's sobering. That's sobering. Think on this, beloved. Cain
was religious, right? He bought an offering, didn't
he? One of the commentators said this, and I like this. He said
this. He said, Cain was religious. He bought an offering. but he
bought an offering of his own works. He had no faith. He offered the works of his hands.
But when he saw that this offering was rejected and that God had
respect unto Abel and his offering, Cain's hatred for God, it shone
through, didn't it? There's only one way to approach
There's only one way to approach God. And that's through Christ. And Cain's ungodly anger caused
him to murder his brother. The unbelieving Jews were most
religious. They were steeped in religion.
They, at the time, were probably the most religious people on
the face of the earth during their time. But because our Lord Jesus Christ
exposed their hypocrisy, and their hatred for him, and their hatred for the truth
he preached, he exposed them for what they were, religious
hypocrites. They laughed at him. They mocked him. They spit in
his face. They denied the Holy One. And
the just and desire to murder to be granted of them and killed
the prince of life And they were real religious But they're not laughing and
mocking now are they We preach and proclaim the gospel
of God's sovereign grace And his sovereign mercy through the
perfect the perfect the perfect redeeming work of Christ perfect
for his chosen people. And we proclaim that this salvation
is as true as God himself. And those who mock the gospel,
they're mocking God. And they are just as guilty as
those who are experiencing God's wrath at this very moment. They
are just as guilty. God's wrath will be poured out
on all the children of disobedience who die in their The ungodly
lifestyle of the children of disobedience manifests where
their heart is. They have a love for the world.
They don't have a love for Christ. They don't have a love for God.
And I was there. I see myself before the Lord
saved me. I mocked Christ to my shame. I used his name in vain to my
shame. But he had mercy. Mercy in every one of us who
are saved here, the Lord had mercy on us. We do not get what
we deserve, but but what we deserve fell upon Christ. The ungodly lifestyle, as I said,
the children of disobedience, it manifests. It manifests where
their heart is, their love for the world and the love for the
things of the world, because because the love of God is not
in. They love darkness rather than light, and they hate the
light, they hate Christ. Because God has not sent his
spirit into their hearts. And if he doesn't, they will
continue in the state of spiritual darkness and deadness. Unless
God, the Holy Spirit brings them under the preaching of the gospel.
It reveals Christ to them. Granting them repentance unto
life. And faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, which
leads right into our next verse. Look at this. And Paul's writing
to these Colossian believers. Now, now he's going to point
out. This was you. Look at this, in the which ye
also walk sometime when ye lived in them. So the believer, the
believer in Christ does not get on some high horse. Somebody
called me one time. My mom called me this. I looked
at her and I said, Mom, you don't know. She said, Oh, you think
you're holier than thou? I said, I certainly don't. I'm
a sinner. I'm a sinner. I said, I know
more what I am now. And she called me this years
ago, about five, six years ago. And I just, I said, no, no, no,
you don't. I know what I am. I know what
I am. So some falsely accuse us of
being on a high horse, but we who are redeemed by the precious
blood of the lamb, We who are saved in Christ and Him alone. We who have been saved from the
pit that we were in. And it was a pit that we couldn't
get out of. Help must come from above. It was a miry pit. And you know what a miry pit
is? You're in there and you're trying to climb up and you're
just sliding down. But hope comes from above. Hope
comes from above. in Christ. Turn, if you would, the Galatians,
Galatians, chapter three, and then we're verse twenty nine,
which is the last verse in that. And then we'll read Galatians
for one to seven. I wanted to read twenty nine
with it because it ties right in. So the believer does not
get on a high horse. No, we know what we've been saved
from. We know we know that if the shepherd hadn't sought us,
we'd never come to him. But praise God, the shepherd
will always seek his sheep, and he will not lose one of them. Not one. And that verse six is
very sober, very sober. But let us remember, let us remember
that we who are redeemed have obtained mercy. And it's only
in Christ, it's only in him. Look at Galatians chapter 3 verse
29 And if ye be Christ Then are ye Abraham seed and heirs according
to the promise. We are the Israel of God now
look at verses 1 to 7 look at this Now I say that the air is
long as he is a child different, nothing from a servant, though
he be Lord of all. You can't tell one of God's sheep
from from from a lost. You can't tell one of God's elect
from from anyone else before he saved. You can't tell any
difference. You can't. Now I say that the heir, as long
as he a child different, nothing from a servant, though he be
Lord of all. We were elect and didn't know
it. That's what this verse is saying
there. There is no difference between us when we were in our
unregenerate state and any other lost sin. Now, God knew who we
were, but but we couldn't never tell That's why we don't know who
the elect are. Only God knows. Look at this though. But as under
tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. There it is. Even so, we, when
we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But, When the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law. There's why
Christ came to this world, to redeem His people from their
sins. Oh my! that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying,
I have a father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. My goodness. Undeserved mercy. Now, let's go back to our text
with that in mind, what we just read in Galatians. And take note of something in
the text here in verse seven, in the which he also walked sometime
when he lived in them. That's past tense, beloved. We once walked in them. We once lived in them. That was
our lifestyle. But notice. It was our lifestyle. When you
lived in them, we don't live now, we live in Christ, we're
hidden Christ. Verse three proclaims, for you
are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. It's magnificent. We who believe are dead, dead
to the sins mentioned in verse five. Now we're still sinners.
We're still sinners. And when we fall into sin, now
we hate our sins. Now we hate them. We do not find
comfort in them. Not at all. We do not find satisfaction
in our sins because we're dead to them and we're made alive
by the Holy Spirit of God. So let us remember this is one
preacher said. Our new walk in this life is
anything but perfect. Because we're sinners. We sin
every day. But sin is not our lifestyle. Sin no longer has dominion over
us. It doesn't have the hold it once
did. And I know it's so with me. If
we could cease from sin altogether, we would. One day. We'll be where our brother
Calvin is right now. No longer does he have a struggle
with sin. No longer. In one day, we'll
be like him. We'll be. In Christ's presence,
we'll be delivered from from this body of death. And we will
never sin against our God again. It's going to be amazing. There
won't be one sin of thought, deed or word. Nothing. Turn, if you would, the Ephesians
chapter two Ephesians chapter two. We'll look at verses one
to seven in light in light of what verse seven says here. Of
chapter three, and I'll read verse seven, a chapter three
again in Colossians, in the which time you also walk sometime when
you lived in them. And that's speaking of. Of what
he mentions in verse five. and also why the wrath of God
falls upon the children of disobedience. But look at this in Ephesians
chapter two. And keep that, keep verse seven of Colossians three
in our minds. Look at this. And you have the
quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. That was our state,
dead. Wherein in times past you walked
according to the course of this world. That's the same thing
Paul's mentioning over in Colossians. according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversations
in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of death, even as others. That ties in with what we looked
at at Galatians. You couldn't tell the difference between a
goat and a sheep before the sheep is saved. But look at verse four and let
us remember this. Let us remember this. Look at verse four here.
But God. Now there's. We could just park there for
years. But God. Now, keep that in mind, though,
but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead and sins have quickened
us together with Christ by grace, are you saved and have. raised
us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So, beloved God, let us remember
that we are no longer the children of disobedience, as our verse
said. We were when we lived in our
sins, but but now we're dead. Now we're dead to them. Look
at Colossians 3 7 again in the which he also