Blessed Father, hear our cry
Cast out sin, but draw us nigh God, the merit we have none,
For your mercy, for your Son. Blessed Jesus, make our plea,
In your name to God we flee. Through your blood we seek his
face, by your priesthood claim his grace. Blessed Spirit, meet our need,
in our silence intercede. Translate crowns we cannot speak,
Heal the broken, help the weak. Troying God, please grant our
prayer. As your glory we declare, May
your promise, kingdom come, May your will on earth be done. It's one of my favorites. One
of my favorites. Turn back to Colossians chapter
three. I'm just gonna start. How far I'll get. But I want you to note my title
this morning. I've entitled this message, Words
to the Risen. Words to the Risen. This is an epistle Which simply means it was a letter
that Paul wrote to the Colossians. Which means that it was a letter
written to believers. Turn back and look at the first
two verses. This salutation and greeting
tells us Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of
God, and Timotheus, our brother, to the saints, sanctified ones,
or separated ones, and faithful brethren in Christ, which are
at Colossae. It was written to believers. It was written to those who were
made alive by God. And though that's the case, and
undoubtedly is the case, if we hadn't been prone to some of
the things that he listed in this chapter, there would have
been no need to write it. There'd be no need to write it. And this is a letter. This is
one letter. This is one part of that letter that he writes here. And if you
look at verse one in the King James, it begins with it. which I think is a rather sad
thing because it really means since or for as much. For as much then as you be risen
with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ
sits on the right hand of God. All God's people, it's not if
you're risen, but all God's people, all believers are risen. They're already risen in Christ
when He died. They rose in Him when He rose,
and they are said to be seated now in the heavenlies in Christ
Jesus. This is where he begins, not
with an if, but a for as much as. Since you are risen with
Christ, he says, seek those things which are above. Those two words in verses one
and two are seek and set. He says, seek. those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." In
other words, seek after and seek to know and be concerned about
or be caught up in those things we have in Christ where he sits
on the right hand of God. He sits on the right hand of
God Because why? He by himself purged our sins
and sat down at the right hand of God. That's where everything
starts for God's people. That's where every hope is. That's
where all instruction is. all correction, all reproof,
all rebuke, everything. These are words to the risen
who are seated in Christ Jesus at the right hand of God. And he says, set your affection
or your mind, simply that, set your mind on things which are
above and not on things on the earth. Be concerned about, be
thinking about, be meditating on, have your mind not on the
things of this earth, but on the things of God that you have
and have been freely given in the Lord Jesus Christ. That would
mean a lot to all our lives. All our lives. He says, take
no thought of tomorrow. Take no thought of what you're
going to eat and drink. Take no thought of where you're
going to live and what you're going to do, and take no thought
on what you're going to wear. There's enough care and trouble
in this world without you thinking on it and dwelling on it every
time. He says, think on the things
that you have. Mind the things of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he says, do this because
you're dead. In other words, he's saying here,
for ye have died. You've already died to this world. You're dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God. You've died, and this life that
you have is a hidden life It's an everlasting life. It's a life that makes you safe
and secure because He is your life. It's not something you're
going to gain especially. It's something that you have. It's not something that you're
to fear of losing or fear of being caught away from or taken
from you. You have it, you already have
it because Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. And it's important to know that
this is where this type of instruction in the Bible always begins to
the Lord's people. They're already safe in Christ. They're already sure of salvation
in Christ. And he will come again. And Paul
says, you're going to see Him. He's going to appear in glory,
and you're going to appear with Him in glory. Not if you do this,
or if you do that, or if you do this, or if you're faithful. No. He said, your life is hid,
and you are dead. Your life is hid in Christ, and
He's going to appear, and you are going to appear with Him
in glory. That's where it always begins
in scripture. Not to put men and women in doubt. Not to motivate them by fear. Not to make them scared of losing
their salvation. If it's in Christ, it's sure,
it's secure, and nobody can change that. So in these first verses,
he sets about the foundation upon which all this instruction,
all this warning, all these are words given to the living saints
of God, who are to mind the things of
heaven, fix their minds on the things of heaven, and not on
this earth, even though we have to live on this earth. He says, you're not of this world. And so it's with that in mind
that he sets this forth and reminds it not only here, but throughout
the New Testament, throughout all the epistles of Paul, always
writing this and making sure that they look to Christ and
trust in Christ, have all their hope in Christ, Know their security
in Christ as he sits this very moment in heaven. So he says, you're risen in Christ. You died to everything in this
world. You're safe, you're secure. And then he says this, mortified. Now, I've read enough books and
heard enough definitions of what mortify means to last us all
a lifetime. But it means to put to death. It has to do with a subduing
of those things that are yet on this earth. Listen to this. Mortify, or put to death, or
subdue therefore your members which are upon the earth. Our bodies are still on the earth. And to many people's surprise,
our bodies have made no improvement. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. And two things will happen if
we think that there is a real improvement in flesh. Number
one, we will find out what it is and be in utter despair. Or on the other hand, which is
maybe more common, we'll be filled with self-righteousness and imagine
ourselves better than we are, and especially better than everybody
else. But flesh is still flesh, and
therefore the apostle says, mortify, put to death. And that means
to put to death, never count anything that you do or say or
don't do in this faith. Don't ever count any of it as
a part of the grounds upon which God has saved you. It's not true. And yet, at the same time, it
means to seek, by the grace of God, to subdue or to mortify
these members, these parts of us that are yet still in this
world. And that's always such a contradictory
thing. That's always, as Paul says in
Romans 7, that's always a battle going on. A battle between flesh
and spirit. And that's the flesh and the
spirit of God. There's always a warfare in God's
people. But that doesn't change the fact
that they're already safe and they look toward the redemption
of this body. God has redeemed us as we say,
lock, stock, and barrel. One day we're going to be made
like unto Him. One day we're going to see Him
as He is. One day we're going to be perfect
before God in every way in our entirety. But now, though redeemed,
we're still in this flesh. where a preacher said something
I believe to be very true about this verse. He said the word therefore. Now look at this fifth verse. Mortify therefore. Somebody said whenever you see
a therefore in the scriptures, you better see what is therefore. And so what the apostle is doing
is saying, mortify therefore in light of what he has just
said. This preacher said the word therefore
is an inference from what went before. He's saying what he's
going to say now. now based on what he's already
said. We always get in trouble when
we don't take the scriptures in context. When we don't look
at the whole, we go to one word or one verse and we lose it all. But Paul's saying, mortify therefore
because of what I've just said about you and what you are in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He says the inference is on what
went before of a life hidden with Christ in God. Meaning, as plain as words can
render it, that from Christ grace must be obtained to subdue all
the corrupt affections of our members which are earthly. In other words, if we're going
to have any strength If we're going to have any ability to
mortify these members on this earth, this body, this flesh,
it's going to have to come from God. It's going to have to come
from on high. It's going to have to come from
the one who is our life, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's going
to have to come from on high. To mortify, therefore, this body
by the Spirit is what is here commanded and enjoined. That's the only way we can mortify
this flesh. That's the only way we can contain
it, is if God in Christ gives us grace and strength and restraint
and power, whatever you want to call it, whereby we subdue
these members that are on earth. That's the only way. We can't do it in our self-strength,
which is the way most preachers preach it. Grab yourself up by
the bootstraps, fight against sin, do this and do that, and
do all these self-helps in order to live this Christian life,
we're powerless of ourselves to do it. It's only the grace
of God, it's only Christ, our mediator and our intercessor
and our strength giver and our protector. That's what Paul was saying to
us in Romans 8. in Romans 7. He says in Romans 8 and verse
13, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live. There's no doing
this without the Spirit of God enabling us. Look over here in
Romans chapter 7 and verse 24. Paul says this, O wretched man
that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God. I thank God. through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. He's our only hope. He's our only strength. So the
apostle writes here, mortify therefore your members which
are upon earth. And then he begins, fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness
which is idolatry. Another translation reads that,
put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you, sexual immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. These are the things that rise
up as naturally in sinful flesh as breathing. They're like appetites of flesh. Desires of flesh. Tendencies
of flesh. Tendency to want more and want
money, which becomes idols. All these sexual immoralities,
all these impurities that enter into our mind, all these fleshly
passions and evil desires. There's no way that you and I
can mortify them of ourselves. He says you better be looking
above. I don't know how many times it
seems like a week that I have to find myself praying, Lord,
please keep me from being what I am. Keep me from doing what I would
do. Somebody said, when God saves
you, you don't want to sin anymore. That's hogwash. That's foolishness. This flesh never wants to do
anything but sin. It can't do anything else. It
can't desire anything else. except God, by His Spirit, used what He's given us, reminds
us of His grace toward us, enables us with strength to fight against this flesh.
And this is what He says, too. He says, don't ever forget that's
what those who will perish are going to perish for in part. For which things say, the wrath
of God comes on the children of disobedience. Now the children of disobedience,
that means first of all, they are those who what? Don't obey
the gospel. The wrath of God falls on those,
he says, that obey not the gospel. But if they obey not the gospel,
they do not obey God in all these other things also. That's their
life. That's their condemnation. And he says, in the which ye
also walked some time when ye lived in them. That used to be
all your life. You just turn on the TV. You
just walk out in the world somewhere, in the workplace, wherever it
is, in the mall. You see, everyone is going after
the desires of the flesh. And it just is manifest in millions
of ways. But they have no thoughts of
God, No fear of God before their eyes. They just live for the
moment. They live for the flesh. And it gets worse and worse as
this world carries on to its determined end by God. And Paul is reminding them why
we're to not do those things because God has saved us from
that. That's not our life. It would
be if it wasn't for His grace. It would be if He left us to
ourselves for an instant. It would be if He did not keep
us by His power. It would be if He did not remind
us of His grace and mercy to us in delivering from this present
evil world which is condemned and under the wrath of God. And then he says in verse eight,
but now, ye also put off all these. You all put off all these, not
to be saved. Not because God is warning you
with threats. Not because he's promising you
with reward. You can't have a reward if you've
already got all. That's what it says here. Christ
is all. But now you also put off
all these anger, wrath, malice, hatred, blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth. One translation says obscene
talk. That's not glorifying to God. Show malice when such love has
been shown to you. You either have forgotten what
God has done for you or you don't know anything about
it. Lie not to one another. We serve a God of truth. Don't
lie. Especially, he said to the children
of God, lie not to one another. All these things he says and
he commands us This doesn't mean that you can do so in your own
strength. This doesn't mean that everyone
will at every time. We have examples like David and
Noah and Lord knows how many more in their failures. Not to condone those things,
but to warn us of our weakness and our frailty. To cause us
to seek the Lord to deliver us and help us and keep us. and to point us to Christ. I'm telling you some of you haven't
found it out. If you're one of God's children,
you'll find it out that without Him every step of the way and
every minute of the way, you're a goner. I don't care how long you've
been serving the Lord. Flesh is as weak in old age And
I sometimes believe weaker than it is in youth. Somebody said, well, he ain't
no sinner like he used to be. Well, it's only because he doesn't
have the ability to, strength to. Right. It's here. I'm telling you the truth. The
only hope we have, the only hope we have is Christ will keep us. He reminds them that they were
once in that same boat. He reminds them of their past,
but God's mercy to them. He says, lie not to one another,
sing. Not in order to, but lie not
to one another, because, or seeing, that ye have put off the old
man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him." He didn't say anything here about
an old nature and a new nature. A lot of people have been seriously
deceived in that. He talks about an old man and
a new man. And what he's talking about is
that God has brought us from what we were in that old man,
Adam, to what we are in that new man, Christ Jesus. In Adam, all die. In Christ, all are made alive. You see, we only have one nature. Just look up the word and see how many times the word
nature and natural is used to reference fallen flesh. That's all we've got. And that's why he speaks of,
in Galatians, he speaks of the flesh warring against what? The new nature? No, the Spirit
of God. That's where the conflict is. You say, well, the Bible says
we're partakers of the divine nature. You better go search
what that really means. That word partaker there means
fellowship. There and a whole lot of other
places, we have by these exceeding great and precious promises,
we now have fellowship with God. We're not partakers of the divine
nature in the sense that we have a divine nature. Only those who are divine have
a divine nature. If one man had a divine nature,
that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why so many believers
are so disappointed in themselves. I thought I had a new nature.
No, you've got that same old corrupt fallen Adam nature, but
you have a new life in Christ. You have a new standing before
God. You're already seated in the
heavenlies. The work is already finished.
It never depended on you and your flesh anyway. It's all in
Christ. And that's why he begins with
these first three or four verses, what he does. He's telling us
that. He's reminding us of that, that
this is the only means by which we'll ever have any success,
I guess you might say. Look into the one who's already
finished the work. Look into God who's able to keep
us enable us, give us grace. Turn over to 2 Corinthians 5.
2 Corinthians chapter 5. Because this is where it really
tells us. Look at verse 17. Therefore, and Paul has just said, he has
a different relationship with the world. He's not even known
to the world, not associated with the world, not with worldly
things. He's talking about with the course
of this world, position of those naturally in this world and in
that situation. They're inanimate. But look,
he says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, you've got to understand it before
you understand the next part of that verse or anything else.
If any man be in Christ, chosen in Christ, redeemed in Christ,
called by the Spirit to Christ, believing that any man in Christ,
if he be in Christ, he's a new creature. All things are passed away, and
behold, all things are become new. Now you tell me if he's
talking about regeneration, if he's talking to you, Can you ever say that in this
flesh, in this body, old things have passed away? And more so, could you ever say
that all things are become new? but in Christ they are. All those associations with the
fall of the first Adam, all those relations to him, to
this world, to our sins and everything, they're all passed away. How? Because we're in Christ. Because
we died in Christ. Because we're risen in Christ.
And since they're all passed away, everything else, we're
a part of a new creation. And I believe that's what that
means there. Creation, not specifically creature in ourselves. We're not in Adam anymore. We're
in Christ. All those things in Adam, they
passed away. All those things in Christ, they're
all new. Because he's not talking about
regeneration here, the subject is reconciliation. And all things
are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. He's reconciled
us, given to us this gospel of reconciliation, telling us the
good news, causing us to believe that God is reconciled to us. We've been reconciled to God
through Christ. Old things have passed away.
We're not enemies of God. We're not acting as enemies of
God. We're the friends of God. We're
the people of God. So we ought to live like the
king's children. We ought not to be reproached
to his name. We ought to live for his glory. You know, it's always the blasphemous charge, that everybody who preaches sovereign
grace, who preaches and who believes that they are saved only by the
grace of God, only in Christ Jesus, that though they have
sinned in their flesh, that though they still sin, but they stand
perfect in the risen Lord seated it they always charge that that
means We believe there's we have a license to see him They say if I believe that I
go ahead and send all I want But the truth is we send more
than we want We sin with all, we sin against
light. We sin against love. We sin and
when we sin we say, how could I? God's been so merciful to me
and gracious to me, given me so much, how could I sin? And yet I do. I know. That in me, that is in
my flesh, dwells no good thing. I'll prove it before the day
is out. But yet I have hope. Because my hope is in Christ.
Let me read you something. It's not particularly in this
same vein, but I've been thinking about it this week. Paul is talking
about something a little bit different here. But he says in
Romans 3 in verse 8, he says, and not rather, as we be slanderously
reported. People who preach grace and believe
free grace, they have a lot of slanderous reports against him. He says, and as some affirm that
we say, They say that we're saying, sit all you want to, it doesn't
matter. That is a bald-faced lie. Listen to Paul. As some that
we affirm what we say, let us do evil that good may come, They fluff off grace, and they
just say, well, those people believe they can sin all they
want to, or that sin doesn't matter, or that how you live,
how you do doesn't matter. They're a bunch of drunks. They
drink all they want. They are careless sexually and
morally and all that. That is a lie. And Paul says
here, those that say that, It says that their damnation is
just. God's going to hold them accountable. Blind scamps. As we be slanderously reported,
and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil, that good may
come, whose damnation is just. They're going to get what's coming
to them. The God of truth, the God who knows the truth, the
God who rules in truth and justice. Lie not to one another. Seeing
as you put on the new man, since you have identified when Christ,
you realize God has put you in Christ where there's neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or
Scythian, there's none of this division or divisive stuff that
separates men, bond or free, but Christ is all. And in all, God's people. We might not agree on a minute
point of scripture. There's one thing we do agree
on. All God's elect. Christ is all. He's all the righteousness
I have. He's all the hope. He's all the
peace. He's all the joy. He's everything. He's my life. And then he says this, put on. Not to become the elect of God,
not to make sure you're the elect of God, but put on as the elect
of God. Put on, therefore. There's another
one of those therefores. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God, God who is holy and who makes his people holy,
beloved, accepted in the beloved, Christ Jesus. Put on vows of
mercy, because we've been shown so much mercy. I once heard a man talking about
a student that he had in a school that he had, and she had done
this and that and the other, and he was kind of conflicted
about how to deal with her. But he said to me, Preacher, I want to show mercy because
I need mercy. You need mercy. You better show
mercy. Kindness. These kind of things
don't need a lot of 10 sermons preached on it or a book
written about it. Kindness. Treat people kindly. Humbleness of mind. I don't know
everything. I'm often telling people that
they seem so refreshed I don't know everything. I don't know
everything. I don't know everything about
the Bible. I don't have perfect understanding.
Meekness. Quiet strength. I don't have
anything to prove to anybody. Long suffering. Forbearing one another. That
means Pretty much looking over what's done against you. Forbearing,
putting up with. Will you put up with me a little
bit? Forgiving one another. Why? Because
we've been forgiven all our sins. If any man have a quarrel against
any, Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. I've heard people
say, I can forgive them, but I'll
never forget it. Gee, thanks. If you don't seek to forget it,
you've never forgiven it. If you got to bring it up every
time, I don't even want to be near you. Because I'm just going
to probably say it again against you. Above all these things put
on charity, that's love, which is the bond of perfection. Above all these put on love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Love covers a multitude of sin. I sure am glad it's covered a
multitude of mine. You don't always have to have
your way. You don't have to spot and correct
all the faults in others. because you've probably got more
than they. But if you don't believe you
have, you'll go around correcting everybody, pointing out their
flaws, reminding them of what they didn't
do. But love's what keeps all God's
people together. Because we all know we're sinners. We all know that salvation is
by grace alone. We all know that the only righteousness
we have is in Christ Jesus, his imputed righteousness. We all know that we'll commit
the worst sin tomorrow if God doesn't keep us. And let the peace of God. What's the peace of God? The
peace that he made by the blood of his cross. Let the peace of
God rule in your hearts to the which also you're called into
one body and be thankful. I'm not that other body. I'm
in the body of Christ. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom. The Word of Christ is the only
wisdom we have. What God says. Teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. I really think that triple thing
there is one thing. Psalms. God may lead his children to
write psalms, hymns, but the ones that we sing in our hearts,
the one that we sing when we're riding down the road, when we're
reading, it's what God says, and particularly the psalms. I love the psalms. David says what I want to say.
Have you forsaken me, Lord? You gonna let my enemies overrun
me? He says what I want to say, but
often I'm afraid of it. But then he comes back. No, Lord. I'd have been a goner if it hadn't
been for you. Had it not been for the Lord.
This is your promise, Lord, to keep me and to preserve me Defeat
all my enemies and provide for me." Everything like that. And whatsoever you do in word
or do in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by Him. Thank Him for everything. Then it begins to get personal. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands. Do what that wild man says do,
regardless. No. As it is fit unto the Lord. If he tells you to go out and
rob a bank, don't you do it. That's not fitting to the law. Husbands, love your wives. He says that there are two other
places that you can find these instructions in Ephesians 5 and
Galatians 5. Love your wife even as Christ
loved the church and gave himself for it. There's not a woman in
this world that's married to a believing husband. If he loves
her as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, sacrificially,
that woman has got That husband has got a wife who
has a submissive spirit. Children, obey your parents in
all things. Why? For this is well-pleasing
to the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children
to anger, lest you discourage them, chasten them. But don't
be harsh and bitter. Put your arms around them and
tell them that you love them. Servants, obey in all things. Obey your master according to
the flesh. Don't do it to be seen of men. As men pleases, but in singleness
of heart, fearing God. You don't have to
be afraid, boss. But live in the fear of the Lord
who commands you. And whatsoever you do, do it
heartily, not half-handedly. Do your work half-heartedly,
no, as unto the Lord and not unto men. You say, well, he gave
me a bad job. Well, would you do it for the
Lord? Paul, you say, I'd do anything
for the Lord. No. If you won't do a good job for
the man that the Lord commands you to do it for, you wouldn't
do it. And then look at this. Knowing. Knowing that of the Lord, ye
shall receive the reward of inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ."
Knowing. Knowing you're going to receive
that eternal inheritance. What if you fall and fail in
some of these areas? You do, as God commands, by His
grace, all these things Not to get some, but you do it knowing
him, that even if you fail and fall, you're gonna receive the
inheritance. Why? Because it's based on grace. Because it's by being a joint
heir with the Lord Jesus Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which
he hath done. And there is no respect of persons. Well, what about if we do wrong?
We will do wrong. But this is the contrast. They're going to deserve what
they deserve according to the flesh. By grace, we're going to receive
what we deserve by grace. You say, can you say deserve
it? Yes, because God is just to give us all things in Christ. These are words to the risen,
necessary words, true words, Words of reproof, words of correction,
words of review, words of admonition. Instructions from God. To sinners saved by the grace
of God. He is made alive. Saved altogether
by his grace. Father, we thank you for your
word. We thank you for your truth. Thank you for your son. We thank
you for your mercy and grace. We know that by your grace we'll
spend eternity thanking you and praising you for your grace in Christ. We
pray in his name. Amen.