Let's take our Bibles now and
turn to Colossians chapter 3. Our lesson this morning will
be in verses 14 through 17 of Colossians chapter 3. Believers
are new creatures in Christ Jesus. They're not people who have just
made idle professions of faith or walked down an aisle or joined
a church. They're new creatures in Christ.
They're not people who have straightened out their lives or decided to
reform their lives based on something somebody told them. They're not
people who have been talked into a profession of faith. And they're not people who have
had strange visions and experiences and dreams in the night and so
on. Believers are men and women who
have heard the gospel And by an inward working of the Holy
Spirit of God are brought to understand that gospel. And to
see themselves in the light of that gospel and to repent of
their sins and believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the work of the Holy Spirit of God. And that's what I'm talking
about when I'm saying that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus. In Titus chapter 3, it says that
according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior. That being justified by His grace,
we should be made heirs according to His promise. This is the work
of the Holy Spirit of God. We hear the Gospel. God gives
us a revelation of Christ in that Gospel, and we understand
it. We understand this Gospel and
how this Gospel pertains to us, and what this Gospel is saying
according to our standing before God. We are new creatures. in
Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away.
All those old ideas and concepts, old religious ideas, all that's
passed away. That's gone. And behold, all things have become
new. We're washed from a fallen nature
that disabled us. from any understanding of anything
good and holy, a nature that was easily deceived and dead
to everything spiritual and enmity against God. Paul says it this
way, we were children of wrath, even by nature we were children
of wrath. And then our Lord said this,
He said, except you be born again, you cannot see. That word is
perceive. You cannot perceive the kingdom
of God. So believers are new creatures.
They're a new creation. They're not something old remodeled. They're not something old with
a little something new added. They weren't good folks. who were doctrinally incorrect
and now they are straightened out on their doctrine. They are
new creatures. They are born of God. God the
Father has made them meet to be partakers of enlightened saints,
saints in light. John said, the Son of God has
come and given to us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true and that we are in Him that is true. even in His Son, Jesus Christ,
and this is the true God and eternal life. Believers are new
creatures in Christ and being in Christ. Christ is all. He's
all. That's what they've come to know.
Christ is all. He's everything. He's everything. This world is nothing. He is
everything. He's everything. Now, if this
would be so in you, Then he said, tend to that new
man. If there's a new man there, if
God has created you anew, then let that new man shine. Put him
on. You've worn that old man all
your life. Put him off. He's condemned of
God. That's who's under the curse.
But you're a new man. Put him on. Put him on. Put on as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one
another. And if any man have a quarrel
against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Now look
here in Colossians chapter 3, verse 14. And above all these things, put
on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. What is charity? What is charity? We say charity
is love, not altogether. What is charity? Charity is active
love. That's what charity is. Charity
is love shown, love experienced, love bubbling out of a renewed
heart. He that loveth not knoweth not
God. My friend, the love of God cannot
be contained. If God has put the love of God
in you, you cannot contain it. You cannot seal it off. You cannot
hide it. Because God's love is pure charity. God's love has been active from
the beginning. Has it not? There never was a
time when His love was not active. He loved us from everlasting. Isn't that what He said? But
He loved us and He chose us. He loved us and He redeemed us. He loved us and He sent His Holy
Spirit to us. He loved us and sent us the gospel.
It's an active love. It's an active love. Satan could not stop it. Sin
could not stop it. The fall of Adam could not stop
it. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? The love of God in Christ. Tribulation,
distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril of sorts. No. No, none of those things. Nor
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities. No, nor things
present, nor things to come. No, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is manifested, actively engaged in our living, reigning,
victorious Lord. He loved us, active love from
all eternity, and there never has been a time when He stopped.
His love is still active. And Paul says this, it's active
in you. Put on charity. Put on charity,
active love, which is the bond of perfectness. Listen to these
things, how he applies these things. And next week, we'll
take this up right here in Colossians. But back in Ephesians, he said,
husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church. Now
listen, and gave himself for it. You see what I'm saying?
The love of God is active love. Well, how can I tell the difference
between love as a passion and the love of God? Love is active. It's active. Love gives itself. It gives to the needs of others.
It cares for others. Let him that stole, the Scripture
said, steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his
hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him
that needeth." How do I know if I have the love
of God? Because it's active. It's active. Would you strive for perfection?
Then strive to love one another. That's what he said. You are
going to strive to be like Christ? Strive to love one another. Charity
is the bond of perfectness. Verse 15. Now watch this. We are talking about this new
man and his virtues. Now listen to this. Verse 15.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also
ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. Believers are
not at war with God, and they are not at war with one another,
and we are not at war with this world. We are at peace. We are
at peace. Listen to this, Romans 5, verse
1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not at war with God. We
are at peace with God. Christ has made peace. Blessed
peace. Now won't you listen to me for
just a minute. He who has reconciled us to God and sent this blessed
peace into our minds and hearts reigns at the right hand of God. He sits on the throne. There's
none higher than he. He said to his disciples before
he stepped on the cloud with his angels and ascended to the
throne, he said to them, all power in heaven and earth given
in my hand. Now you go preach. You go forth. He reigns at the right hand of
God. Nothing can come to pass except
that which He orders from His throne. And all that He orders
is holy and just and good, and it all flows from the fountain
of love for His people. His people are at peace with
whatever God does. They are at peace. All that He
orders is right. Now, when things don't go our
way like we think they should, Let this peace reign in your
heart. Let it reign in your heart. Don't get riled up. Don't start
laying blank. Be at peace with the situation
because the situation is under control. God has control of it. And knowing that our Father has
our best interest in mind. And then let this peace in Christ
reign over our doubts and fears. Do we doubt at times? Do we fear
at times? The disciples said, Lord, we
believe. Help thou our unbelief. Be at
peace. Be at peace. Let the peace of
God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called. Now watch this. Called in one
body. Called in one body. The body
to which we are called is the body of Christ, the church. And
every believing soul, past, present, and future, was given to Christ
in covenant union before the world began. We're one with Him
before the world began. Put in Him, chosen in Him, represented
by Him, substituted by Him, one with Him from all eternity. The
Scripture said God blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ according as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world. And being dead
in sins, it says, He quickened us together with Christ and raised
us up together and made us to sit together. What in the world
is that talking about? That's talking about Christ.
and his body, his church, having already taken possession of glory,
already received the promises, already sat down at the right
hand of God. And all who are quickened with
him in eternity shall be quickened in time and joined to him by
a living, vital union of faith. They're all going to be called
with an irresistible calling. And while this gospel goes out
to the multitudes, it goes out in power to some. It goes out
in power. Have you ever wondered why, when
the Lord called you, He passed by some that were a lot more
intelligent than you were? It looked to me like they could
have been a lot more useful than I could. It looked to me like
they had a lot more money, they were a lot more established,
had bigger and better reputations than I did. But he didn't call me for what
I could contribute to him. He called me for what he could
contribute to me. And he's glorified that way.
You remember over there where Paul said, you see your calling,
brethren? You ever notice your calling?
Not many wise, not many noble, not many mighty are called. But
God has chosen a foolish thing. Call. All in one body and one
hope of our calling. Now listen, and be ye thankful. Be ye thankful. God could have
left me to myself. He could have. He could have
just left me to myself. He could have left me to my own
reasoning. I could be sitting in my chair
right now reading this book and reasoning out of there how man
has a free will. How man can choose his own destiny. how man can produce a righteousness
that could satisfy God. God could have left me alone.
He could have left me to my own reasoning and my own decisions
and my own foolishness and my own blindness. But He didn't.
He didn't. So be thankful. Be thankful. He could have left me on the
broad road. I could be one of them walking down the broad road.
There are thousands this morning gathered in churches all over
this land who are walking hand in hand down the broad road. And every one of them reassuring
the other one right beside them, we are on our way to glory. We
are on our way to heaven. That Pharisee was shocked at
the judgment when the Lord condemned him. He said, whoa, wait a minute,
wait a minute. I preached in your name. I've
cast out demons in your name. I did many wonderful works in
your name. Depart from me, you worker of
iniquity. I never knew you. I never knew
you. He could have left me on the
broad road. Oh, I tell you, I'm thankful
he didn't. I'm thankful he didn't. He could have left me in sync
with the world. Oh, there's no need to go to
church. They're all just a bunch of hypocrites. There's nothing
down there. That's just foolishness somebody
made up years ago to keep men from being as bad as they could
be. I don't care to go for my mama on Easter or Christmas or
something, but I ain't going to join no church. He could have
left me in sync with them, but he didn't. Such were some of
you. Isn't that what Paul said? Such
were some of you. But God, who is rich in mercy,
and for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in trespasses and sins, quickened us together with Christ.
And now, He said, be ye thankful. You be thankful. And love and
gratitude is the basis of all service. The basis of all service. Now, look back with me to Colossians
3, verse 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. The Word of the Lord, the Word
of God, is the basis of all our faith and practice. We believe
God. We trust in His promises. We
rest in His Word. But you can't be instructed without
being taught. You have to be taught. You can't
find peace in what you do not know. And I say this to every
one of you. Read the Word of God. Get familiar
with the Word of God. Don't leave it on the coffee
table. It's not an ornament. Pick it up and read it. Open
it up. Read a verse. Read two verses every day. Read
a chapter. We have in our bulletin every
week a daily reading. If you read that daily reading
every day that's in the bulletin, in one year you will have read
the whole Bible. Read the Word of God. Get familiar with its
parables and its types and all that it says. And that way when
a man stands up and preaches to you, I remember that. I remember where that is. Let
me go over there and look at that again. You can be taught,
read the Word of God. Commit as much of it as you can
to memory. And find those things which are
rich in peace and assurance and think on those things daily.
But in this particular place here, it's not called the Word
of God, it's called the Word of Christ. And He did that for
a reason. Because he's not talking here
about the Word of God in an abstract way. He's talking here about
the Gospel, which is the testimony of the Word of God. And therefore,
he calls it the Word of Christ. That's the testimony of God concerning
His Son. And he said, let the Word of
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Christ is our wisdom. Of God is He made unto us. wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And then the
second half of this verse, along with the first, have to do with
public worship. Gospel preaching is preeminent
in worship, and then psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. And notice this, we're taught
and admonished in both. Can you see it in that verse?
Worship has no place for music without a message. You write
that down. There's no place in worship for
music without a message. Whether you know it or not, your
children are listening and learning from these hymns and songs. And
be sure that they have the truth. And worship has to do with the
understanding of the Gospel. If God don't give you a revelation
of God in Christ, you can't worship Him. And that's what, you know,
they go to these song fests. Well, we're not going to have
any preaching tonight. We're just going to worship God
in song. No, you're not. No, you're not. You're just going to sing songs,
get happy, and go home. What you going to do? You're
not going to worship God. Be sure the songs and hymns that
you sing that you're hearing, that you're saying with your
mouth, be sure that they're testifying of the gospel of God's sovereign
grace. And then notice this, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Don't just open your
hymn book and sing. Sing with grace in your hearts
unto the Lord. I was thinking about my son.
I only had one boy. And I was thinking about him
when I was writing this message out. He used to sing in the shower. He was just a little fella. He'd
go in there in the shower and he'd just sing at the top of
his lung. He didn't know anybody in the
house could hear. And we'd all be real quiet when he went in.
And he'd just sing and sing and sing at the top of his lung.
Oh, God teach me to sing just that way. Just as though there
wasn't anybody else in the place. Let me sing with grace in my
heart unto the Lord. And look here in verse 17. And
whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Jesus Christ came into this world
to redeem chosen sinners to manifest the glory of the Father's name.
God's name is who He is. God's name is His holy character. He's eternal, He's sovereign,
He's unchangeable, He's just, He's holy, He's righteous, He's
merciful, and He's gracious. And in the glorious person and
work of Christ, God's name is uncompromisingly manifested. He's just in His justification
of sin. Those He justifies are perfectly
righteous by that representative righteousness of Christ. And
He justifies freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. He loves us with an unchangeable
love. He said, I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are
not concerned. You understand what I'm talking
about here? Do all in the name of the Lord. His name is who
He is. Be careful that what you do doesn't
go crossways of who He is. Be careful that what you say
is not opposite than what He is. Be careful when you start
talking about a universal salvation, a salvation where God changes
His mind. God doesn't change. He loves
us with an unchangeable love, yet shows no compromise of His
justice and wrath. Whatever we do is subject to
His name. It's in harmony with His name,
without compromise of His name. And here's what Peter said at
Pentecost. These are these preachers who
went out after the Lord ascended into glory. His apostles went
out, and here's what they preached. They have none other name under
heaven whereby we must be saved. than His name. That name which
was manifested in Him. And so it is that with all we
do, we give thanks to God and the Father by Him. Why? Because without Him we can do
nothing. We can do nothing. No man can come to Christ except
the Father draw him. Isn't that what the Scripture
says? No man can come unto me except
my Father. Draw him. And I'll raise him
up at the last day. Without him, we're less than
nothing. And without him, we have nothing to sing about. Put on the new man. Put him on. You want to say something, do
something for those around you? Put on the new man. You won't
have to say a word. Put on the new man. Put him on.
Let the virtue of that love of God shine forth from that new
creation. Active love. Charity. Peace. Be at peace. Everybody
else is scrambling around and sticking their head in the sand.
You're at peace. You're at peace. You understand? We're at peace with God. Be at
peace. He reigns. He rules. He knows
where you live. He knows you. They're not a sparrow
that falls to the ground without your Father. He knows the numbers
of hairs on your head. So you think He overlooks and
is not looking, not talking, not doing. Be at peace. Let that new man, put that new
man on. That new man will do more than
all the testifying that you could ever do. Put that new man on. People can't hear what you're
saying, but they can see what you do. Put that new man on.