I was privileged to preach on this amazing text on March 21st at Valley Church. This was a continuing series on the Book of Colossians that we started in January and will end on the 28th of March. It has been a very Jesus centered book that was a great kickoff to Valley Church.
Three weeks ago, we looked at Colossians 3:1-4 - If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
These verses set the tone for everything else that we saw in Colossians 3. Colossians 3 is full of very practical encouragements from Paul. He follows these verses up by commanding, imploring the people of the Colossians' Church to put to death sexual immorality, impurity, wrongful passion. He also encourages them to take off anger, deceit, lying, malice and slander.
Likewise, Paul encourages the church to put on compassion, kindness, humility and meekness, as well as having an attitude of forgiveness because they have been forgiven of so much. Paul connects the first 2 Chapters of Colossians with what he is encouraging in verse 14 & 15 when he says: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..."
Paul lays out that putting to death and putting on these things, again, are works of the Spirit that prompt and compel our own willful acts. In other words, we see and experience the good love of the father and our champion Jesus Christ and in light of that, we are compelled to submit ourselves to what He asks us to kill (confess and repent of, flee from, consider of no worth or without life, decomposing) and put on knowing that these actions will bring life to the fullest and pleasing worship, not to mention the true work of the church.
If there is one thing to say about Colossians to this point it is this, it is Jesus centered. Jesus from beginning to end is the hero. He goes before us, lives in us, and is behind us. This Jesus centeredness is the foundation for what comes next in Colossians 3:18-4:1. Stay tuned for Colossians 3 Pt. 2
