Sermon on Colossians 3:1-17 "Move the Ball Forward" | Temptation in the Bible
http://www.unlockingthebible.org/move-the-ball-forward/
Pastor Colin Smith preached this sermon on sanctification from
Colossians 3:
1-17 at
The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, in
Barrington, IL.
http://theorchardefc.org/
To download the series or order these sermons on CD, see the link at the top of the description.
Move the
Ball Forward
#
4/5:
The Inside Story of the
Christian Life
Colossians 3:1-17
November 5th / 6th
2011
by Pastor
Colin S. Smith
"
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature
..." Colossians 3:5
When you become sensitive to the struggle with indwelling sin, you may begin to wonder if you are a Christian at all. You may be saying to yourself, "
If I belong to Christ, surely I should not be struggling with sin in this way. I should have left this sin behind by now."
If you're worried about the struggles you have with thoughts and desires that seem to rise from within you, what we are learning here should come as a great relief to you. The experience of battling with sin is not a
sign of failure. It is the normal experience of an authentic Christian life.
The new life does not mean the battle is ended; the new life means the battle has begun. This is evidence that you're a Christian, not a dead fish floating down the river. You have life in you and that's why you're in the battle.
The apostle Paul lists some sins a Christian may be tempted by...
Sexual sins
"
Sexual immorality, impurity and lust..." Colossians 3:5
Financial sins
"
Greed, which is idolatry..." Colossians 3:5
Have you ever noticed that before? Greed is idolatry because you're putting money in the place of God. You're putting your confidence in the future in money, instead of God.
Relational sins
"
Anger, rage, malice..." Colossians 3:8
Sins of the tongue
"
Slander... filthy language from your lips... do not lie..." Colossians 3:8-9
Slander is speaking in a way that will make others think less of a person.
These are just a few examples. The
point is that the impulse to sin will keep rising up from your flesh in some way, shape or form. When you gain ascendancy over one brand of sin, sin will start throwing up another brand... the battle never ends.
The relentless war against sin in the Christian life is "mortification."
It's the same word from which we get "mortal," which means: subject to death or "mortuary" which is a place where the dead are taken.
Putting sin to death is not a one-time deal.
We are always in this business of mortifying the flesh.
John Owen says...
FIVE STRATEGIES FOR KILLING
SIN...(read more through the top link)
Put On the New
Self
3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not
Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the
Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:1-17