Behaving (Part 1 of 2)

The ball heard that action speak louder than words, so what we do communicates more than what we say and what we say should influence what we do today untruthful like weekend Alastair beg continues our series Christian basics by addressing the behavior of those who profess their belief in Christ is titled this message behaving father, help us now as we study the Bible as we think about our behavior as Christian people maybe hear your voice and obey it for Jesus sake on well here we are in Colossians chapter 3 we began looking at the question of what it means to become a Christian. What it means something of our belief beliefs. As Christians, and now we come to this matter off behavior to be a Christian is to declare that Jesus is Lord, to declare that Jesus is Lord is not so much an affirmation nor an expression of personal devotion as it is a statement of fact, Jesus is Lord and his Lordship not only affects our minds teaching us what it is we are to believe, but it also affects our models changing the way in which we behave in the real test of our submission to the Lordship of Jesus is not the devotion of our singing. Although it is good to sing in a devoted way, not the exuberance of our expressions in relationship to that they differ very much with background and personality and so on and they can so easily be a smokescreen for what's going on underneath either. Whether they are quiet or profoundly loud. The real test is not either of those things. The real test of our submission to the Lord Jesus Christ is our obedience is our obedience, pure and simply our obedience Jesus in John 14. Remember, said to his disciples, if you love me you will keep my commandments. So the great test of our love for Jesus is to be found in our obedience to what Jesus has said and talk and since he is Lord. We have no right to believe anything other than that which he has taught us and since he is Lord. We have no right to behave in any other fashion than that which he demands on its nose course, we could have gone to a whole host of passages in order to drive home. This very important principle. We could, for example of gone to Titus that we studied in the past and have dealt with verses 11 and following of chapter 2 for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We could've gone there. We could equally well going to Hebrews chapter 13 where in these final expectations. He hits many of the practical areas of life. The great importance of loving one another, caring, practically for the needs of those whose lives are different from our own fellow prisoners and prisoners and so on. Then the importance of marriage and the purity that is involved in that issues of sexual immorality that great pressing issue of consumerism and money and how it seeps into our souls and draws us away, and so on. We could've gone there to but here we are in Colossians chapter 3, you can go back and backfill. If you like by making reference to some of those honorariums are good. Good concordance will get you all the way through the Bible. But there are three paragraphs. As we have them in the NIV and I think most of us reading from the NIV.

First of all, in verses 1 to 4, then in 5 to 11 and then once again a brief resection in 12 to 14 will look at each of them in turn and somewhat selectively we cannot do it exhaustively, but hopefully with enough of a consideration that we don't miss the central aspects that Paul is teaching verses 1 to 4 can be looked at under the heading of living, the risen life living the risen life because you will see that that is what is referencing here since then you have been raised with Christ in a sentence or two. The context for these Colossian Christians. Is this there were people around the Colossae Valley who and we can determine this from the way in which Paul addresses things without hanging the problems up on the wall is aware for all to consider.

But there were people in the Colossae Valley who were apparently insinuating themselves amongst the genuine believers and suggesting to them that their Christian lives were pretty good as they had them but if he wanted to know the true dimension of fullness the fullness of God.

Then they would need to pay attention to what these Colossian teachers had on offer and Paul addresses that he says the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in our Lord Jesus Christ and you are complete in him, nothing that God will ever do for you after he saves you will ever ever be in the same league as that which he dies in bringing you to himself, he addresses the issue fullness and at the same time these individuals were profiting to the fledgling Christians, the prospect of freedom and liberty and they were holding out to them. The idea that liberty and freedom in Christian living could be found on certain avenues, and so it really was a powerful concoction bad virus that was embedding itself potentially in the Colossian church. It combined doctrinal confusion with moral carelessness, and of course is not surprising that in that I doctrinal confusion and moral carelessness inevitably go hand in hand. But it was a daunting combination and they were facing the danger of succumbing to some of these things. For example, embracing at the end of chapter 2 of form of externalism a man-made religiosity what Paul refers to as the basic principles of this world. He says why would you submit to the rules that these people are bringing around, don't handle. Don't taste, don't touch. He said these are all destined to perish with use because they're based on human commands and teachings and is on to say. These regulations have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body but notice the crucial phrase at the end of chapter 2, they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Now we could point if we had time and we don't to areas of church history where formalism and externalism and monasticism, and so on have been pervasive in the church and we would be able to identify during those periods as well.

At the very truth that is here the end of the chapter. These things lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. I got to know a few from the Amish community people whom I whose company I enjoy who I admire in many, many aspects of their life, but in making journeys with them and having the opportunity to ask questions. I hope and in a courteous manner. What has struck me is the fact that many of the things at least as reported to me, fall within the category of these external features which of course cannot address the indulgence and sensuality of the human heart because you can deal with a television and lock yourself in a box in your own filthy imagination is enough to bring you down to hell. You can remove yourself from all kinds of things and yet you deal with the fact of your own propensity towards that which is impure and unholy and untrue. So Paul is tackling that and how does he tackle it well. He says the way to get to grips with how your behavior to be is in an understanding of who you are what you have become in the Lord Jesus Christ, the true foundation.

He saying here in this opening paragraph and for dealing with sin is found in our union with Christ. It is because we are now in Christ, since then you have been raised with Christ your altogether different snow new thing for Paul.

We find it all through his letters first Corinthians 6. Remember, he says as he's verging upon them the importance of impunity in their interpersonal relationships uses don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God. You're not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body, but he posits the necessity of action on the part of the believer divinely enabled action but action. Nevertheless, he posits it he phones it on the flank of their union with Christ and our new nature in Christ is fashioned for obedience note list is notice the high points in this paragraph. Look at what he tells them. First of all, he tells them.

You have been raised with Christ you have been raised with Christ, you may not have thought much about that lately is a Christian, but it is true. If you and the miracle of conversion. A number of things have happened.

Our sins have been forgiven. We been adopted into God's family we been given the status of sons and daughters.

We have been given not only a new status, but we have been given a new nature and we have been relocated. We have been given a new location and it is this that he mentions here in this phrase, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. There has been for the Christian, a radical change in our spiritual environment. You are he says hidden with Christ, hidden with Christ your life. Verse three is now hidden with Christ in God.

The union between Christ and the believer is a heavenly union. That is why it is actually hidden from the observation of our friends and neighbors one day. What is true by spiritually will actually be true is physically, but for now you know it's going to come up to you and say oh I see that you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus. If they do, you probably have a reason for alarm. Hopefully they'll come up and say other things, but they shouldn't say that because it isn't apparent the natural man doesn't receive the things of the spirit.

So if you go back tomorrow and someone says you know I noticed that you have been swearing the way you used to do.

Probably shouldn't say will you know I am seated in the heavenly places with Jesus Christ that we could because you just been given a wonderful opportunity to make some headway and you're going to take it away, pull the rug out immediately with some great that you think is classically wonderful, deeply theological insight that leads your friend just scratching their head and heading for the coffee machine know he says where all wrapped up in Christ where all wrapped up in Christ.

That's really it.

Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Remember when the children were tiny sometimes you would you would wrapped them all up. You know you would gather them up and up blanket and it would be all in there somewhere in the little voice would come out hidden with you all wrapped W you do with your grandchildren. Many of will far greater and more significant way. The Christian's life is all wrapped up with Jesus that you see incidentally is what makes our sin. So in Congress, I will pause in first Corinthians 8.

Are you going to go and join Christ to a procedure. Your life is all wrapped up with Jesus. Jesus is you and you are Jesus, you are in in raised with him hidden with and the very fact that our lives are hidden with Christ is the basis of our security so that is what gives us confidence in the face of our own propensity to do wrong things, but the security that we do enjoy is never in relation to our morality. I hope you noticed that last week and if you turn back one page you can see it again this week. The person says oh yes I am a Christian and either nothing to worry about, and I'm going to heaven and I and and you know sometimes when I cheat on my tax return when I sleep with my girlfriend, unmarried, and when I showed abuse at at people and enjoy these things.

Sometimes I just say to myself. It is so wonderful to be secure in Christ. I your news for you. You're not securing Christ because the security that is ours in Christ is not a security isolated from morality is not a justification divorced from sanctification. It is that which said says into Christ in a life transforming way. Look what he says. Verse 21 of Colossians 11 she was alienated from God and your enemies in your minds. Noticing your minds because of your evil behavior, but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death so you can go out and do whatever you please know to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation that the work of God within the life of the believer is to conform the believer to the image of his.

Therefore, our behavior will be our testimony or otherwise to the life transforming power of Jesus. Now there is a logic if you go back to chapter 3. There is a logic in this that I hope we won't miss. It is our place. If you like, in Christ that establishes our priorities is because we have been raised with Christ, it is because we are hidden with Christ in God that we are then to set our hearts on things above, we are to set our minds on things above. Another was the very epicenter of our existence has to have ideas about it are persevering effort about it that is fairness that that isn't casual.

I want to know you Jesus I want to learn about you Jesus I want to be like you Jesus Lord, I want to know you to live my life to show you all the love I am a seeker of your heart. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind I want to is Peter says prepare my mind for action because you have taken me from where I was and you put me in a new place and you have given me new priorities and it is less than which creates the prospect that is before me. What is the prospect verse four.

Christ, whose Christ, is your life is your life.

Why is it that you will not die you will through the valley of the shadow of death, someone who pronounces dead but on that day.

As Moody said, we know more alive than we were never being what is our confidence that we will live in eternity that we will have new bodies.

Christ is our life to me to live is Christ today's game when Christ who is your life appears you're going to appear with him in glory, and over the day is coming when Jesus will be revealed for what he is to the astonished gaze of all mankind second paragraph, and quickly respond to long on that. No surprise, paragraph two you say what he spent all our time on four versus waiting you're going to do here. Well, I'm about to show you show myself actually paragraph to paragraph one is living the risen life paragraph two is dealing with sin dealing with indwelling sin to death therefore what is that, therefore, where what is that, therefore, therefore, will entice you back to the first four verses actually take you back to the fourth verse, the prospect of the appearance of Christ creates the incentive to prepare for his appearing. If your girlfriend is coming for the weekend trying to clean yourself up if you're a teenager. You get all that acne stuff I would go at it like a crazy person because you every is something about it. If your girlfriend is coming for the weekend. There's no question but on Friday morning when you waken up you like to just call this incident. There's there's something about it that it happened and so all Friday to the train arrives of the bus arrives or whatever is up with you trying to get it all fixed in preparation for her appearing on the says Christ is going to come and you must be prepared because Christ is your life.

The battleground of verses 5 to 11 his face, not in our own strength but in his mighty power is not an easy section because the thinking person says will look in verse three it says you died in verse five it says put to death.

How do we figure this stuff out while in a sentence, we have died to sin in Christ.

Sin no longer reigns no longer operates its tyrannical rule over the life of the Christian because in the words of Wesley. He breaks the power of canceled sin, and he sets the prisoner free ideas. Also Wesley who prays in one of his hymns be of snow, it's not, and will be Wesley, be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power and in Christ as we are justified all of the guilt that attaches to our lives and to our account is dealt with in Jesus he becomes sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God that sin no longer reigns and rules, but it still remains, and it still rages and therefore is the Westminster confession puts it, the Christian is involved in a continual and irreconcilable war and that war takes place on three fronts against the world against the flash our sinful nature and against the devil and the devil strategy is to bring what is appealing to us in the world to tempt and try us with that which appeals to the sinful propensities which remain within our lives, because although I have died to sin in Christ. Sin has not been eradicated from my life, and if it is been eradicated from your life. We should probably talk later on because you are in a unique position on Herod of position and a nonbiblical position and certainly a very un-Pauline position. But if that were the case, why would he waste his breath and his pain in his leg going through here and starting up with that those put to death.

Therefore, what belongs to your earthly nature lazy. I don't have any of the your liar. And if you've embraced a form of externalism that make you look really good to people on the outside.

You may only be concealing the darkness of your own heart and insight because all of is no what the Bible says is true is just whether we are prepared to bring our lives honestly into the search in gaze of the word of God whereby we are exposed and we know ourselves to be as much in need of the instruction of the second, as we are in need of encouragement. First listing to Alastair back with thought-provoking reminder that what we believe should affect how we behave. This is Truth for Life weekend series called Christian basics. Our mission here at preflight is very simple. It's to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance. We believe that God's word is unchanging, that it is without error, and that it has the power to transform lives.

That's why we teach it every day and why we make Alistair's entire teaching library available for free, so the cost is never a barrier for anyone who wants to learn more about Christ. Today's message reminds us that living the Christian life is not easy. In Christ we died to sin, but we still struggle with it more often than we care to admit, we fall short. We messed up we begin to feel as if maybe God is losing patience with us. It's so easy to become discouraged, but when we put our faith in Christ, we have no reason to be discouraged today were recommending to you a book that explores how Jesus really feels about us even when we see him.

The book is called gentle and lowly, all about the heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers. In other words, it's a book for every Christian who needs encouragement on the journey. It's one thing to ask what Jesus has done for us, but this book examines who he is.

It gives us a wonderfully comprehensive picture of the Savior, who is a wellspring of love and kindness and patience. The author of this book combines the Scriptures with the teaching of the Puritans to help us consider what we can know about Jesus compassion for sinners. You'll love what you learn as you come to understand the very heart of Christ. Find out how you can request your copy of the book gentle and lowly by clicking the image you see in the mobile app or by visiting our website Truth for Life.work on Bob Lapine can join us again next weekend. Alastair will conclude the message we started today and will encourage us to follow Jesus example as we continue our series called Christian basics Bible teaching of Alastair bank is furnished by truth for line with the Learning is for Living