Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
The sermon text is from Colossians 3:1-11.
There are facts and then there are conclusions and actions that follow the facts. If I’m overweight, the doctor says it’s time for a diet and exercise. If I get bad grades in school, I need to study harder and get help with things I don’t understand. If I have cavities, my dentist says to brush more often and floss daily. If I owe taxes, I better pay my taxes. If I’m married, then my wife is the one I’m supposed to be with. If my home has a set income, I better not spend more than that income. There are facts and there are conclusions and actions that follow those facts.
Too many Christians live disconnected lives. The things we believe and confess are often left at the altar when we go into the “real world.” Too many Christians are shaped more by sinful music and movies and friends and TV than bringing the Church’s witness to shape our lives. God calls us to live what we believe: “Let your lights so shine before men!” Hearts changed by the Gospel of Christ aren’t changed for only one hour per week, but our faith should inform every aspect of who we are in church, at home, in school, in the community, with my friends, and on and on.
If I’m a sweet, hymn-singing Christian on Sunday morning, I shouldn’t become a homicidal maniac when I get cut off by another driver in traffic. If I eat and drink of Christ’s body and blood at His altar, I shouldn’t be abusing alcohol when I’m home. If everything I have is a gift from God, stingy selfishness shouldn’t keep me from giving to support God’s work. If God’s Word calls sin a sin, I shouldn’t excuse that sin when it’s mine or my family member. There are facts and there are conclusions and actions that follow those facts. In Christ, God’s Word should shape every part of our lives. Our convictions and lives are formed by God’s Word, not the other way around.
In our text, St. Paul begins with the fact: “You have been raised with Christ.” When did that happen? Colossians 2:12 says, “[You have] been buried with [Christ] in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God.” By the Holy Spirit’s power through Baptism you were joined to Jesus death and raised with Christ through faith. You are alive in Jesus, and it was all gift – something done for you and given to you. “You have been raised with Christ.” You didn’t get lucky and figure it out. God rescued you and joined you to His Son’s victory over death and the devil. Colossians 2 goes on: “When you were dead… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” That’s the amazing – awesome fact. When you were baptized and came to faith in Jesus, His victory over death became completely and immediately your victory. God stamped you as His own by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 3 says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
From that fact follows Paul’s next words, more striking in the Greek: “Since you have been raised with Christ, keep on seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Keep on thinking of the things above, not earthly things.” Since God joined us to Jesus’ victory, He calls us to keep on filling our hearts and minds with holy things. We don’t check our faith at the door. Who we are in Jesus by God’s grace, should lead us to keep “setting our hearts on things above.” Philippians 4 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
The verbs in this text are crucial. “For you died (namely, when the Holy Spirit brought you to faith) and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.” God did it all by grace alone. He joined you to Jesus. He raised you with Christ and forgave your sins. And because the Holy Spirit hid you with Christ in God, when Jesus comes “you will appear with Him in glory.” Praise the Lord. Those are the facts. Through Spirit-given faith in Jesus, you have heavenly homes in your future.
How many of you heard the story this week of the man who paid $45 at a garage sale for some old junky photo negatives? It turns out the negatives stored in two old boxes were taken by photo pioneer Ansel Adams and are said to be worth $200 million dollars. In this case, one man’s junk really, really was another man’s treasure!
I’m happy for the guy and all, but I can’t help but think about the poor guy who sold them. From somewhere he received an incredibly valuable treasure, but he didn’t realize it or didn’t care about it. It was his. He didn’t have to go and buy it or pay money to keep it. It was his, somehow, some way, but he was careless and lost it all.
You’ve been given a treasure – your heavenly Father’s priceless love. You’ve been given the treasure of your Baptism where God buried you with Jesus and raised you with Him through faith. It’s His free gift – pure grace, undeserved love. The Father wanted so badly for you to share the eternal gift of heaven with Him He sent His Son to die and rise for you. That’s God’s fact – sealed in the blood of Jesus. In our text, Paul teaches us how to live as God’s forgiven children. Paul urges us not to be careless about the treasure and sell our heavenly inheritance. God forbid that through carelessness or busy-ness or messed up priorities we one day hear: “You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
Again, the Holy Spirit’s words in Colossians deserve close attention… Since you died and have been hidden with Christ in God (pure Gospel – all gift), “Put to death once and for all what belongs to your earthly nature.” God has declared you forgiven children through faith in Jesus. It’s a fact. Now God calls us to kill off those sinful attachments. He doesn’t say be one person in church and another somewhere else. He says since this is who God declares you to be in Jesus get rid of “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming.”
That poor guy who sold $200 million of precious art for $45 lost his treasure through carelessness. Too often Christians tuck our faith away in cardboard boxes and run after homosexual or heterosexual sin. When we hide our true treasure of faith in Jesus we fall into the impurity and lust of pornography, watching dirty movies or surfing pornographic websites. We ruthlessly pursue money and toys and greed, and replace our true and only God with false gods that cannot follow us when we go into our graves.
Now notice Paul says about this sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” Think about that. Paul’s saying, “That used to be you”, but God didn’t give up on you. Now, I don’t know if those particular sins are your stumbling block, but we all are daily guilty of idolatry, of loving other things more than God.
Sometimes we think some sins are too great to be forgiven, but listen to Paul. Homosexual or heterosexual sin or pornography or greed and evil desires are sins that God desires to wash and forgive in the blood of Jesus. In His perfect love, Christ Jesus saw each of us mired in our sinful lives and terrible choices and He chose to give His life in our place. He chooses to speak into the ears of us sinners, the truth – your sins are forgiven. Your debt is paid. “Your life has been hidden with Christ in God.” He chooses to touch our unclean lives and lips with His very body and blood, whispering God’s truth: “I love you. I forgive you.” That’s a fact. It’s God’s truth, announced by Easter angels, you are free in Jesus. That’s the fact. Your Savior is mightier than your sins, whatever they may be and, “Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What follows that truth? When the Holy Spirit buries this joyful truth in our heart, what follows; well, notice the text again… “Put away once and for all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy talk… Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self.”
God washed us in Holy Baptism. In His mighty water and Word, He power-washed our sin-stained lives, stripping away what we were, and clothing us in His spotless robes of righteousness. The God who gives us the gift of faith is making us new. Oh, we know how often we fail and slip back into the mud, but God the Holy Spirit is daily making us new. Daily he brings us to repentance. Daily we confess our sins and daily, His Word makes us newborn children of God, forgiven in the blood of Jesus through faith.
Even believers struggle with sin throughout our lives. As the Spirit lives in our hearts, He moves us daily to repentance and daily renews us in God’s image. Only when these bodies die is that flesh gone for good. But this fact remains… even as we keep on setting our hearts on things above, your life and victory are secure, because Jesus won. The devil lost. Know that. Rejoice in that. Set your hearts on that truth and with that truth battle the devil’s lies and temptations.
And now may the peace of God which surpasses human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.