Weekly, a group of us gathers at a local coffee house and we read scripture together and discuss it. This week was my turn to lead in the discussion. I thought I would share here some of the thoughts and observations I had in studying the text, as well as some of the insights offered through our discussion.
Col 3:1-17
Context:
As we have been seeing throughout this letter, Paul is writing to the believers, in the church at Colassae. A relatively new gathering, of relatively young Christians. Paul, having never met this church, is writing a letter exhorting their faith, holding up the preeminence of Christ, warning against false teachings from spiritual mystics, Judiazers, and others who would add to the addition of anything to the salvation they have in Christ. In particular in chapter 2, Paul issues an admonition against (specifically) the practice of asceticism, self-mutilation, and other ritualistic cleansings in an attempt to make oneself holy. It is a warning against trying to undo the destruction of our spirit by our sin through our own physical ability and worldly powers. Paul rails against teachings that seem to promote that the life of following Christ is to be a road without joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. Leading to the unspoken question Paul is addressing in Chapter 3.
"If in the path of the Christian life, we are not to indulge the desires of the flesh to our own satisfaction, yet we are likewise not to abandon all joy and pleasure, how in the world is the Christian supposed to live?"
So, how does a Christian not seek the pleasures of the flesh, and yet pursue the "fullness of joy" and "pleasure forevermore" we find in Psalm 16?
Observation/Meaning:
One important observation of this text is right at the beginning, Paul qualifies every instruction he is going to give as pertaining only to those who have been raised with Christ. Therefore this is not instruction for those outside the church. The antidote to lostness is not found in these verses... this is instruction on how to live as one who has died, whose life is hid with Christ, to be raised as he was raised, to those who have died to the elemental spirits of this world.
If, then, this describes us, then these words from Paul are to be instructive for how the Christian can deny the false teachings of our world, and rather seek our greatest joy in God, as well as how we are to pursue that holiness without which none will see the Father.
In verses 5-10 Paul lays out a list of deprivations, sins in which we all have once lived. Afflictions common to all, creating an atmosphere whereby there is universal guilt among the congregation. Wrath was due on all those receiving Paul's words. Therefore, none within the family can hold shame or guilt over another member of the family. In the same way that none can boast in the grace through faith by which they were saved, neither are we to utilize shame and guilt to create a hierarchy of righteousness within the church. We do not chastise our brothers, questioning their salvation, heaping shame on them when they struggle. I see this in how Paul speaks against lying about who they now are in Christ. If we affirm that a brother has put on the new self, and we affirm that we likewise have put on this new self, then we recognize and encourage each other when we struggle. We speak truth to one another through the process of being renewed, as we are being made into the image of our Creator. This is among the essence of sanctification.
In verse 11 we get a free reminder from Paul that as new creations we are not to judge or be judged by traditional, ritualistic measures, but by Christ and the process by which he has, is, and will be cleansing us.
From 12-17: "Sure, that's great Paul, but seriously, how?"
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones..."
- Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness... above all else, love.
-Love binds all things together, creating harmony
- Let peace rule your hearts
- Be thankful
- Let the Word dwell in you, teaching each other.
- Admonish one another in all wisdom
- Sing together
- Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
So, that instruction, if the context of instruction given to the church, not to individuals, we start to see things in concert. "By this will all men know you are my followers, if you love one another." Love is what binds us together as a church, using the many individual members, and the unique notes each of our lives produces, love brings them together to create a harmony. You cannot harmonize alone. The call is to teach one another from the Word, to admonish one another in wisdom, to sing together... to live in community with one another seeking to do all things in the name of Christ.
Application:
So then, how do we put to death the deeds of the flesh, without the Christian life becoming a life devoid of pleasure, joy, and satisfaction?
It is not through:
- Ritualistic, masochistic efforts to mortify our flesh
- Open shaming of those whom we see as "lesser" Christians because they struggle with different sins than we do.
- Going it alone, seeking to try harder, to be better, to sin less, and appear holy
Rather, it is through the realization that Christ has defeated sin in my own heart, that it is no longer I, but He who lives in me, to will and to work to His good pleasure. To realize that Christ has done this same miraculous work in the lives of the others in the church as well. To then realize that it is Christ who called you out of your collective bondage, beginning in each of you a good work that He will bring to completion, and the ministry of the church is a means by which He will accomplish this work. He accomplished this work through individual sanctification, done in a corporate setting, giving us the responsibility of "acting the miracle" of our sanctification, through keeping our eyes on the things above... doing this together through:
- Loving one another, with kindness, patience, and compassion
- Reading the Word together, filling each other's minds, and admonishing one another with the wisdom and truth found within.
- We sing together. We raise our voices together in corporate acknowledgement of the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ.
In this, we can find joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in the Christian life. Through the submission of all we do as individuals to the worship of Him by whom was everything made that has been made. We, as a church, must refuse to allow joy and pleasure to be removed from a life following Christ.
