I came across this sermon I preached about 10 years ago that expressed very much my thinking about Sanctification, an area that most of us struggle with. Thought I’d share it here.
A few months ago I was in a bible study class led by Viji, studying Colossians. While looking through chapters 2 and 3, where Paul discussed the doctrine of Sanctification, some ideas as to how to understand the text were hatched. While the conclusions were not new, it helped me pull together different concerns and I thought this morning I would share them with you.
In Christian circles, when it comes to identifying sin and how to deal with it, the advice has been rather mixed. On the one hand preachers point to Jesus saying in Mark 9: If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. It would seem that Jesus is suggesting that you must be harsh and decisive when dealing with sin. On the other hand, there are numerous occasions where Jesus showed mercy; with the woman at the well, he offered living water, rather than a lecture on divorce; the woman caught in adultery, he tells her neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more, instead of lecturing her on the perils of sexual promiscuity; and to the thief next to him on the cross, today you will be with me in paradise. While you never get the feeling that Jesus condones sinful behaviour, his love for the sinner shines through. You don’t see him dwelling on sin, lecturing the crowds on what they must do to avoid it. The one exception is hypocrisy, which he roundly condemns.
Paul, in his letter to the Colossians discusses this in the context of his doctrine of salvation. What I plan to do is to go over parts of chapters 1 to 3 and give a quick analysis of his arguments. So it is going to be a lot of readings from Colossians, threading together his argument as we move from chapter 1 to 3. I only have the text in my powerpoint notes. No subtopics so you will have to follow as we move from chapter to chapter.
Colossians chapter 1,
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
From the outset, Paul paints a glorious picture of Christ. He then outlines what the glorious Christ had accomplished (1:21, 22):
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
So he brings together the two ideas: The glory of Christ and perfection of the victory he won for us. The NASB translates verses 21, 22 thus:
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach
I like this version because it highlights the great gulf that Jesus had to overcome: although you were like this, yet he was able to reconcile you. The route he took was death—He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death—in order to bring you before God holy, blameless, beyond reproach.
Let’s pause to ask: Is it possible that we become holy, blameless and beyond reproach? Can such a radical transformation take place? Well, if anyone can accomplish this, it is Jesus. After all, as Paul had outlined, Jesus is the most powerful being: the firstborn of all creation, the one who is before all things and in whom all things hold together.
The corollary argument is also true: If we know the most powerful being in the universe did this, would we ever think that what he did was incomplete and needed something else to complete it? Can anything, anyone, be more effective? Surely not! The person who reconciled us and presented us blameless is the One who is before all things and in him all things hold together. How can we ever think that we need to supplement what he has done? How can we think that we still need this, or that, in order that we might be “holy, blameless and beyond reproach” before God?
In Chapter 2, Paul then argues against those who suggest that Christ’s work is incomplete and you need to also do this, and that. Vv 1-4:
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
What are these “fine-sounding arguments”? Essentially it is the argument that Christians are required to be circumcised, which he alludes to in vv9-15. Let me read to you v13:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Whenever you read Paul talking about circumcision, you know the concern is not the physical removal of the foreskin, but the embracing of the Law and all that the Law demands. Here Paul argues that the Law could not save us and though the Jews might be circumcised, yet their hearts are uncircumcised—meaning not fully obedient/compliant to the Law and thus not righteous. But while the Law was unable to render the circumcised righteous, God dealt with our sin through the Cross and made us alive with Christ.
Paul, in the next few verses extends his concerns about the Law to what I call rules and regulations and the whole philosophy that you need to restrain the body from sin.
Vv 20-23:
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
We tend to think that religion is about rules and regulations in order to restrain sinful behaviour. So when religious people make rules and regulations for us we think that they are wise. But in a radical departure, Paul tells us that these “do’s and don’ts” lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. They seem wise, impressive and pious, but Paul tosses them aside, saying that in reality they are of no value.
But to a Christian restraining sin using rules and regulations is regressive: turning away from Grace, back to Works. The heresy is that we are telling one another Grace is not enough. Christ did his best but it fell short. We love him for what he has done but really nothing has changed and we put ourselves back onto the shackles of the Law.
You cannot be truly alive if you still need rules and regulations to restrain you from sin. You cannot be truly free if you still need rules and regulations to restrain you from sin. And so if you think that you still need them, then Christ didn’t do a good job. God who made us alive in Christ didn’t do a good job.
As Jeremiah prophesied, the goal is that righteousness is written in the hearts and minds of God’s people, rather than regulated by rules and regulations that are empowered by reward and punishment.
This section in chapter 2 always gets to me because it is so radical from what we all understand are religious concerns. In our minds religion is about sin, and how we should restrain sin with rules and regulations. Man is sinful by nature. This is who we are. And we need rules and regulations, we need to be strict, we need discipline in order to keep sin at bay. Then Paul comes and says, in reality they are of no value. Rules and regulations are not at the heart of what Christianity is all about. Instead, Christ is.
Now you sit there and think: if you take away all the rules, there will be chaos. Everyone will do whatever he wants and sin will reign supreme. You see how little we believe that Christ has really done a good job? Oh we are willing to believe that when we get to heaven we will be perfect. But here on earth Sin is still in power and we must have our rules and regulations.
You see how radical Paul’s words are?
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
But don’t react yet. There is chapter 3.
If we just stop at Chapter 2 then yes, chaos and anarchy will reign. But Paul is NOT coming to the conclusion that we should do whatever we want. Instead we replace (what he calls in Romans the Law of Sin and Death), we replace the Law of Sin and Death with the Law of the Spirit.
In Chapter 3, Paul says,
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Let me interpret it like this:
You have been given a new beginning by Christ. Now focus on what is ahead of you, rather than on what you have left behind. Rather than spend all your energies trying to deal with your past, you should set your hearts on things that are really important to God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
If you read this passage by itself, it would appear that Paul is telling us that we should deal with our sinful nature. If that is so, then Paul has just negated what he said in chapter 2 and has given us another list of do’s and don’ts. OK, David. Jesus has just removed your death sentence. You are a free man. Now just make sure you deal with your sinful nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. Oh, and add these to the list: anger, rage, malice, slander and bad words. Er, no lying also ah.
Then I’m back to square one; given a chance but having no chance. If my job is to deal with my sinful nature, what chance have I?
But that is not what Paul actually said.
He didn’t say, OK David, Jesus has just removed your death sentence. You are a free man.
He said, Congratulations, David. You are a new man. You have died, but God made you alive in Christ. You are a new man, made alive by God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.
Remember, you have died. So when Paul says “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature” he is telling us, let them remain dead. He is not telling us to deal with our sinful nature, but telling us not to let them take over the focus of our lives again. You have died. God made you alive again. Set your minds on things above. Don’t focus on earthly things.
The new american standard bible puts vv5-10 this way:
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. … put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.
The result is described in verse 11: Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
In becoming a Christian your old self has been put to death, laid aside, put off, so much so all of us are now on the same, equal footing: Christ is all, and is in all.
Dare we say, here there is no “old sinful me”; there is no “old sinful you”… but Christ is all, and is in all? Sin is in the past and Christ is in the present. Let us set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.
In this context, Paul’s disdain of rules and regulations then makes sense. Paul is not saying that sin is now trivial and we can do whatever we want. Nowhere in the bible is there an attitude that sin is trivial. In fact Jesus says that sin is so serious that we should take drastic action. But we need to understand that if we cut off everything that causes us to sin we end up cutting off our heads! And so God provided another way. Equally drastic: it took the life of his Son, Jesus Christ.
So sin is not trivial. But Christ, who is before all things and in him all things hold together, Christ the Supreme One, has dealt with it. We should let it remain dead, move forward and deal with the important things ahead of us.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Here is where our focus should be. This is what we should set our minds upon.
Brothers and sisters, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
What I am leading to is simple: The path to righteousness lies not in spending a lot of energy, focus and attention dealing with sin, because Christ has dealt with it. Our energy, focus and attention should be on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Let us not major on the Law of Sin and Death, but instead be champions of the Law of the Spirit.
We should have sermons on how to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness. We should be alert and vigilant with each other to stir up one another to these the fruit of the Spirit. Let us praise one another for these qualities rather than criticize one another for our failings. If there is a need for conviction of sin in our brother or sister, if we need to help a brother or sister deal with a sinful habit that has a strong hold on the person, let us do so in love and gentleness, patience, humility, kindness and forgiveness. And let us trust in the Holy Spirit to convict and empower, rather than in the harshness of our words and attitude.
You see the difference? We are not to be the police guarding the purity and sanctity of our family life wielding the power of the Law. We are to be the doctors and nurses tending to each other’s wounds in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness, in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not to major in how to not sin. We should major on how to express the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Paul is not saying that here on earth we are perfect and blameless. He is not saying that we should just tolerate sin in our lives. But we deal with sin not by guilt and punishment, but by love and forgiveness. Our task is to empower the Holy Spirit, and let Him do his work.
And when the church is characterised by the fruit of the Holy Spirit–compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness–we can then truly help one another overcome the ravages of sin in our lives. So how to deal with sin? By unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit and letting the qualities that he produces have a strong hold in our souls.
Finally, the path to righteousness cuts through the fields of peace, gratitude and wisdom.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The power of the Law lies in fear and guilt. For the Law to work, people must be afraid. What Jesus did on the cross neutralizes the power of the Law by freeing us from the condemnation of sin, and redeeming us from our guilt. There is now no condemnation. When you appreciate the methodology of God, you understand that God rejects the use of fear and guilt in dealing with our souls.
Instead of condemnation He gives us peace, he loves us, and he gives us his word to instruct us. These then are truly powerful remedies to counter the effects of sin. We must not then instil fear of punishment, ridicule, rejection, but instead we should create an atmosphere of peace, gratitude and wisdom.
And so the more we enter into the peace of Christ, the more we accept how we are truly forgiven, how Christ has dealt with sin in our lives, the more we saturate our minds with the Word of Christ and be encouraged to empower the Holy Spirit by having a community where compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness thrives, the more we are thankful, the more we worship, the more we put Christ front and center in our living, the more we walk on the path to righteousness.
Will we then bless one another with the peace of Christ, instead of condemning and criticizing; will we teach one another and encourage one another in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and forgiveness; will we share our blessings and recount our thanksgiving towards Christ. Will we create a community full of joy, full of peace and full of love?
In Romans Paul declares, “For the Law of the Spirit of Life, in Christ Jesus, has set you free from the Law of Sin and of Death.”
The true power that will prepare us to be citizens of heaven is the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist, in his testimony about Jesus says this: I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus accomplished on the cross for all of us; not just forgiveness, but paving the way for the Holy Spirit to enter our lives.
Let us then embrace the power of the risen Lord and believe that indeed we have died and are made alive by God. Let us reject the Law of Sin and Death and instead embrace the Law of the Spirit and fill our lives with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, embodying a church that is a House of Peace, of Word, of Thanksgiving, of Worship. Let us open ourselves to the Holy Spirit to wield his positive influence in every corner of our lives and our church.
Amen.