The Book of Colossians Part 5 — New Life in Christ

Colossians 3:1–17

SERIES REVIEW              

Part 1 — Rooted in Christ 

• • The roots of our faith as believers are only strong when they are founded in Christ. 
  
• • Rooted in the Gospel — The same message that saves us is the one that continues to sustain and grow us daily. 
  
• • Rooted in the Word — God’s Word anchors us in truth, fills us with wisdom, and keeps us from drifting. 
  
• • Rooted in Relationship — A close walk with God gives us strength, patience, and joy through His power, not our own. 
  
• • Ultimately, your roots determine your fruit—so make sure your life is planted firmly in Christ. 
  

Part 2 — Supremacy of Christ 

• • Lord over all creation —Everything in heaven and on earth was created by Him, through Him, and for Him. He holds all things together and rules over all that exists. 
  
• • Lord of the church — As the head of the body, Jesus leads, directs, and sustains His people. The Church must take its direction from Him alone. 
  
• • Lord over redemption — Through His death and resurrection, Jesus reconciled us to God. The fullness of God dwells in Him, and peace was made through His cross. 
  
• • Lord of over your life — He made you, saved you, and sustains you. Therefore, He deserves full authority over every area of your life—don’t let culture redefine who He is. 
  

Part 3 — Christ in You: The Hope of Glory 

• • Jesus lives in you — The same power that raised Him from the dead is alive inside of you right now. 

• • You’re never alone — Wherever you go, God goes with you. His presence doesn’t leave when life gets hard. 
  
• • He changes you from the inside out — Real transformation happens when you let Jesus work in your heart, not just when you try harder. 
  
• • There’s always hope — No matter what’s going on, Christ in you is the guarantee that your story isn’t over and the best is still ahead. 
  
• • Let Him shine through you — The way you love, forgive, and treat people should show the world that Jesus is alive in you. 
  

Part 4 — Guarded in Christ 

• Guard against deception — Knowing the real Christ cause counterfeits stand out. 

• Guard against religion — Good works don’t save; they flow from salvation. 

• Guard against empty practices — Don’t trade spiritual reality for hollow behavior. 

• Stay in the Word, stay in community, stay alert, stay connected to Jesus. 

PART 5:  NEW LIFE IN CHRIST           

Introduction 

Imagine this, you have been working outside in the yard all day long. You have been mowing the lawn, tending to the garden, digging a fresh ditch, etc. It was hot outside so you are all sweaty, you stink, and you got grass and dirt stains all over you. You come inside and of course you have to take a shower and get cleaned up. Now imagine, after getting all clean, you go and put those same old sweaty stinky clothes right back on. I can’t even imagine that! 

No one puts on their old stinky clothes after they have been washed and been cleansed. No! After they have been cleaned, they put on fresh new clothes that have been cleansed and folded to be ready to go. Putting old clothes on doesn’t even make sense! 

Yet, that is what Paul is talking about here in Colossians 3. Paul was informing his readers that they have been born again and have been washed in the blood of Jesus. They have been cleansed and are white as 

snow. However, Paul is encouraging them as born again believers to no longer put on old garments from their former way of life. Instead, he says to put on the new man that has been created in Christ Jesus. 

Similarly, if we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, why would be put on the old garments from our past life? Instead, we must look to put on the new. Let’s take a look at it together… 

Main Idea — Being in Christ means putting off the old life and putting on the new. 

• 1. SEEK THINGS ABOVE
  
  Colossians 3:1-3 — “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
  
  
• A. Set your heart on things above 
  
• - This means: aim your desires upward. What you love determines how you live. 
  
• - If your heart is anchored to the world, your life will look like the world. 
  
• - If your heart is anchored to Christ, your life will look like Christ. 
  
  
• B. Set your mind on things above 
  
• - It does not mean to ignore your earthly responsibilities  
  
• - It doesn’t mean to live with your head in the clouds 
  
• - It means fixing your thoughts on heaven 
  
• - Focusing less on the temporary and more on the eternal 
  
• - Focusing less on earthly values and more on kingdom values 
  
• - Focusing less on culture’s truth and more on truth found in His Word 
  
  
• C. Why? Because your life is hidden with Christ 
  
• - You are a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

• - The things that fed us in the past was found in this world 
  
• - The things that feed you now are the things of God 
  
  
• D. The battle of the Christian life is won in the mind 
  
• - What you are thinking about is either leading you to God or away 
  
  
• 2. PUT TO DEATH THE OLD SELF
  
  Colossians 3:5-11 — “5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds…”
  
  
• A. Paul says to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature 
  
• - Desires: Sinful cravings of the flesh 
  
• - Attitudes: Feelings and beliefs that influence how we think and feel 
  
• - Behaviors: What you repeatedly do without thinking 
  
• - Patterns: Repeating cycles and habits that keep you in a prison 
  
  
• - That is strong language, but it is intentional. He is saying that we cannot negotiate with our old self/ flesh. Instead we have to crucify it.  
  
• - This is who you USED TO BE… “Which you yourselves once walked…” 
  Old you = who you were before Christ 
  New you = who you are because of Christ 
  
  
• B. The old self is a worldly version of you— it is the version of you that lived without Christ. 
  
• - “Put to death…” That is strong language, but it is intentional. 

• - Paul is saying that we cannot negotiate with our old self/ flesh. Instead we have to crucify it.  
  
• - This is who you USED TO BE… “Which you yourselves once walked…”
  
• - Therefore we must stop feeding and entertaining the old self. 
  
• - We must actively put to death the old man 
  
  
• C. Put the old man to death! 
  
• - Starve him 
  
• - Cut off his access 
  
• - Replace him with the new man 
  
  
• 3. PUT ON THE NEW SELF
  
  Colossians 3:12-17 — “12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
  
  
• A. Paul says to “put on” the new man in Christ 
  
• - Clothing was very significant in the ancient world, it represented identity 
  
• - So the Colossians would have understood that Paul was telling them to dress yourself in your new identity in Christ 
  
• - In the same way that you intentionally put on clothes, we must intentionally put on the new man. 
  
  
• B. We must put on: 
  
• - Mercy/ Compassion 
  
• - Kindness 
  
• - Humility 
  
• - Gentleness 

• - Long-suffering/ Forgiveness 
  
• - Love 
  
  
• C. Let the peace of God rule your hearts
  15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
  
• - Rule = Referee; decision-maker 
  
• - Allow the peace of God to be the deciding factor in your life 
  
• - Let peace takeover before allowing the bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness to sprout back up in your heart. 
  
• - The peace of God will govern your heart and protect it of you allow it 
  
  
• D. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
  16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
  
• - Allow His Word of God to live in you “richly” 
  
• - God’s Word dwells in our mind and then it leaks into our heart 
  
• - We gain it through  
  
• • Reading 
  
• • Teaching 
  
• • Encouraging one another 
  
• • Singing the Word of God 
  
  
• E. Do everything in the name of the Lord
  17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
  
• - In all things, in both word and deed… 
  
• - Do everything as God’s representative  
  
• - At the end of the day, it is all about Jesus. 
  
• - And be grateful and thankful for the goodness of God and His grace at work in your life. 

TAKEAWAY QUESTIONS 

• I. What will I intentionally seek to keep my mind on Christ?
  
  
• II. What part of my old self do I still need to put to death? 
  
• • My attitudes? 
  
• • My thoughts? 
  
• • My habits? 
  
• • My desires? 
  
• • My language? 
  
• • My relationships? 
  
  
• III. What part of the new self do I need to put on? 
  
• • Mercy/ Compassion 
  
• • Kindness 
  
• • Humility 
  
• • Gentleness 
  
• • Long-suffering/ Forgiveness 
  
• • Love