The New Man

December 7, 2014


What do you think would happen if you really believed who God said you are and that you could do what He said you could do? Do you think you would be able to actually live a new life? Have a different mindset? Have new habits and attitudes? And be free from sin? Well, it’s not too good to be true- its actually what Jesus promised in the Gospel! Today we will examine a passage from Paul in Colossians and be taught about our new man in Christ!

SERMON TEXT

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

REVIEW

  • KNOWING WHO YOU ARE: (1) There are only two types of people in the world; “Sinners,” Romans 5:19 & “Saints,” Philippians 1:1. (2) Though there are two types of saints; “Worldly Christians,” 1 Corinthians 3:3 & “Disciples,” John 8:31; everyone is expected to be a disciple, Matthew 28:19-20.
  • SOUL THEOLOGY: (1) When you were born again you became a new person in both your soul & spirit, John 3:3 & 2 Corinthians 5:15. (2) Though your body is still sinful, you are to count it as dead and live a holy life pleasing to God by His Word, 1 Peter 1:22-23.
  • TEMPTATION: (1) Inward Temptation: From your sinful body, James 1:13-16 & (2) Outward Temptation: From the Devil regarding; (a) God’s Word, Genesis 3:1 & (b) Your Identity, Luke 4:3.
  • PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: Let God, the Good Shepherd, lead you in His paths of righteousness, Psalm 23.
  • MIND OF CHRIST: Set your mind on the things of the Spirit because the Law of the Spirit has set you free from the law of sin and death when you were born again, Romans 6:1-17.

COLOSSIANS 3:1-17

“1 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. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

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, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 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. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 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. 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.”

BREAKDOWN

  1. vs. 1-2, “Set Your Mind on Things Above”: Making reference to the believer being raised with Christ in Col. 2:12 at salvation Paul now gives the command to set your mind on Christ.
  2. vs. 3-4, “Your Life is Hidden with Christ”: Paul makes it clear that the believer has died and now lives a new life in Christ.  This new life will result in receiving glory when Christ appears at His second coming.
  3. vs. 5-9a, “Put to Death Your Flesh”: Paul gives the list of things the believer must put to death, “slay utterly and totally,” (1) fornication, (2) uncleanness/moral impurity, (3) passion/lust, (4) evil desire, (5) covetousness/greed (which is idolatry), (6) anger, (7) wrath, (8) malice, (9) blasphemy, (10) filthy language, and (11) lying.
  4. vs. 9b-11, “The New Man”: Paul boldly declares that the “old man” has been taken off and the believer has put on the “new man.”  Therefore, to be saved according to Paul one’s old man must be taken off and a new man put on, i.e., “born again,” John 3:3.  Now this new man nullifies all prior racial and social identity’s; Greek, Jew, circumcised, barbarian, slave- Christ is in all! Note what Greek Scholar and New Testament Theologian Daniel Wallace stated regarding this passage, “Paul’s point, then, is that Christians should take off their dirty clothing (inappropriate behavior) and put on clean clothing (behavior consistent with knowing Christ) because this has already been accomplished in a positional sense at the time of their conversion (cf. Gal 3:27 with Rom 13:14).”
  5. vs. 12-17, “Love, the Bond of Perfection”: First, Paul describes believers as, (1) God’s Elect/Chosen People, (2) Holy, and (3) Beloved. Second, he lists the attributes of the believer’s new self as, (1) Tender Mercies/Compassion, (2) Kindness, (3) Humility, (4) Meekness, (5) Long-suffering/Patience, (6) Forbearance, (7) Forgiveness, and (8) Love (which is the “Bond of Perfection”). Third, he commands all believers to, (1) Let the Peace of God Rule in Their Hearts, (2) Be Thankful, (3) Let the Word of Christ Dwell Richly in Their Midst with Wisdom, (4) Teach and Admonish with Hymns/Songs and Spiritual Songs with Grateful Hearts, and (6) Do All Things in the Name of Jesus Giving Thanks to the Father.

MAIN POINTS

  1. MIND OF CHRIST: The secret to living a “God-kind-of-Life,” according to Paul is to set your mind (thoughts) on Jesus.
  2. ONE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST: There are not “two you’s”- one “holy” and the other “sinful.” When you were born again you were made one new person in Christ, your old life is dead- you are a new creation, 2 Cor. 5:17.
  3. PUT TO DEATH FLESHLY TEMPTATION: Though the believer has died and been cut off from the flesh, the flesh remains with the believer as their body and therefore must be put to death whenever its desires and temptations arise.
  4. THE NEW MAN: Disciples live a new life because they have been made a “new man,” (anthr?pos/human being).
  5. THE LIFE OF LOVE: (1) Know who God says you are (chosen, holy, etc.), (2) Live like Jesus (have compassion, kindness, etc.), and (3) Spread the message of Jesus, (teaching through songs).

 If you can believe that when you were born again you were actually made a new person, then you should be able to believe that your new man is clothed in righteousness able to please God in whatever you do!

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Posted in Identity Series