Put Off, Put On, Let, Yield

Put Off, Put On, Let, Yield
A Study of Colossians 3 (ESV)

What we interest ourselves in has a big effect on us.

We might interest ourselves in photography and become quite accomplished at making excellent photographs. Or it might be sports. We might know all the players and the statistics that show how well they have played the game. It could be politics, the daily news, music, theater, theology, Bible study, or spiritual things in general.

Colossians 3:1-4

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Paul begins by telling us some things we should do (seek, set our minds on) but notice where he roots the rationale for this behavior.

We are not asked to behave as he encourages out of fear or guilt. The reason he provides is that such behavior is rooted in who God has made us, and where God has placed us.

Paul fills this part of his letter with reminders of who we are and where we are.

We are risen with Christ.
We are dead to sin.
We are alive to God,
We are in Christ.
We are hidden in God.
We are guaranteed the inheritance of the saints in light.

Understanding that behavior is rooted in identity is crucial. If we think that our actions are unnatural, we are left acting like someone we are supposed to be but are not. We are faking it hoping that someday we will make it. We are living a life of striving, laboring, working, and, if we are honest, mostly failing.

As we continue looking at this chapter, we will see that behavior rooted in identity looks like yielding. It looks like allowing.

Paul has told us some great things about who and where we are. Using these as his rationale he begins to recommend a simple change.

Colossians 3:5-8

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”

I really love the way the English Standard Version (ESV) renders this. “Put to death…what is earthly in you.” It pulls from the Greek the full meaning of the phrase. The King James renders this, “Mortify…your members which are upon the earth.”

The phrase in Greek here does include the word “members” or limbs.

It is obvious that Paul is not advocating that we cut off arms and legs. If Paul had been talking about our physical body parts, he would have used the word “soma”, which means physical body. Instead, he says to kill off what is earthly in you.

So, the King James, while correct, can be cloudy here. If we did not have the benefit of the Greek, we might think that our members which are upon the earth are our body parts. Instead, we find Paul echoing what he taught in other places. We are to kill off the flesh—the worldly way of responding to and navigating through what life on earth throws at us. We do that by choosing in the moment to walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

Perhaps you are like me.

Perhaps you must remind yourself often, sometimes even moment by moment, not to let earthy attitudes and responses drive you.

Perhaps like me you must pause and yield yourself to the Spirit and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Just to wrap this up, be sure to notice that the wrath of God (verse 6) does not come on you. His wrath comes on the children of disobedience. Who are they?

Are they believers who sin?
Are they believers who fail to love enough?
Absolutely and unequivocally not.

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

God’s wrath was taken away at the cross for all who believe. It’s part of the wonderful gift Jesus has bought for you.

Just one more point. We “obey the Son” when we obey the Gospel. This is “the obedience of faith” spoken of in Romans 1:5 and 16:26. We obey the Son and are given eternal life when we place our faith in Jesus as our hope of righteousness.

Colossians 3:9-10
“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

I used to think that the reason I should not lie to people was because it would drive a wedge between me and God. My obedience was motivated by fear and by guilt. I read passages like this and completely missed the way it grounded my behavior in my identity.

Paul understood this clearly. He tells us not to lie, but he says that the reason we should obey is because lying does not fit us. Lying is beneath us. He says that we should not lie because we have put off the old self and have put on the new self.

It brings to mind what he told the Roman saints in Romans 6:6 “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” To do that would be like wearing clothing that does not fit. He says in Romans 6:17 that “you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart.” Disobedience and sinning are out of character. That is the reason it never feels comfortable. It simply no longer fits. I have some pants like that, and I never wear them.

Back in Colossians 3:10 he goes on to say that our new self is being renewed in knowledge “after the image of its creator.” It is easy to read right over this part, but there is something deep here.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” This is being renewed in knowledge. Peter prompts us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) Indeed this is what is happening to each of us. We are not changing into something new, we are growing into the fullness of our true selves.

Notice also that we are being renewed in knowledge in the image of God. He is our creator. He is the one who created our new self. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God.” Romans 6:6 makes it clear that our old self died. Romans 6:4 says that we were raised to new life in Christ. Romans 8:29 says we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

I am not able to recall where I first heard this, but I say it on occasion. “The older I get, the more like myself I become.” There is truth in this, and I think it fits well with what we see in Colossians 3:10. We are being matured from the inside out. We are becoming more Christlike with each passing day.

Colossians 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

Here in Christ, there is unity. Paul told the Galatians the same thing in Galatians 3:27–28 where we read, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We see division and factions, but all who believe are made righteous. We do well to keep this in mind when interacting with those who do not see things the way we do. For my own part, I thought I had my theology pretty figured out when I was in my mid-twenties. I could hardly have been more wrong. As we saw in the first segment of this study, our minds are being renewed in knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that, “now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully.”

Since there is unity in the Spirit, Colossians 3:12 goes on to urge that we, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Notice that each of these things is an aspect of the fruit that Holy Spirit is producing in each of us. The capstone of all these aspects of the fruit of the Spirit is love. Paul encourages us to put these things on because they fit us. They fit us because they fit Father. That’s why He is at work producing them in us by His Spirit. It’s all part of being conformed to the image of our lovely Lord Jesus.

This is what we should expect of life in Christ. It is pointed out to us in Titus 2:11-12. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

The grace of God trains us. Father does all the work. Titus 2:14 tells us that Jesus gave Himself to purify us for Himself and make us zealous for good works. It is He who works in us to desire godly things and to actually do them. (see Philippians 2:13)

We have put old ill-fitting things off, and we are putting new custom-tailored things on. Next, we will look at verse 15 and see some things we can simply let, or allow, as we live in Christ.

Colossians 3:15-17 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Back in verse two of this chapter we were counseled to interest ourselves in things above. Not to focus on things on the earth. We are not behaving in these ways out of fear or guilt. Instead, knowing who we are, we simply do what comes naturally. We are righteous and holy, and we are permeated with the Spirit of God. The most natural thing is for us to be godly in everything we do.

By letting God’s word and peace live and rule in our hearts, we naturally display godly traits. We manifest Christ without even trying. That is how we let, allow, or yield.

This is the idea being communicated in verse 17 where it talks about doing everything “in the name of the Lord.” We do not say, “in Jesus’ name” after everything we do. We do godly things in keeping with all that He is and what He says is true. His name encapsulates all that He is—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As we live in Him, godliness flows out from us.

Another thing to note here is the language Paul uses to describe how we interact with one another. Teaching and admonishing (gently cautioning) one another. (Which is so much better than what some of us have experienced in the church.) Speaking in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Singing to the Lord. Having grace in our hearts.

The word behind “thankfulness” as it refers to singing to God is χάριτι (kariti)—grace. The idea of having grace in our hearts has great value. When we remember who we are in Christ and that we became who we are by His grace, we can let that grace spill over to those around us.

Earlier in this study we saw that there is unity in The Spirit. We are loved unconditionally. Grace has been shown to us, and grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and live upright and godly lives. (see Titus 2:11-12) Much has been forgiven us. The Goodness that provided all this to us permeates our inner being. It can hardly help overflowing, spilling out, and oozing from within us. All we need do is yield to it and let it happen.

Singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord is what the passage actually says, and that is interesting to me. Apparently, Father likes it when we sing to Him. That, and the fact that songs remind us of the truth, is probably why music has been such an important part of our gatherings over the years.

Next, we will see the unity of the Spirit in our interpersonal relationships. You may want to buckle your seatbelt. 😉

We will begin with Colossians 3:18-22. The overall message of these verses is mutual submission and unity.

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

The way of the Kingdom is mutual submission.

It is noteworthy that Paul takes the same position regarding husbands and wives here that he takes in Ephesians 5:19-33. Ephesians 5:19-21 is remarkably similar to Colossians 3:16 (and following). Paul urges singing and then submitting one to another. Jesus Himself said that He came to serve, not to be served. A fact He demonstrated by actions such as washing the feet of His disciples and laying down His life at the cross.

Ultimately all this is summed up in love. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. The word for love there is agape’. Agape’ love is selfless love. It is the sort of love described in 1 Corinthians 13 and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. This sort of love is the purest form of submission. I cannot love you selfishly if I am truly looking out for you and working for what is best for you. That’s how Father is with us.

Lest you think that I am just going to skirt the issue of wives being urged to submit and respect while husbands are urged to love and be tender, let me say this:

Despite what the world wants us to believe, there are real differences between men and women.

These differences do not have to do with importance or value. Rather, these passages recognize that there are differences in the way each approaches life and relationship. Here and in Ephesians, Holy Spirit, through Paul, helps us know, in a general way, what the other needs most. Nevertheless, the way of The Kingdom is agape’ love, which requires each of us to submit ourselves to others.

Here is the culmination of this discussion:

Colossians 3:23-25 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

In the Kingdom we are all on the same team. Jesus is our King. It is Him we serve. But Jesus is our Friend and our Brother. He is one with us in the same way He is one with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit. He submitted to us here on earth and we submit to Him. He submitted to the Father, and the Father has placed Him high above all principalities and powers and every name that can be named.

The statement about wrongdoers being paid back is not talking about your salvation. The preceding verse makes that very clear by reminding you that you will receive the inheritance. You know that you will receive the reward of the inheritance because you are in Christ. Even so, Sin has consequences. Eternal consequences as we saw earlier: God’s wrath remains on those who do not believe, and temporal consequences: Believers are not exempted from the temporal consequences of sin.

Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV)

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

We have seen that as believers when we are considering our actions or behaviors, we put off things that do not fit and put on things that do fit.

We have seen that our behavior is rooted and grounded in our identity in Christ. That means that we are not motivated by fear and guilt. Instead, we are motivated by the love of God that is shed abroad in our new loving hearts.

We have seen that we let, allow, yield rather than strive, work, perform, to access the blessings of God. We even yield ourselves as instruments to be used by God.

We submit one to another just as Jesus submitted Himself to us and we all submit to Him.

The message is easy yokes and light burdens because, that is the way of grace.