Renewal Three things necessary for a new start Colossians 3:12-4:1 (Bible)

BYCANAAN FEBRUARY 23, 2023

We are made from the “old man” to the “new man” through Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:10). We are renewed. We are new creatures. Old things have passed away and all things have become new (Ⅱ Corinthians 5:17). Already made new through Jesus Christ. Now we are the new, not the old. We are a sinner, but our sins have been forgiven. A person who is not under the control of the devil, but under the control of God. But on the other hand, it is also true that the nature of old self still remains. It will be after we go to Heaven that we will become a completely new person. God wants us to be renewed more and more on this earth, to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it becomes important to cast off the old (3:5) every day. Otherwise, our heart will be filled with old things. The same goes for cleaning up the room. If we don’t throw away the old things, the garbage will keep piling up.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. ²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.(Colossians 3:12-4:1)

Who are we in Jesus Christ? New person. What else can we say? We are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved (v. 12).

Chosen One. We are chosen by God. It says in Ephesians 1:4: God chose us in him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him. Especially in Japan, I strongly feel God’s choice. Even though there are only 1% of Christians in Japan, we are chosen, believe in Jesus Christ, and gather at church (worship service). This is amazing. It is God’s one-sided grace and choice. There is nothing else. We didn’t do anything, so we can only thank God.

Then the saints, originally it meant “to separate”. It means being cut off from the world, cut apart, and made into God’s. Christians are in this world, but they are not of this world. It says in John 17:16: They (the disciples) are not of this world, even as I am not of this world. We belong to God, not to this world. But although we are not of this world, we are not escaping from it, but light in it. We cannot leave this world. We will live in this world as a “new person”. It is recorded in Colossians 3:18-4:1. At home and in the workplace (society), we walk as new people. It means to speak and act in the name of the Lord Jesus (verse 17).

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral was held last year. Queen Elizabeth believed in Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. She was walking as a new person and doing her job as Queen. About 4 billion people watched the funeral through television and the Internet, and I saw it live. It was a truly wonderful funeral, full of hope for resurrection. It seems that Queen Elizabeth’s faith appeared. Most of the funeral was evangelical, with hymns and Bible readings. In a situation where world evangelism is difficult due to the corona crisis, I think it was a great evangelism rally for the whole world.

Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022)

Last loved one. We are loved by God. God the Father loves each and every one of us so much that he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world and hung the Lord Jesus on the cross for our sins.

The Bible speaks to us. Put on five things (verse 12). Last time we saw the passage about putting off five things (3:8). Paul compares the new man to a garment. He puts off the old and puts on the new.

I would like to see three characteristics of the new person.

① Put on love (verse 14)

We are loved by God. God loved us first. This is really amazing. God who rules over the whole world, the King of kings far greater than Queen Elizabeth, has his eyes on me. It would be nice to hear from the Queen. But it is not at that level, God called me. So, in response to God’s love, love God and love our neighbor. The Lord Jesus said to love God and to love your neighbor is the most important commandment.

②The peace of Christ reigns in my heart (v. 15)

Jesus Christ gives us peace. It is the peace of God (peace of Christ). The Lord Jesus has promised. I give you my peace. I give you not as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid (John 14:27). The peace that Jesus gives is something the world can never give. As we live in this world, we are faced with various anxieties. Some people cannot sleep. But Jesus was always at peace.

One day, Jesus and his disciples were sailing to the other side of the river when a storm came. The disciples were filled with anxiety. They were afraid that the boat would sink and that they would die here. There may be times when we, too, lose hope when our own lives sink and become frustrated. At that time, what was Jesus doing in the boat? Jesus was sleeping in peace. Why was he able to sleep? Because he knew that Jesus would reach the other shore. He was confident that the Words he uttered would come true. The Lord Jesus said  ” Let’s cross over to the other side .”

Our boat (life) is fine too. Because the Lord Jesus is with us in our boat. Jesus commanded a storm. ” Come down, O storm.” We can reach our destination safely to the other shore. We have peace because Jesus is with us.

③Inhabited by the Word of Christ (verse 16)

The Word is the light that lights the way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). This world is dark. So we may get lost and not know where to go or how to take our steps. But thank God. We have the Word of Christ, the Word of God, the Word of the Bible. We read this daily. and let us live Jesus isn’t just a quick visit on our doorstep. Let Jesus live with us. Then we can walk in the light.

We clothe ourselves with love, let the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, and let the Word of Christ dwell within us. This is the characteristic of a new person.

Then we want to see the past, present and future of the new person.

First, we are already made new through Jesus Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new (Ⅱ Corinthians 5:17). This happened in the past at some point in our lives. That is why we believed in Jesus as our Savior and were baptized.

Next is the present. We are made new, but we are back to the old. Sometimes we get pulled back to our old nature, trapped in the past. Even though God made it white and beautiful like snow, the clothes (mind) becomes dirty. It would be nice if things remained as they were, but that is not the case. As we go about our daily lives, our hearts become dirty.

What should we do when we are defiled by sin? It is important to take off the old and put on the new. There are three things that sanctify us. See this for the last time. The important thing is the Spirit, water and blood (Ⅰ John 5:7,8).　

① Sanctification by the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. It is written in II Thessalonians 2:13. God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

②Washing of God’s Word (water)

When we get dirty, we wash it with water. If our hands are dirty, wash our hands with water, and if our whole body is dirty, take a full-body shower and then take a bath. This is to keep it clean. Similarly, when our mind becomes dirty, it must be washed. If we don’t wash it, the dirt will get worse and worse. What do we wash with? by the Word of God. It says in John 17:17: Sanctify them with the truth. Your word is truth.

③ Blood of Jesus Christ　

Blood has the function of carrying unnecessary substances in the body and discharging them out of the body. ⅠJohn 1:7 says: The blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

The work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the blood of Jesus. These three. May the Trinity God sanctify us and help us to continue on as new person. Let us be assured that we are already made new through Jesus Christ. And let us be sanctified daily so that we may walk as new person, not as old person. We may still struggle with the old man’s nature. But we have hope. We can become a completely new person in Heaven in the future. This is the future.

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