COLOSSIANS: OVERCOMING SYNCRETISM THRU CHRIST

Part VIII: Living In View Of Christ’s Sufficiency And Supremacy, Colossians 3:1-4:6

C. Putting On The New Man

(Colossians 3:10-17)

I. Introduction

A. Recent research indicates that the average American adopts beliefs and practices from approximately nine distinct worldviews, what produces a jumble of often contradictory philosophies known as syncretism.

B. The epistle to the Colossians handled a mixture of Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1690, “The Colossian Heresy”), so it applies to the syncretism that we face.

C. In view of Christ’ sufficiency and supremacy, Colossians 3:10-17 calls us to put on the new man in Christ:

II. Putting On The New Man, Colossians 3:10-17.

A. Having put off the sin nature in the sense of one’s boycotting it by depending on the Holy Spirit, the believer is figuratively to put on the new nature that was created by the new birth at justification, Colossians 3:10a.

B. This new nature is constantly being renewed by God, for the verb “renewed” (v. 10a KJV) translates the present passive participle anakainoumenon (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 700; The Analyt. Grk. Lex. (Zon.), 1972, p. 22) from anakainoo, “renew” (Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 55) “to keep it [the new man] victorious over sin,” Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 681.

C. This renewal of the new man is in the realm of “knowledge” (epignosin, Ibid.) according to the image of its Creator. In other words, “It takes place as a believer comes to a personal, deep knowledge of and fellowship with Christ,” and “its goal is to make believers like Him, for the ‘new self [was] created to be like God’ (Eph. 4:24. Adam was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), which included a moral and intellectual likeness to God. Though this image was not erased (but only effaced) by the Fall (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9), yet it was corrupted and needs to be repaired and renewed.” (Ibid.; Colossians 3:10b)

D. In the spiritual realm in Christ, temporal distinctions are removed, Colossians 3:11 (Ibid.):

1. National distinctions are spiritually removed in Christ as there is neither Greek nor Jew.

2. Religious distinctions are spiritually removed in Christ as there is neither circumcised nor uncircumcised.

3. Cultural distinctions are spiritually removed in Christ as there is neither barbarian nor Scythian. A barbarian was anyone who was foreign to Greek culture, and a Scythian was a wild, savage nomad, Ibid.

4. Both economic and social distinctions are spiritually removed in Christ as there is neither slave nor free.

E. Accordingly, believers functioning in the new man as living above the national, religious, cultural, economic and social distinctions of this world as God’s elect, holy and beloved people, they must figuratively clothe themselves with attitudes and actions fitting of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Colossians 3:12-15:

1. They are to “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, Colossians 3:12 NIV.

2. They are to put up with each other, the meaning of “forbearing” (KJV), forgiving whatever grievances they may have against others just as the Lord forgave them, Colossians 3:13 NIV, Ibid., p. 682.

3. The most important virtue to “put on” by the Spirit’s power is love, which is the bond that holds believers together in perfect unity, Colossians 3:14 NIV; Ibid.

4. In addition, believers are to let the peace of God rule in their hearts to which they were called in one body, and they were to be thankful to the Lord for His goodness unto them, Colossians 3:15.

F. Putting on the new man should also influence the music of Christian worshipers in the church, Col. 3:16:

1. The new man is to let the Word of Christ dwell in his musical expression richly in all wisdom, Col. 3:16a.

2. That Word is to be marked by God’s wisdom, teaching and admonishing of fellow believers, Col. 3:16b.

3. The types of musical expressions used in this ministry can vary, including expressions in psalms, hymns and spiritual odes in the power the Holy Spirit, Colossians 3:16c.

4. The music is to be performed in a spirit of worship and gratitude in one’s heart unto the Lord, Col. 3:16d.

G. Indeed, whatever else we believers do in word or deed should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, that is, we should do it for His glory as we give thanks to God the Father through Him, Colossians 3:17.

Lesson: In putting off the old sin nature in the sense of boycotting it by relying on the Holy Spirit, we believers are to put on the new man that was made alive at our justification that God is always renewing to be victorious over sin, and through that new man to worship and praise God in reflecting the presence of the Lord in our being.

Application: May we rely on the Holy Spirit not only to put off the sin nature, but to put on the new man in Christ.