Become What You Are

Introduction

It’s fascinating that there’s so many languages. My extensive research has shown me that there are a bunch of different languages in this world. And many of you can speak those. In fact, if you can speak more than one language, raise your hand. You’re already smarter than me. If you can speak more than two, three or more. Anybody speak three or more languages? Wow, okay. I only speak one language, and that poorly.

A dialect is kind of a subset of a language, and I am fluent in Alabama. You might call it redneck. But I’m also fluent in man. Man is its own particular language dialect. A dialect, a subset of our language that for centuries has baffled the fairer sex, is the dialect of speaking in man. The dialect of man is unique in some ways in the sense that two men can communicate together for extended period of time. And after that extended conversation, we will have learned nothing about their spouse, their children, their families, or any emotions that they might share. So don’s four acceptable topics of conversation. There’s obviously the weather. You can talk about weather. Particularly you can complain about how bad the weather is currently, and state that you can never remember it being this wet, this hot, just fill in the blame.

The second form of conversation that’s acceptable in the male dialect is to talk about whatever sporting event seems to be in season at that time. Unless it’s football, and you can talk about that year-round. You can share your favorite teams, their chances at glory, bemoaning the fact of how bad, if you’re a gator fan, how bad the past season was, but next year we’ll be there.

And how it is superior to any other route anybody else took to get there.

What do you do? And then that person will begin to talk about their occupation. Several years ago, at a social gathering, I asked a man that particular question. We’d expended everything we could say about the other three topics of conversation. There was a lull in the conversation, and I said, What do you do? To which he replied, I work at a factory. He was a gabby sort. So I probed further. I said, Well, what do you do at that factory? And he says, Well, I take a piece of metal out of this box and I put it in a machine and I stamp on a button, and that machine crimps that piece of metal, and I put that crimp piece of metal in that box. And then I repeat that over and over again.

I said, Fascinating. And I probed further. I said, but but what does that factory make? And he said, I don’t know. This frustrated me, so I probed further. I said, now wait a minute. But what does that now crimped, newly crimped piece of metal, what does it go on? I don’t know. And he was serious. All he knew about his world 40 hours a week was that he took that piece of metal, stuck it in a machine, stepped on a button, and put a crimped piece of metal.

Because I began asking around. I had to know. And next time I saw him, I told him. I said, Do you know that your company and that particular plant that you make shelving for commercial retail establishments? And that piece of metal that you’re crimping is actually the side to the shelf of those. And I told him all about those and where they ship those and what particular retailers they use them for. To which he replied, huh?

It amazed me that he didn’t have any more care about the big picture of what he was doing and what it was really about and how it fit into some bigger scheme of something. And I guess that’s okay. Because after all, it was just a job, just a paycheck. But I fear that sometimes we as Christians have that same level of intellectual curiosity about the kingdom of Christ. Could you go any deeper in your description of what it means to be a Christian? If someone asked you, are you a Christian? Yes. Well, what does that mean? Would you give the spiritual equivalent of the fact that I take a piece of metal, stick it in a machine? Would you simply say, Well, I go to church?

And maybe list off a couple vices that you don’t participate in. Or do you have more curiosity and a more deeper and fundamental understanding of what it means to really wear the name of Christ? I’d like for us to talk about that and be curious this morning. As we examine a text in Colossians chapter 3, in fact, I invite you now to turn your Bibles, your New Testament, to Colossians chapter 3. We’ll be looking at other passages of Scripture, but for the most part, I want us to camp out in Colossians chapter 3, because in Colossians chapter 3, the first 17 verses, God, through the Holy Spirit and the pen of this inspired apostle, uses language to describe to us the concept of who we are, and what it means to be a Christian, and to be a part of a Christian community and to be a part of a relationship with God, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

When I believe he encourages those first century Christians and us today to become what we are.

1. Raised With Christ, Seek Those Things Above

What all is involved in being and wearing the name of Christ. Colossians 3 verse 1 begins, if then. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. In telling them to become what you are, he says, if you are, in fact, he uses a very common language technique. He says, if then, if you are this, he’s not disputing that they are, but he’s saying if you make that claim to wear the name of Christ to be a Christian, then something should follow. There’s more to this than just picking up a piece of metal and putting it in a machine and putting in another box. There’s so much more to what you’re doing as a child of God.

And in the pursuit of becoming what we are, of really living up to the name of Christian, he says it starts here. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. Verse 2, he tells us how to do that. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. Let’s talk about this idea of seeking those things which are above. He begins with the premise, speaking to Christians, he begins with the premise that you’ve been raised. You’ve been raised with Christ. Now I want to examine two things about that before we talk about setting our mind in that location. The first thing is, what does it mean that we’ve been raised with Christ? If you’re a Christian, if you’re a child of God, the apostle says you’ve been raised with Christ.

When and how and what does that mean? Hold your finger in chapter 3 and go back to Colossians chapter 2. In Colossians 2, beginning in verse 11, he explains when what it means for them to have been raised in Christ. In him, Colossians 2 verse 11, speaking of Jesus Christ, in him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by the putting off of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead.

Because the Apostle Paul, in building this premise of what it means to be a child of God, he says this started when you were buried and raised with him. Well, when was that? When they submitted, humbly submitted through faith, repentance, and confession to be baptized into Christ Jesus. He says, You were buried and you were raised with him in baptism. And so in Colossians 3, when he says, if you have been raised with Christ, that’s when he’s talking about. That’s what he’s been talking about. If you’ve been washed from your sins, buried the old man and been raised with Christ Jesus. And so the first question about the idea of being raised is when and what was involved, and Colossians 2 verse 12 answers that. But then the second question I want us to address, this idea of being raised, is really what’s his point.

And his point is this. You’ve been raised, and so seek those things that are above. In other words, he’s saying something happened to you. You became something. There was a change of status, and so now live up to that status. In other words, become what you are. You’re raised, now live like it. If you’ve been raised, then seek those things which are above. If you’re going to seek those things which are below, then there was no purpose in you being raised. Nothing was effectively accomplished through that. If you’re still going to live that old sinful lifestyle, then why were you even raised? And we began to see that our salvation, our conversion, nay, our very baptism, was not just to change our status as valuable as that was.

It was not just to erase the debt of sin and put us from the lost category into the saved category to change us from being a goat to a sheep. But it also put us in a position to live in those heavenly places where Christ is. And he says, in order to accomplish that, you must set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. If we’re going to seek, we have to set our minds on those things. I want us to spend a little time thinking and talking about what that means. To set your mind on something. That starts there because that’s the starting point. Anything worthwhile in this life that is to be accomplished, starts with the concept of making the decision, of setting our mind on something.

Do we understand and appreciate what that concept really is of setting your mind on something? It’s a decision, but it’s more than a decision. It is a resolute, indefeatable decision. Of someone whose mind is made up, they are focused on that, and there is no deterring them.

Several years ago, not long after we had just got married, we had another young married couple as our good close friends, and we would often go and do things together. And one weekend we decided we’re going to go to Six Flags in Atlanta. Six flags are nothing but roller coasters and dip those kind of rhymes. If you don’t know this about me, you’ll know it now. I’m not a roller coaster guy. I’ve got a wife and two kids. I’ve got nothing to prove. But some people like them. My wife likes them. Shadra loves getting on a roller coaster. The wife of the other couple liked roller coasters as well.

He wasn’t as strong-willed as I am. He went on the first roller coaster with them. I did what I always do. I held the purses and waited at the bottom with all the pregnant women. They got off that roller coaster. And the first thing I saw was my friend’s face that was devoid of any color. I could read his mind. He was chanting to himself softly, don’t throw up, don’t throw up. Expression on his face was a combination of nausea, fear, exasperation, desperation. Well, that look on his face, his wife said, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Let’s go get on the next one. To which he kind of grunted, no. Well, she kept pressing. No, let’s do it. Let’s do it. Come on. Come on.

You’ve got it out of your system now. You see, you live. Let’s do. No.

I stepped in and I said, you can talk all you want to. He’s not getting on another roller coaster. I can see it. In other words, he had set his mind in a negative frame. That there was nothing. There was nobody or groups of anybody’s who could have put him and strapped him in another roller coaster seat. He had set his mind, he was determined, and there was nothing to change that. Now, that again, that’s a negative example, but I want you to apply the positive to that. Have you ever been that positive about something that you set your mind on that, that there was no deterring, there was no stopping, you were so motivated. That’s the concept that I believe the Holy Spirit is talking through here, to the Apostle Paul here, in saying, set your mind, fix your gaze, be so driven and so drawn by those things, because he says, after all, you’ve been raised.

What does that mean? You’ve been raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, and that begins by setting your mind on those things. There must be a determination of the will. An unstoppable determination of the will. That we think on those things. And he says, why? Verse 3, for you died. And your life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life, this is Colossians 3, verse 4, when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. That’s the destination. That’s the goal. Don’t ever lose sight of that. So set your mind on it. And you’ll seek those things which are above. Then what else do I need to do to become what I am?

2. Put to Death Your Members on the Earth

If I’ve been raised, if I’ve had a change of status, what else must follow? Well, he begins in verse 5 by saying, therefore, therefore, since you’ve been raised, since you’re seeking those heavenly things, setting your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth, therefore this now follows, verse 5. Put to death your members which are on the earth. And he lists there, if my count is accurate, he lists eleven things. I don’t believe that’s an exclusive list, but eleven things of vices that he says that if you’ve been raised, if you’re seeking those things which are above, you will not pursue. In fact, he says, you will put them to death. Death. That’s a concept we’re familiar with, isn’t it? Unfortunately. And death really means many things.

All of them closely related. But death conveys the concept of ceasing to exist. That’s the most basic definition of dead, isn’t it? Someone is dead, they’re no longer alive. They cease to enjoy that life. Death means a separation, doesn’t it? As the body apart from the spirit is death, James says, so faith without works is death. So death involves a separation. Death involves a ceasing of activity or of action. We use that word in a way sometimes we talk about our car being dead. Or our lawnmower being dead. We mean it’s not doing anything. It won’t start, it won’t move, it won’t do what it’s intended to do. And really, at the core of death, that’s the concept of death, isn’t it? It doesn’t do anything.

This activity ceases. That’s death. And he says, if you’ve been raised, if you’ve had a change in status, then you’ve got a change in vision, set your mind on things above. And you’ve got a change of affection. Put to death the things that are of this world. Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. And once you also once walked and lived in them. But now you must put off all these things anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another. Since you’ve put off the old man with his deeds. So we’ve set our mind, we’ve made the determined, the unstoppable determination to focus upon those things which are above.

And now the action follows. We put to death.

What it means to be a part of a church, to be a part of Christ and have a relationship with God. And we’ve tried to strike the delicate balance between understanding that it is a process, this death, that is not as instantaneous as we might hope it to be. In fact, again, hold your finger here and go to the book of Philippians. In Philippians chapter 3, this same apostle Paul, near the end of his physical life would speak of this process. When he said in Philippians 3, verse 12, this familiar text, the apostle says, not that I have already attained, or am already perfected. But I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ has also laid hold of me. Paul said, I’m not perfect.

I haven’t been perfected. I don’t think that even necessarily just means that I haven’t been translated into my spiritual body and thrown off this physical body. Because he says, I press on. Paul recognized that it was a process. That though our change of status from loss to save was instantaneous by the forgiveness of God through the blood of Christ, but God is far more powerful than we because that change of status was his doing. Now the change of behavior is our doing. And we need more time.

Because we understand that putting to death that old man and those sinful ways and those sinful lust, unfortunately, is not always a one time thing. That many times putting to death that old sinful fleshly man or woman is kind of like the monster in a horror movie. You know that if they kill that monster in the first five minutes, they’re going to have to kill it again later. And that’s kind of the way it is, isn’t it? You became a Christian and you said nope. I’m putting to death that old man. And guess what? Not long after that, there he is again. This time in a hockey mask. And you say, no. And there he is again. Paul recognized that it was a process. So we strike the balance between understanding that.

3. Put On the New Man

But also understanding that if it is a process, there must be some progress. That that’s not an excuse. Oh, well. Not at all. If putting to death means anything, it means that we’re doing something to end that old, lustful, sinful life. Put to death the old man. Become what you are. You’ve been raised. Now live like it. Oh, it’s a struggle, it’s a process, but do something, kill something. Back to our text in Colossians 3, but that’s not all that he says. After telling us what we are to put off, he says in verse 10 of Colossians chapter 3, after saying put to death, he says, and have put on the new man. In fact, he’ll say in verse 12, therefore, as the elect of God, in other words, that’s what you are.

Now here’s how you become that. As the elect of God, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against the other, even as Christ forgave you, you also must do. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. He says, if you’re going to become what you are, the elect of God, if one who’s been raised, you’re going to have to set your mind on it. And you’re going to have to do some killing. You’re going to have to put to death that old man. And you’re going to have to put on something. The illustration here is pretty easy to see, isn’t he? He’s talking about taking off something and putting on something else.

And I fear that many times we define our Christianity only in the negative. By a list of things that I don’t do. I’m a Christian because I don’t, A, B, and C. And if we’re not careful, we not only define our Christianity by simply by what we don’t do, but so many times those three things that we say we’re don’t do, but that makes us a Christian are probably things we might not even do, even if we weren’t a Christian. But if we exclusively define our Christianity by what we don’t do, we’re only half a Christian. And as far as I can tell, the Bible makes no allowances for half Christians. We do put things off. But our Christianity, our relationship with God, our status as a raised person, must also be defined in the positive by what we do.

Put on. And he lists again those wonderful. And again, I don’t think it’s an exhaustive list, but a list of wonderful Christian, God like virtues that are befitting of someone who would call themselves the elect of God, a child of God, who has been raised to those heavenly places. Again, we admit it’s a process. But we must also see some progress in that process. And so I want to challenge you this morning.

Conclusion

Are you a Christian? Have you been raised? Have you been buried and raised? Then think about what that means. Don’t just say, well, I picked this up and I. What does that mean? How should that affect me, my life, my relationships, my language, the clothes that I wear, the places that I go, the people with whom I associate, the activity, every minute of my life. Am I really living up to that? Am I really living the raised life? And then he concludes it with this statement in verse 17: and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him. Whatever we do, if it’s putting to death the old man, if it’s putting on those good Christian qualities, must be done in the name of the Lord.

By His authority, with Him in mind, and to the glory of His name. Because that’s what I was raised to do to give glory to His name. Live the life that you were raised to live. Recognizing the struggles, the pitfalls, and that it’s a process. But as Paul would say, press on. The second challenge is of those who may not even been raised. Have never even attempted in status or in behavior to put to death the old man, then why not today? Why not make that decision, recognizing that it will be a change of status that will be followed by a process of a change of life and behavior? There’s no better time than right now to start that process. To become a child of God.

To say, I’m going to put to death that old man, I’m going to put on the qualities of Christ’s likeness, and I’m going to glorify God in all that I do. Because I’m setting my mind to seek those things which are above. Would you be buried and raised with him this morning? Would you become a child of God? Is there anything that we can do to help you in your spiritual pursuit of Christ and heaven? If we can help you in any spiritual way, let it be known right now as together we stand and as we sing.