God So Loved the World - Part 6 | What can we do? - July 12, 2020

God So Loved the World – What can you do?

This is now the sixth week that we’ve been going through our series, “God so Loved the World.” This series has been about God’s love for all people, and how we should reflect that in our lives. We’ve looked at several cultural topics, especially concerning our current society, from the perspective of our Christian faith. We’ve seen how these topics took different forms for other generations of believers. We’ve seen the principles that God calls us to as His followers. We’ve discussed the difference that faith in Christ makes in how we treat others. But, as so often happens with cultural issues, we’re left wondering, where do we go from here?

It’s one thing to diagnose a problem, but it’s another thing to find a solution or to realize actual change. Many people across different political platforms and religious beliefs recognize the need for some type of change. In other words, they see the problems. However, very few can agree on what should be done. Even among our church it’s quite likely that we have differing opinions about what the world around us needs to do.

Sometimes that’s a topic that’s tricky to talk about as Christians, especially Lutherans. We’re so conditioned to be wary about emphasizing works that sometimes we can struggle to do things differently when God calls us to. There’s certainly good reason to be wary about work righteousness. We know the history of the Church. We know the Bible passages. But we shouldn’t be afraid to stand up and act when the time comes. We shouldn’t worry about making changes just because we know that we’re saved by faith alone. The reason we act for God is because our faith does make a change in our hearts. And so, we see in our last lesson in this series that God calls us to action, born out of faith in Jesus as our Savior. We study His Word today from Colossians 3:1-3, 9-11 as we consider what we can do moving forward.

Colossians 3:1-3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. (ESV)

Posing the question, what can we do, naturally implies action. We see this in three ways today, highlighted by the opening words of our text. Paul writes, “If you…” This terminology indicates a result – a spiritual deduction of sorts that is all about action.

We mentioned the first “If then” already – the deduction of faith. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you will show fruits of faith. This is very much along the same lines as James’ epistle where he lays out the case that true faith is not indifferent or lazy, but active. The fruits of faith are not produced by personal effort. If that were the case, they wouldn’t be fruits but works. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he clearly makes a distinction between fruits of faith – produced by the Holy Spirit, and works of the flesh, produced in our fallen natures.

The Word of God is the difference here, because the Holy Spirit uses the Word, as it comes in spoken and sacramental form, to renew hearts and produce fruits. The letter to the Colossians will emphasize this truth further at the end of chapter three as verses 16 & 17 say, “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. 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.”

If you believe, there will be an action that follows. We call those fruits of faith.

The second “If then” isn’t found in our text, but it is connected to it. In chapter 2:20, Paul writes, “If you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations?” Paul also reminds the Colossians again in verse 3 of our text that they have died. What he’s talking about here is the spiritual death of conversion. To come to faith in Jesus – what we see later is coined as rising to life – also means dying to the world. In 2:20 Paul calls that dying to the basic principles of the world. In our text he goes on to list several sins connected with living the world.

The thought of both these verses comes back to the same truth – we have something better in Christ so let’s use it. In chapter 2 Paul directed this truth at the Old Testament ceremonial laws that were held over the heads of Gentile Christians in the New Testament church. We’ve touched on this connection to our culture before as we recognized the great division of Jew and Gentile in the early Church and how Paul helped navigate that cultural, and sometimes racial, issue.

Paul’s point is clear. If you died with Christ, from all earthly hindrances to faith, why are you then running back to Old Testament ceremonies to prove you belong in the kingdom of God? The believer has been freed from the constraints of the law. The moral side of the law is still used to keep us from drifting off into sin and unbelief but never as the final word and never as a way to prove our faith. The gospel enters where the law runs its course. As we studied last weekend, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Likewise, we don’t take sin lightly, but we seek to uproot it in our lives when it rears its ugliness. Here’s where the action of this proposition comes in. If we died with Christ, we cast off the works of the flesh. That includes both putting our hope in the ways of the world (politics) and also dealing with sin in our lives. Verses 9 gives us an object lesson, Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. Faith beckons us to the action of discarding what is not helpful to our faith and what would hold us away from Christ. God calls you to do this when you claim that He is your God and Savior. You can’t be passive in this pursuit.

So how does this relate to our culture and our discussions in the last couple of months? Paul would have us consider the same prospect. If we have died with Christ, are we willingly casting off what Christ tells us to discard? Are we showing the world the gospel or are we pushing works of the law upon their hearts? Are we desiring the same change that God desires for us? Are we willing to put off the things that God calls sinful? If you read further in chapter 3 you’ll see that God compiles quite a list of things He considers evil and harmful to our lives - sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (v.5), anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language (v.7). It’s easy to hone in on one specific sin, say racism or prejudice, and point the finger at other while justifying ourselves in other areas of sin. Many have even used the filthy language God condemns to do such a thing. But God calls us to the action of considering our hearts first and putting off all forms of sin. It will be especially hard to do this with the sins that our culture accepts – things like gossiping, sexual immorality in its many forms, and hateful attitudes – but that’s what will make a change – the kind of change God wants.

We’ve seen that if we have faith in Jesus – change will result in fruits of faith. We’ve also seen that if we have died with Jesus, we will be willing to cast off harmful works of the flesh. Finally, we see that if we have been raised with Christ, we will seek those things which are above. This is the third action-oriented statement of our text.

It is within this thought that God calls us to live in the full blessings of our faith. Just as the death of Christ paid for sin and the resurrection of Christ achieved total holiness, so also we reflect those blessings by faith. Those who die with Christ die to sin. Those who are raised with Christ are raised to victory and holiness. There are several actions associated with this in our text. Paul writes, “seek” those things with are above, “think about” things above, not things on the earth, and “put on” the new man which is renewed in knowledge according to the image of God.

Each of these actions is associated with trusting in God and having our confidence come from the reality that Jesus is our Savior. This is the true vision of “things above.” But it’s hard to focus on that isn’t it? It’s hard to see the daily tragedy of the news cycle and remain optimistic in God’s power. It’s hard to feel that good change is occurring in a world where so many people live, speak, and act in wickedness. It’s hard to feel emblazoned for Christ in one’s heart when that same heart betrays the Savior every day.

But that’s exactly why God beckons us to look up – where He is. We may not always see the path or the hope with our eyes, but God is still in control. Paul describes this by reminding us that our lives are “hidden” with Christ in God. To be hidden is quite literally not to be seen – at least now. This is where faith in Jesus is tested and proven to be valuable. It’s not in the easy times. It’s not when everyone agrees with us. It’s not on the sunny days or when our plans work out. It’s not when society seems dreamy and perfect. Faith shows its mettle and value in the darkness – when the hope is hidden from these eyes. And despite that reality, faith still gives us confidence, not in our merits or efforts at stemming the tide of evil, but in the only One who can – Jesus.

And faith is a treasure in the deepest sense because it protects us from something much worse than the world, governments, or riots. It protects you from yourself. That’s another element of your life being hidden with Christ in the glory of His resurrection. You can’t see it, but it’s also completely safe and secure – even from the devising schemes of your own fallen heart.

To give someone this gift by sharing the message of Jesus is to extend the invaluable Pearl of Great Price. Faith is a treasure beyond comparison when it finds its foundation in Jesus and that will definitely change the world. So, what can we do? Let us use these times to learn the lesson that God is teaching as our heavenly Father. Struggle, injustice, terror, uncertainty are never pleasant to go through, but they burn off the spiritual fat.

We may not see every plan that God has designed – we can’t because we’re not Him. But faith in Jesus can trust every plan of God. If we have been raised with Him in this faith – let us seek the things of heaven to guide our way – not the things of the world. If we have been raised with Him in this faith, let us look to the wisdom of His Word to enlighten our hearts. In this series we’ve talked about lots of practical wisdom that we can put into action in our lives. We can center our identity on being a child of God, not of whether we’re black, white, male, or female, or some other designation. We can choose our words, even of rebuke and admonishment, with grace and truth – refraining from playing the world’s game of beating others into submission by argument and anger, but emphasizing the tender mercy of Christ. We can dispel fear by refusing the return hatred in kind, and instead living the power of forgiveness. There’s a lot we can work on to make a change – blessings hat come from God.

But the best gift is described here in childlike simplicity. We have died with Christ. We have been raised with Christ. We believe in Christ. Let us live those truths in our hearts, our words, our actions and give the same blessings to the world around us. Amen.