Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12–4:6
Return in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3. Figured it would be prudent to finish out this chapter in the book of Colossians. Summer months, people are coming and going quite a bit, so we'll take a few weeks off still from our studies in the Gospel of Matthew, looking at the The life of the believer, the new man in Christ Jesus, that's Paul's whole point in this section in Colossians chapter 3. Remember, he calls us to set our mind on things above where Christ is in verses 1 and 2.
And then he tells us to put on certain virtues, those things which are consistent with Christianity in verses 12 to 17. He tells us to put off vice, those things which are inconsistent with Christianity, those things which are a mark of the old man. We are to put off, I'm sorry, put off first, put on, and then we are to be subject to, and then we are to watch and pray. That's sort of an overview of the entire chapter.
This morning we're going to take up verses 15 to 17, specifically the corporate conduct of the believer. the corporate conduct of the believer. In 18 and following, he's going to deal with the believer in his home, the believer in his workplace. But prior to that, in verses 15 to 17, he deals with the believer in church life. Last week we considered the believer, the new man in Christ, specifically with reference to his identity.
Notice in verse 12, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. That is the identity of the new man in Christ Jesus. Paul then indicates his character, verses 12 and 13. His personal character is displayed through these five virtues.
His corporate character, his community relationships rather, are those five virtues fleshed out toward others in his life. And his supreme obligation is found in verse 14. We are to love, love God, love one another. That is the believer's supreme obligation.
And then Paul takes up in verses 15 to 17 his corporate conduct, how he functions in the life of Jesus' church. So, I'll just pick up reading in verse 12 and we'll read to chapter 4, verse 6. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. 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. Wives, submit to your own husbands as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the Word to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Amen.
Well, let us pray.
Opening Prayer
Father, thank you for your word. We pray now for the ministry of your spirit, that he would guide us in our understanding, that you would lead us into all truth, that you would effect change in our lives for good, conform your people more and more to the image of Christ, and save those who are not your people. And we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus, amen.
Introduction
As I said, this describes the new man in Jesus Christ. You remember that section of that portion in 2 Corinthians 5. Any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. He is a new creature.
The old is passed away, all things are new. This is conduct consistent with the new man in Jesus Christ. He puts off sin. He puts on righteousness.
He's subject to others around him and he watches and he prays. That is biblical Christianity. But we must make the caution, we must make the warning that we don't approach this passage apart from what Paul says in verses 1 and 2. In other words, we are new men in Christ Jesus first and foremost because of Christ Jesus.
It is by virtue of the Gospel. It is by virtue of Jesus' saving work at Calvary. It is what He has done in His life, death, and resurrection. It is Him who has brought salvation to our souls.
He calls us out of darkness into marvelous light. He gives us life, blessing, forgiveness, salvation, righteousness, everything that we ever need for acceptance with God the Father. That's why Paul tells believers. That's why Paul reminds us in verses one and two.
If then you were raised with Christ, since this is a reality, since you've been saved by grace, since you've been justified according to his mercies and kindness. If this is true, then seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. So our relationships with one another, whether church or family or or in our business or in our workplace, are all affected to the degree of where our minds are focused.
We must be setting our minds on Jesus Christ. We want to be more holy, more consistent, more virtuous. According to the Scripture, it must first be our minds that are rooted in the truth of the living God Most High through His Son. Now, the warning also applies for any and all who are here that aren't believers.
If we work our way through this passage and you see certain things that Paul condemns, you know, you need to put off sexual sin. Probably not a revolutionary idea or a novel thought to anyone here that is in sexual sin. Probably your conscience bothers you. Your conscience haunts you.
There is that struggle within. You know what you're doing is wrong. It is incorrect. It is unrighteous.
Well, you know that because God has made you in His image and He has hardwired you to think in a particular way. When we read through this passage, we see certain things that Paul condemns in terms of the tongue. We're not to be mean to people. We're not to speak lies to people.
We're not to blaspheme. We're not to slander and gossip and do all those things that are ungodly and wicked. Probably you know that. You realize that.
And when Paul goes on the list, what we should be is men and women. We ought to be full of tender mercies. We ought to be kind. Would anybody argue against this list?
I mean, really, I mean, there's certain exceptions to every rule by and large, but for the most part, whether we personally express such virtues, we certainly like it when others express those virtues to us, don't we? I doubt you'll find any square inch on the face of the earth where you ask people, do you want people to treat you with tender mercies? Well, yeah, sure, I would like that. Do you want people to treat you with kindness?
Well, sure, I would love that. You want people to be humble towards you? Well, sure, I would love that. You want people to meet with you?
Yeah, I would love that. How about Lonesome? Oh, of course, I'd love that. We need to be careful, or you need to be careful, if you're not a believer in Jesus Christ this morning, from this sort of a mindset.
I just need to leave from here and do better. I just need to try harder. I need to quit looking at internet pornography. I need to quit lying to people.
I need to be a humble person. I need to be meek. I need to be more patient. You need to look to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
That's the flow of thought. Paul is not a moralist. He is not preaching morality for the sake of morality. He is preaching the effect of the gospel believed on.
You want to put off sin. And you want to put on righteousness. And you want to be a better husband. And you want to be a better wife.
And you want to be a better child. The path is through the blood of the cross. We mustn't ever forget that reality. Far too often as Christians we fall prey to a moralism.
I need to be better. You need to focus on Christ. You need to look to Jesus. As you're looking to Jesus, that's what God uses for conformity unto Jesus Christ.
Get your minds, get your thoughts, get your head where it belongs, and then the body should follow as believers. For unbelievers, the primary thing I want to tell you today is that God is a holy God. I don't think we focus on that very much. We saw something of that, or we looked at something of that in Leviticus 16 last Sunday night.
God is holy. You realize you don't just wander into the presence of God and say, hey, dude, or hey, guy, or hey, big fella. God's holy. He's righteous.
He's from everlasting to everlasting. The Scripture says His eye is too pure to approve of anything sinful. The Scripture says it is an act of condescension on the part of God to even look upon the earth. He's a holy God.
But the Scripture also declares that we're sinful men. We're wretched. We're polluted, we're defiled. Sin isn't just a little aspect of our being that we need to clean up.
Sin essentially is who we are. Sin is what we're about. Sin is what is man's problem. So you see, realizing God's holiness and man's sinfulness, there's some issues there, isn't there?
You've probably heard the name of the word, or the word gospel means good news. Well, it's good news in response to what we see as bad news. God's holiness, my sinfulness, I need good news to deliver me. And that good news focuses in upon, centers upon, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus.
The Bible says that when you believe in Him, you will have everlasting life. When you go to the blood, when you seek forgiveness in and through Him, when you seek a righteousness which is not your own, through Him, that's where life begins. So please, if you are not a believer in Christ today, Do not leave here saying, I've got to try harder, got to do more, got to stop looking at things, or I've got to stop speaking ill, or I've got to put on those things that Paul says are virtuous. If you're an unbeliever, my encouragement, my invitation, my word to you is to look unto Jesus Christ and live.
It's a beautiful thing. Jesus gives the illustration in John 3. He says, just as Moses lifted up the serpent into the wilderness, so must the Son of Man also be lifted up. You remember that incident?
Israel was sinning. I know. Hard to believe, isn't it? God sends fiery serpents to bite them.
What's the remedy? Certainly, I've got to suck the poison out of my bite. Certainly, I have to seek the physician that is able to heal me. Certainly, I have to go to the snakebite clinic in order to find remedy and relief.
God says, Moses, construct this serpent, raise it up in the wilderness, and those bitten who look will live. Not look and suck out the venom, not look and seek out the physician, not look and call poison control, but look and live. It's the message of the Gospel. It's what Christ says.
Just as the Son of Man, or just as Moses lifted up the serpent, so also must the Son of Man be lifted up. That everyone who looks will live. That's what you need to get out of this morning's message. For the believer, look at our corporate conduct.
Let's look at how we are to relate to one another within the church. And I say within the church because there's several identifiers here that show this. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body. We're to teach and admonish one another.
Now, you could do that at Superstore, you could do that at Walmart, but more than likely it happens in connection with church life. And then we are to sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Again, you can do that in Wal-Mart. The idea seems to be strong that what Paul is dealing with is a corporate ethic, a church ethic, conduct for believers in the life of God's people.
Just reading a biography on Charles Hodge, and it said that people who knew him would hear him singing hymns while he was in his study. There's times on Friday when I'm picking out the hymns, I do the same thing. I wonder if people walking by or if it was more so on that side. Boy, there's an odd duck in there.
Well, it's hard to pick out hymns and not sing those hymns. I mean, it's hard to open that hymn book and not sort of be drawn out to that. That's a realistic thing. People do that.
Believers do that. The emphasis in the passage seems to be on corporate life, church conduct, practice within the people of God. There's three elements that Paul highlights with reference to this ethic or this corporate conduct. First, is the peace of Christ.
Secondly, is the message of Christ. And thirdly, is the name of Christ. Those are the three elements that ought to be foremost in the lives of God's people.
The Peace of Christ
Notice first, peace. Verse 15, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body and be thankful. The peace of Christ is that peace which Christ Himself gives. Makes sense, doesn't it?
You see, this can only be fleshed out among God's people. Unbelievers don't know this peace of God. Unbelievers don't understand this peace of Christ. Unbelievers don't have it as the overarching theme in their heart of hearts.
And yet, Paul says this is to define you as the people of God. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Christ promised his disciples peace. Paul says within the context of the local church, peace is supposed to reign, peace is supposed to rule, peace is supposed to be the overarching theme in the lives of God's people.
Peace Grounded in Justification
We can connect this piece specifically to the doctrine of justification. Justification is that act of God wherein He pardons all of our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. Justification by faith alone answers the question I posed earlier. How does a sinful man stand or gain acceptance with a holy God?
It is through Christ. It is through forgiveness connected to him. It is through his righteousness alone that we have acceptance with God. Paul says in Romans 5.1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have this. This is something part and parcel to the community of God's people. You may not get this in the Elks Lodge. You may not get this among the moose.
You may not get this in the Lions Club. But this ought to be a defining characteristic within the context of Christ's people. And notice what he says here. It should rule in your hearts.
John Eady says, it was not merely to have existence. It's not simply supposed to be there. Well, I've been justified by faith, I have this peace, but it shouldn't really be operative in my heart or life in the way that I deal with people. No, it's supposed to rule.
There's times in every church, the best of churches under heaven are not perfect. Interesting thing, in Deuteronomy chapter 12, we'll refer to that later on in this morning's sermon. We studied that on Wednesday night. It's interesting, Moses is preparing the people of God for entry into Canaan.
You get into the land, dispossess the land, and the Canaanites destroy all vestiges of their religious worship. Get rid of every vestige of the name, every remnant of the name of their gods, because I'm going to put my name there, and I'm going to dwell there, is what God the Lord says. And interestingly, he says, when you get there, do not act. like you are doing now, where everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. See, Israel, at that point, at least in their history, seemed to be doing pretty well.
It was the wilderness generation that perished because of unbelief. They're poised on the plains of Moab, getting ready to enter into the promised land. They're right there. They can taste it.
Their mouths are watering when God, through Moses, is explaining how good the land is. Their spiritual mouth is watering when God says, I will dwell among you in that land. Moses says, when you get there, don't act like we are now. Everyone doing what is right in his own eyes.
That's specifically what he says. If you've read the Bible, you know that's what characterizes Israel in the Book of Judges. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Autonomy rather than theonomy.
Submission to God. Peace must rule. He says it was not merely to have existence, but it was to exercise supreme command.
Peace as Ruling Referee
The word itself, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, means to referee, to be an umpire, to call a decision, to decide between. Then in a figurative sense, to direct, to administer, to control. Again, there will arise in the life of God's people issues, difficulties, trials. We sit against each other.
What do we do? Do we forget the peace of God, which is supposed to be ruling in our hearts, and treat that brother with love, respect, and dignity? Or do we tear him down? Paul says, in the corporate context of your church life, peace must be the referee.
Chaos characterizes the old order. Chaos characterizes the old man. Christ's new order, Christ's new covenant is marked by peace ruling in the hearts of his people. It's not just to rule, but it's to flesh out or be fleshed out within the church.
This is what Paul says. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body. The church ought to be marked by peace, unity, joy, blessing. Paul says elsewhere in Ephesians 4, we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We're to endeavor. That might mean falling on our swords from time to time. It might mean being, you know, shortchanged on this side of heaven. You know, the ethic is certainly God first and then us.
That ethic is visible and obvious with reference to masters and servants. Notice, whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Verse 23, your workplace, serve God. You may not get the raise, you may not get the nod, you may not get the wall of fame, you may not get the certificates, but you serve God most high.
It's the same thing in the church. Serve God most high. You may have been right. You may be able to defeat that person.
You may be able to nail them to the wall. But is that going to promote peace, joy, unity? Peace is supposed to rule in the church. Peace is supposed to be common in the church.
Strife inevitably results. This is F.F. Bruce. when men and women are out of touch with Him who is the one source of true peace. This is the connection, you see.
If you see a church that is marked by chaos, marked by confusion, marked by an utter lack of peace, you might begin to conclude that what they need is an arbitration from other churches. What they need isn't the new book on peace written by the most best-selling author. They might need the gospel. You see, that is a natural outflow of the gospel, is that the peace of God will rule in our hearts.
Now, again, not perfectly. We have to fight, we have to strain, we have to labor. To use Paul's word, we have to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. We don't have to endeavor to create confusion.
We don't have to endeavor to create chaos. We don't have to try and create sin. Those things are pretty natural. You don't have to endeavor to teach your child the word no.
That's just natural. And not, do you want this sugary treat? No. Do you want to do what mommy and daddy says?
No! That's the no. We don't have to inculcate. We don't have to create division.
We don't have to create strife. We don't have to labor in the church to produce those vices because they are native to the heart of man. What we actually have to endeavor after is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That's what takes work.
That's what takes prayer. That's what takes close connection to Christ and His cross. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Strife inevitably results when men and women are out of touch with Him who is the one source of true peace.
But there is no reason why those who have received the peace of Christ, established by His death on the cross, should have any other than peaceful relations among themselves. I love that statement. Let me just read it again. There is no reason why those who have received the peace which Christ established by his death on the cross should have any other than peaceful relations among themselves.
It's like that forgiveness thing that Paul's already dealt with. You're to forgive, right, when someone sins against you. As Christ forgave you. If you've been forgiven by Christ, you're going to forgive others.
It's a no-brainer, isn't it? Well, if having been justified by faith, we have peace with Christ, there really isn't a reason why we can't have peace with someone else. See, this is the logic of the section. Whether you're in your church, whether you're in your home, whether you're in your workplace, whether you're in the world, you are vitally connected to the Lord Jesus Christ.
These things are true of you. Therefore, flesh them out in your daily lives, wherever you find yourself as a new man or woman in Christ Jesus. So not only let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body.
Thankfulness Accompanying Peace
Notice, he says, and be thankful. This is the thankfulness that accompanies peace. This is a recurring theme in this particular epistle. This idea of thankfulness.
You know, it's hard to grumble and whine and complain when you're thanking God. Isn't it? I mean, we can still do it. I'm not saying it's not impossible.
But it's hard to grumble, whine, murmur and complain when we're thankful to God for his manifold mercies. Thank you, Lord, that you've not dealt with me as my sins deserve. Thank you, Lord, that I'm not in a Christless existence. Thank you, Lord, that I'm not in the lake of fire.
Thank you, Lord, that I'm justified freely by your grace. Thank you, Lord, that I have this peace of God, which should rule in my heart. You see, thankfulness goes hand in hand with this peace of Jesus Christ. Douglas Moose says believers who are full of gratitude to God for his gracious calling will find it easier to extend to fellow believers, the grace of love and forgiveness, and to put aside petty issues that might inhibit the expression of peace in the community.
That's beautiful. When you pray for Free Grace Baptist Church, pray that Colossians three would be true of us. I'm not up here to, you know, oh, I'm trying to attack some deals this morning. Recently, reflecting on the blessing of God, there is a good degree of peace and unity and joy here, for which I am thankful.
I surveyed this particular group of people. There's nowhere else I want to be. I mean, I want to be in heaven, but I think every Christian wants to be in heaven, right? It's a good group.
We have to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We don't assume it. We don't take it for granted. We are thankful to the Lord God Most High, and we pursue it.
Because it's beautiful, and it provides a context wherein God, the Lord of Peace, will dwell with His community.
The Word of Christ
Notice, not only the peace of Christ, but what characterizes our corporate conduct is the message of Christ. Verse 16. 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. It's a great description of the church at worship, isn't it?
It's a great description of what we ought to be about. The Word of Christ must dwell richly in our hearts. The New King James seems to indicate that it's through the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that we are instructing one another. That gains merit from Ephesians chapter 5.
But in this context, I believe they're two separate things. The idea here is that the Word of Christ dwells in us richly, and in turn we are a blessing to those around us. And then that expression in corporate worship, it comes out in the psalms, it comes out in the hymns, it comes out in the spiritual songs. So the idea here is that the church at worship is a peaceful body, which argues something of order within the congregation.
Certain elements are highlighted here in terms of worship.
Dwelling Richly in Scripture
The Word of Christ must dwell in us richly. Yes, read your Bible on a daily basis. I'm not going to make that the law because the Bible doesn't say read me on a daily basis. I think the thrust and the weight of scripture teaches us that we are to read.
We are to take in the word of God. I'm going to tell you five minutes or 15 minutes or 25 minutes or 35 minutes or 15 chapters or one chapter or the McShane count. No, but read your Bible. I hope with a group of new men and new women in Christ, I don't have to spend a lot of time convincing you that you should read your Bible, especially in a Reformed church.
That's like, eat my food? What are you, crazy? Of course you eat your food. Of course you live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Of course you ingest it. Of course you intake it. Of course you delight in it. Of course you're the man of Psalm 1.
Of course you're the man of Psalm 119. You let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Corporately also. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Don't relegate preaching to the 17th century. Don't neglect the reading of Scripture. Don't neglect exhortation. Do not despise the proclamation of God's holy word.
That is the primary means whereby the church is disciplined, whereby the church is fed and instructed and helped. And notice, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Be gluttons. Have you ever gone to a buffet, and you're cheap like me, so you tell your kids, eat as much as you can.
I don't want you going in there and getting a fish stick and then leaving. Some of your sons, as they're growing up, you develop this idea, why have salad? That's just a buffer. Lettuce is the meat.
Don't skimp. Don't be chintzy. Don't refuse. Glut yourselves in the Word of God.
Do you know what is most helpful for your Christian maturation, for your stability, for your hope, for your life, for your well-being? It's God's Word. I had cause to tell a young man recently, it is the Scriptures that will fortify you over the long haul. You have to believe that.
You have to understand that. You have to appropriate that. Scriptures aren't like any other book. It's not like, you know, there's 66 chapters.
For this question, peel open to this page. No, read the whole. Learn of God. Learn the theology.
Learn that He's center. Learn that He's the focus. Learn that He's most important. Learn that God is everything.
That comes through the Scriptures. You read those Old Testament narratives. You read the Book of Judges. You read Samuel.
You read Joshua. You read the Kings. You read the Chronicles. You read the Prophets.
You read the Psalms. You read the Wisdom literature. You read the Proverbs. You read the New Testament.
Who's the star of the show? It's not us. We need to be reoriented. We need our minds transformed, because we far too often think far too highly of ourselves.
And the Bible brings us to say, I repent. I repent. I spoke without knowledge, God. Search the Scriptures.
Let the Word of God, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Don't be bent on the oddities. Be well balanced. Be wise in your approach to the scriptures.
If you're searching the scriptures each and every day to figure out if Barack Obama is the Antichrist, you need a different Herman Newdick. If you'd like my opinion afterward, you may ask. We'll search our Bibles for all kinds of things, won't we? Won't we?
You ever seen the book, UFOs and the Bible? I bet the devil loves it every time somebody buys a Bible to look for UFOs. Look for Jesus in the Bible. Jesus said, you, search the Scriptures.
These are they which testify of me. If you knew Moses, You would know me because Moses wrote about me. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Why? So that you may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
This isn't a 17th century puritanical, patristic, reformed emphasis. It is Bible. The scriptures are central. The scriptures are normative.
The scriptures are foundational for the church. Let it dwell in you richly each and every day as you search it. Let it dwell in you richly when you come to church. May the preaching of the Word of God be central.
May you not have a Romish altar of abominable mass, but may the pulpit be central so that we hear from God. That's what Paul is saying. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. Doesn't necessarily mean in some formalized setting.
It could be after a sermon. It could be when you meet with each other. And it's, wow, I read something that was really encouraging. Oftentimes people will go, man, that was encouraging.
You ask a brother, you ask a sister, what's the Lord been teaching you? You know, I saw this in my Bible and that was really helpful. Oh, that is helpful. Thank you.
You see, the Word of God, the Word of Christ dwelling in our midst richly with all wisdom, setting forth the beauty, the glory, the majesty, the excellency of Jesus Christ.
Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
And then within the context of the church, what are we going to be doing? We're going to be singing. We're going to be praising psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. You know, there's a temptation to de-emphasize the place of singing in the church.
There is the temptation to relegate singing as sort of the workup to the main thing, which is the preaching. But there's also the temptation to overemphasize singing, to work ourselves up into some sort of an experience wherein we're receptive to God. We need to guard against both extremes. We need to see the emphasis laid upon this exercise by Christ Himself.
We are to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The Church of Christ must be marked by doctrinally sound hymns, doctrinally sound psalms, which of course they are. We must be marked by singing that is God-glorifying, that is God-exalting, that is God-praising. Again, in our hymnody, we're not first.
There are some hymns, are we singing them to God or are we singing them to ourselves? It's all about me. In the church, we sing unto Him. Just a word about the Psalms.
Raymond says something very interesting. He's a hymn singer as well. But he says, it will also include, commenting on singing in worship, the much neglected singing of psalms, which express the full range of human emotions in worship. I dare say you don't find many hymns, even in our Trinity hymnal, that are as honest as the Psalter.
And by honest, I don't mean those guys were lying. What do you find in this altar? The psalmist says, I'm a mess. The psalmist says, why are you downcast, O my soul?
Not many hymns, and certainly not many of the choruses that are in use today, are that candid Christian experience. For the most part, even the songs of lament end on a high note. Is that Psalm 88? Talk about a depressing psalm.
Thankfully, it's followed by Psalm 89, the covenant psalm. It speaks of our Redeemer. It speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalms singing in the church.
He says the biblical psalms are realistic in a way that many hymns are not and choruses can hardly ever be. They also contrast the righteous and the wicked, highlight the conflict between them, and thereby encourage a bold, militant spirituality such as the Huguenot and Puritan forefathers knew and lived by. There's something about it when you read of our Huguenot brothers marching, of the Scottish Covenant marching into battle, singing Psalm 68. That thrills the militant church.
God is with His people. God is there, he's present. Gordon Clark, another man who sang hymns in the church, says this. Singing hymns does not imply that the cheap, catchy ditties of some modern evangelism, if it is evangelism at all, are superior to the Psalms of David.
And a hymn book without a good proportion of Psalms is not fit for a church service. There's a robustness. There is a militancy, and by militancy I don't mean Islamic militancy, where we get guns and shoot people and cut people's heads off. But that spiritual militancy of what Paul wrote, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they're mighty for the pulling down of strongholds.
We sing these psalms, we sing these praises to our God who hears and He answers the cries of His elect. You get that in the Psalter.
The Name of Christ
So we've got the peace of Christ, the word of Christ, and he ends with the name of Christ. Again, interesting, brethren, for those who were here on Wednesday night, what was God's emphasis when you get into Canaan? Delete the names of the gods of Canaan, because I'm going to put my name there. The name indicates the presence and the power of God Most High Himself.
This is what we have in the church. It is a dominical institution. It is instituted by Christ the Lord, the head of the new covenant, the surety of a better covenant. Paul says, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Acting in Concert with Christ's Character
Whatever you do in word or deed. Whether it's putting to death the sins of the flesh, putting to death the sins of the tongue, putting on these virtues, living in relationship with others, conducting yourself in the house of God, in the corporate context of His life, whatever it is that you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Moose says, to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, then, does not mean simply to utter Jesus' name. You sort of tack on Jesus name, in Jesus name, in Jesus name.
Wait a minute. Stop for a moment. What are we saying when we say in Jesus name? Is it our hocus pocus?
Is it our magic? Is it our attendant blessing? The thing that we just used to Christianize something? Moose says to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, that does not mean simply to utter Jesus name, but to act always in concert with the nature and character of our Lord.
We see that the name of God, various names expressive of who God is, teach us facets concerning Him. The name indicates something of who He is. And so when we do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, it is consistent with who He is. So that when you're called to be forbearing to a brother, you do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Like he does when you're called to be forgiving to a brother or sister, you do it in the name of Jesus. Like he does when you are called to let the peace of God rule in your heart, you do it like Jesus. You see the flow, the emphasis, the thing that Paul is emphasizing here, and he ends with thankfulness again. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gratitude as Grace Acknowledged
Thankfulness is a pattern. Thankfulness in the Christian life is important. It is a constant recognition of the grace-based nature of Christianity. See, whenever we're thanking God for our salvation, we are exclaiming, I didn't save myself.
Whenever we're thanking God for the virtues that are operative in our life, we are claiming, I didn't put him there. Whenever we thank God for something good, we are exclusively attributing to Him That goodness is very important. Thankfulness or gratitude in the Christian life is a recognition of the grace-based nature of the entire scheme. If you are unthankful or thank less, repent.
Brethren, I hope you see, at least up to this point, a well-rounded man of God. Watson has a book, or is it Brooks, one of those Puritan brothers, probably Watson. The Godly Man's Picture. It's published as a Puritan paperback by Banner of Truth.
That's right, Watson? Is that right? And I love the subtitle Banner puts on there. Drawn with a Scripture Pencil.
The godly man's picture drawn with a scripture pencil. Maybe that was actually Watson himself. That's what we have in chapter 3 of Colossians. The godly man's picture drawn with a scripture pencil.
You say you're in Christ. This is what you should look like. You say you're in Christ. You should be true of you.
Again, not perfectly. Get that out of your head. Do not think Jim Butler preaches Christian perfection because he doesn't. The best of Christians have a multitude of issues.
And they'll be the first to admit it. I remember as a young man, not that I'm old now, but younger than I am now, it's kind of weird. You know, this section here, you know, just to be biblically honest and realize that Paul is dealing with real life sin here, specifically in these sins of the flesh that do present temptation. Real issues in the lives of men and women.
It's not just confined to men. You know, as a younger man, realizing or thinking about this one time or thinking, you know, do older brothers struggle with this? I had coffee with two dear brothers, Peter Tuckroad and Don Hills. Retired Baptist pastors.
I'm sitting there having coffee. These guys in their 80s. And one of them mentioned, maybe 70s at that time. One of them, I'm looking at Don and Joanne because they know them very intimately, these two men.
Don is now with the Lord. I remember talking with these men and one of them said, oh yeah, I heard of, I don't know how this came up, but Gandhi reportedly could lay in a bed between two women. and maintain faithfulness and fidelity. And one of the two, I'm not sure which, probably both agreed, oh, he's a stronger man than I. Now, I don't think they were actually admitting that if given the opportunity, they would do something sinful.
I think what they were recognizing is something what the disciples recognized when Jesus says, one of you at this table is going to betray me. What did the disciples say? Is it I? You see, the longer you're in Christ, the more you realize you need Christ.
The longer you know the Gospel, the more you appreciate the Gospel. The longer you've bathed in the blood, the more you realize how necessary the blood is. You see, for the new believer, it's there, it's blessed, there's a zeal. You take a brother, a sister, Who's labored, who's persevered, who's walked for 30, 40, 50, 60 years.
You know what their statement is? It's nothing but the blood of Jesus. That's Christianity. It's about Christ.
It's about the cross. Paul sets forth the picture of a godly man drawn with a scripture pencil in Colossians chapter three. Pray to God Almighty that we would pursue these things as individuals and as a church. I don't know if any of you that were here on Wednesday night felt a little bit of fear working through Deuteronomy 12.
I think that's a legitimate feeling, a legitimate response. God says, go into the land and destroy every remnant of pagan worship, lest, lest You take those elements and you come to me in like manner. You're not to worship like the pagans. You're not to be Baal worshippers.
You're not to work yourselves up into a frenzy. Brethren, that approach to God smacks of sight. See, we walk by faith, not by sight. We believe God is present when we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Whether we're flooded with the feelings or not, we believe that when we enter into that secret place, our Father who sees in secret will hear us. You see, to be grounded upon and founded upon by every wave of every experience and every emotion. I'm not saying experience and emotion is always wrong and it's always bad. But to obey is better.
Sacrifice. Do what the Lord calls us to. Worship, at least as we see it in the New Covenant, is quite simple. It's quite basic.
What are the primary elements involved here in Colossians chapter 3? Word, prayer, song, and the Trinity. Can't miss the Trinity in the passage. Christian worship is specifically and conspicuously Trinitarian.
We link Colossians 3 next to Ephesians 5. We see that the Spirit is active in the hearts of people when they're singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord. When they engage in singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs, it is wrought by the Spirit in them. And then we come to the father through the mediation of the son, according to Colossians 3 17, such that if there is a non Trinitarian who's able to participate in Christian worship, there's a problem.
We come to the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing our psalms, bringing our hymns, bringing our spiritual songs, letting the Word of Christ dwell in our hearts richly in all wisdom to the praise and to the glory and to the honor of His great name. New Covenant worship is beautiful in its simplicity. It is beautiful in its spirituality. It is beautiful in its expression of faith.
Application
Well, there's our godly man's picture. I do want to end with a reminder for those who aren't godly men. The path to godliness, the way to holiness is not by your works, not by your moral reform, not by you trying a bit better or doing a lot less or doing a lot more, but coming to Him in whom alone there is forgiveness. coming to Him in whom alone there is everlasting life. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." That is the blessing of the Christian gospel.
Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for this portrait, this picture of a godly man drawn with a scripture pencil. We just pray, Father in Heaven, that these things would be true of us, that the peace of God would rule in our hearts, that it wouldn't be just a distant spectator, that that peace would overarch, would govern, would function in our hearts in such a way that it affects the way we treat others in this body. We pray also, Father, that the Word would dwell richly in our hearts, that we would love the Scriptures, that we would study the Scriptures, that we would avail ourselves of of the preached Word and of those times when we get to gather in and admonish one another and teach one another. And Father, may we indeed truly glorify the name of Jesus.
May He be all in all in our local church. May He be all in all in our hearts. And may He be glorified through the Free Grace Baptist Church. And we ask these blessings in His most holy name.
Amen.