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one for our call to worship this evening you can turn to Isaiah the prophet chapter 65 Isaiah chapter 65 will read verses 17 to 25 for behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered to come to mind but be glad and rejoice forever and what I create for behold I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing and her people a joy I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her nor the voice of crying no more show an infant from there live but a few days nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days for the child shall die 100 years old but the sinner being 100 years old shall be accursed they shall build houses and inhabit them they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit they shall not build and nut and another inhabit they shall not plant in another eat for as the days of a tree so shall be the days of my people and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall not labor in vain nor bring forth children for trouble for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the lord and their offspring with them it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are still speaking I will hear the wolf and the lamb shall feed together the lion shall eat straw like the Ox and dust shall be the Serpent's food they shall not hurt nor destroy and all my holy mountain says the Lord amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to number 667 him number 667 will stand as we sing together well let us pray a blessed God and Holy Father we gather again on the Sabbath day to give glory and praise and honor unto you we would ask tonight that she would be the focus and our minds and in our hearts we asked tonight that you would be exalted and enthroned upon the praises of your people here and we ask Lord God most high to that end that you would send forth your Holy Spirit that he would guide us that he would help us that he would indeed grant us the grace to access the Father through the Sun so that God may indeed be all in all in this place we ask most high that you would be pleased to look with favor upon this church we ask that you would look with favor upon each and every one of us and encourage our hearts and strengthen us with might and the inner man and cause us to be more and more conformed unto the image of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we ask that you would forgive us now for our transgression and for our sin we know that you have saved us God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and you've called us to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight and we ask that you would forgive us that we fall short we ask that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you that through the gospel there is published a free and in a full salvation and a forgiveness of sins Lord God we pray that as you do this for your glory sake it would be indeed promotion to us to approach you in a manner that is consistent with Holy Scripture may we be mindful of who you are may we be mindful of what we are before you and may we indeed praise and honor your great an awesome name we ask that you would look with favor as well upon each and every one in this church in terms of our our daily spiritual walk you would indeed conform us more and more unto the image of your beloved son help us to resist temptation help us to put to death the deeds of the body by your spirit and help us in doing so to bring glory to you as well god give us grace and opportunity and and the ability to share the truth with others and who with whom we come into contact may we have a boldness and a courage to direct and point others to the Lord Jesus Christ for so great a salvation we ask that you would be merciful in this city and that you would be pleased to use the various churches those who preach the truth as a place or as places where sinners would go to hear the truth of the Christian message and by your grace may they be saved may they be called out of darkness and marvelous light so they would proclaim your Excellencies in your praises we ask that for the entirety of this nation we know Lord God we live in a day and age when men call good evil and evil good we know that ultimately politics and and enforcement and things of that nature will not change the hearts of men so we pray for an outpouring of your Holy Spirit we pray for bold proclamation of gospel truth and we pray that word of God would run swiftly and be glorified that you would be pleased to save a great multitude in this nation that you would turn us from our wickedness and our waywardness and Lord God that things that we see often perpetuated in this society would cease and that men would indeed fear and glorify and honor the living in the true God we pray for the missionary enterprise we thank you that the gospel is going forth in other nations and we pray for those dear brethren in the Far East that we know and love and esteem we pray that you look with favor upon each of these families each of these men that are tasked with preaching and teaching the truth we pray that you would just prosper them and give them safe travel as they go to various provinces in various places and may they know the nearness of God as they're good we pray for the Beardmore family and we thank you for the recent arrival in Australia we pray that all the things necessary would fall into place so that this brother could be about the work of making disciples and planting a church and we pray that they would know your goodness in this endeavor and that you would raise up a gospel witness in that city and that you would indeed save a great multitude there we also pray our Father for the persecuted Church we know that so many in this world do not have the liberties that we enjoy and we would pray to you for them Lord God we know many are in prison many have been dispossessed from homes and businesses and many suffer and are persecuted to even to death and we would just ask God in heaven that you would turn the hearts of persecutors unto the Lord God most high and in these nations that are steeped in false religion we pray the gospel would go forth and that you would turn men from the worship of their useless idols to the true and the Living God and that in this you would receive glory and praise and honor we ask that you would bless brethren with whom we are familiar and acquainted with that are going through physical trials we pray for pastor Jim Dundas we thank you for the surgery that went well in his heart and we pray that he would recover and that she would just bless this dear man and return him too gospel ministry we also pray for Ron Baines and for his wife as they've relocated to texas and we pray that the treatment he receives would be blessed of God and and that it would be a help to him in his current physical state and closer to home God we pray for the ditto family we know that the little JL is in the hands of a gracious and a good God and we pray that all things would indeed be done for your glory and for her well-being we thank you for Joe and Carolyn and we pray that you would just continue to grant them peace and comfort and strength and may they know Lord God that you are sovereign over all these things that you are in every detail in our lives and we pray that they would have great comfort and great piece at the thought of this reality may the peace of Christ truly be surpassing in their own hearts and in their own lives and may they be still and know that you are God and Lord just continue with us now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can take your truss Trinity Salter and turn to Psalm 63 Psalm 63 a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness will stand and will sing together you we can turn in your Bibles to the prophet Ezekiel for our scripture reading this evening Ezekiel chapter 15 it's a short chapter so we'll move into chapter 16 will read through 16 14 zekiel 15 beginning in verse 1 then the word of the Lord came to me saying son of man how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest is wood taken from it to make any object or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on instead it is thrown into the fire for fuel the fire devours both ends of it and it's middle is burned is it useful for any work indeed when it was whole no object could be made from it how much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it and it is burned therefore thus says the Lord God like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel so i will give up the inhabitants of jerusalem and i will set my face against them they will go out from one fire but another fire shall devour them then you shall know that i am the lord when i set my face against them thus i will make the land desolate because they have persisted in unfaithfulness says the Lord God again the word of the Lord came to me saying son of man caused Jerusalem to know her abominations and say thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite as for your nativity on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut nor were you washed in water to cleanse you you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths no I pitied you to do any of those things these things for you to have compassion on you but you were thrown out into the open field when you yourself were load on the day you were born and when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood I said to you and your blood live yes I said to you in your blood live I made you thrive like a plant in the field and you grew matured and became very beautiful your breasts were formed your hair grew but you were naked and bare when I passed by you again and looked upon you indeed your time was the time of love so I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness yes I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you and you became mine says the Lord God then I washed you in water yes I thoroughly washed off your blood and i anointed you with oil I clothed you an embroidered cloth and gave you sandals a badger skin I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk I adorned you with ornaments put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck and I put a jewel in your nose earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head thus you were adorned with gold and silver and your clothing was of fine linen silk and embroidered cloth you hate pastry of fine flour honey and oil you were exceedingly beautiful and succeeded to royalty your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty for it was perfect through my splendor which I had bestowed on you says the Lord God amen well this continuing section are in this section the Lord God through the Prophet continues to show the reasons why Israel is coming under the judgment of God it is because they violated the Covenant Deuteronomy 28 was very specific very clear very plain that those who do not obey the terms that God had entered into with them they would reap the curses of the Covenant promised by the Lord Himself and in this instance or in this section as I said God is reminding the people through Ezekiel as to the reasons why that Babylon is going to come and destroy Israel the Jerusalem specifically and her temple and then chapter 16 is a lengthy chapter and this is foundational what we read indicates or highlights or underscores the sovereignty of and his choice of Israel God didn't come to Israel because Israel was good God didn't pick Israel because she was more numerous or because she was righteous no God says when I saw you you were lying there in your blood when I saw you I saw you and your depravity you and your filth all those sorts of things and God says I lifted you up i cleansed you I adorned you I washed you I made you what you are and I think in many respects that exacerbates or provides the context for all that follows in chapter 16 the Lord doesn't stop he that illustrates or highlights or traces their history and how they had defected from him they had played the harlot they had left the living in the true God and gone after after the gods and Canaan and they bowed and worship those idols instead of the true God so verses 1 to 14 in chapter 16 serve as a way to illustrate God's grace God's kindness God's mercy and it really does demonstrate just how heinous and vile the rebellion of Israel was to her God will let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God we thank you for the grace of God we know likewise you didn't choose us because of anything good in us you chose us from before the foundation of the world according to your sovereign pleasure according to your gracious design and Lord God we rejoice in this and we would pray that you would help us to reflect upon these truths and help these things be an encouragement to us to pursue holiness and righteousness and those things that you call us unto and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well for our final him you can turn in your Trinity hymnals again to 587 587 will stand as we sing together you we could turn in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3 the Lord willing we will get to the Epistle of James in the next couple of weeks but tonight Colossians 3 verses 12 to 14 the character of the new man I read at the outset the prophet Isaiah chapter 65 he spoke concerning the new creation the new heavens and the new earth well we await the fullness in the fruition of that but in many respects that has broken into this age we are new creations part of a new creation because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and Paul recognizes that Paul highlights that and Paul therefore tells us we are to live consistently with that in other words were saved by grace through faith in Christ in order to live in a particular way and this is the thrust of Colossians 3 i'll begin reading in verse 1 if then you were raised with Christ 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 for you died then your life is hidden with Christ in God when Christ who is our life appears then you also will appear with them and glory therefore put to death your members which are on the earth fornication uncleanness passion evil desire and covetousness which is idolatry because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them but now you yourselves are to put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy language out of your mouth do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds and if put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcised nor uncircumcised barbarian Scythian slave nor free but Christ is all and in all 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 husband's as is fitting in the Lord husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them children obey your parents and all things for this is well pleasing to the Lord fathers do not provoke your children less they become discouraged bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with I services men pleasers but in sincerity of heart fearing God 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 will let us pray father again we pray to you the great and holy and awesome God and we pray for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit that he would guide us and lead us and direct us now into all truth she would fill our minds and our hearts with these things and as new man in Christ Jesus may we pursue these virtues that are indicated here not because we think that by doing so we will be saved but because you and your free grace have saved us may we indeed then pursue these things for your glory and for your honor and for the well-being of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ forgive us again for our sins as we read lists like these as we read of devices condemn we see our own selves here at least in some point we see the virtues commended we see our lap and so we confess our iniquity in our transgression to you now asking for cleansing in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and it's in his Most Blessed name that we pray amen well as i said the Apostle here wants the people of God and I'll speak of new men and I don't mean to exclude ladies i'm using it inclusively used to be you didn't have to qualify that when you said man it referred to man and woman and that's why am intending it here notice that he says specifically in verse 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed and knowledge according to the image of him who created him Paul wants the new man to live as a new man Paul wants us to be putting off vice he indicates that vs. 5 to 11 the various sorts of sins that ought not to characterize the people of God are indicated in verses 5 to 11 he wants us to put on virtue he wants us to pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of God that's verses 12 to 17 as well he wants us to be subject to one another indicates various relationships and how we ought to function with one another in the family and in the workplace and then he calls the people of God us by extension in chapter 4 verses two to six to watch and to pray so these are the ethics of the new man and I want to look at the character of the new man under two considerations this evening first his identity and secondly his character as I said we're just going to focus on versus 12 to 14 this evening note in the first place his identity verse 12 a therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved Paul is not a moralist Paul is not simply publishing rules on how to live or how to be a certain type of person morality is not necessarily evil but moralism is because it does be cloud or it does fog up what the gospel is all about the gospel answers to men who are immoral the gospel answers to men who are sinful the gospel answers to men who have made a mess of their lives it's not a prescription do this and live rather it is a statement of good news concerning the reality that Christ has done this therefore look to him and wave and we need to understand Paul isn't simply preaching morals this is in a larger context these are the people of God who have ribbit been redeemed by the grace of God and Paul highlights something very intriguing here in verse 12 therefore as the elect of God the doctrine of election is foundational to our being new men and new women in Christ Jesus the doctrine of election does not find us in Christ but rather according to Gil and I think he's right the doctrine of election puts us in Christ as John ed says election is not determined by character but determines it I want you to see this flow of thought Paul is not saying put off this vice put on this virtue and as a result God will elect you under salvation isn't that symptomatic or characteristic of every other religion out there besides of course the religion of free grace man says I must put off I must put on and perhaps God the Lord will reward me perhaps if I've done enough good to cancel out my bad then the Lord will be gracious to me and allow me into his kingdom Paul does not operate in that contact paul says as the elect of God because the Lord has been merciful because the father has been gracious to you because your sins have been covered in the blood the Lord Jesus Christ because of this indicative now I want you to pursue these imperatives because of what Christ has accomplished you are therefore to live in a particular manner the doctrine of election does not find us in Christ but it puts us in Christ this is brought out by Paul in Ephesians 1 very clearly in chapter 1 verse 4 you can turn there after highlighting the theme of his of this particular chapter verse 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ that's verse 3 and now he outlines each of the persons of the triune God and what they had accomplished in terms of our Redemption he praises the father for predestination and election he praises the father for sending the Son in whom we have redemption through his blood he praises the father for the work in the Ministry of the Holy Spirit who has sealed us and who has guaranteed our final inheritance because of what Christ accomplished on the cross note specifically in verse 4 he says just as he god the father chose us in him God the Son the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him notice he does not choose us because we were holy and without blame he chooses us in order that we may become holy and without blame do you see that conspicuous order you can give me a little nod if you're following along because I don't want you to think i'm preaching moralism tonight don't do this go ahead and do that and everything will be hunky-dory if you are not joined to the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith if you don't have that vital union that live in communion with our Lord of glory there's no way you're going to put off virtue there's no way you're going to put off vice and put on virtue this is characteristic of the new man because he has been elected by God from before the foundation of the world that he might be redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ back to Colossians chapter 3 note what all goes on to say he identifies them as the elect of God holy and beloved again because they were holy and beloved were they elected but they were elected on to holiness and beloved nests both terms are all three terms alack holy and beloved were applied to Israel of old she was to be a kingdom of priests among the nations of the earth to mediate the blessings of God to those around them Christ is identified as the elect as the holy as the beloved and so we see the church is continuous with that the people of God as new man in Christ Jesus the people of God who make up this new creation are singled out here for specific conduct in light of what the Lord God has accomplished in their life just a couple of other passages again so we can see the conspicuous pneus in the mind of Paul he's not saying do this in order to be saved is saying do this because you have been saved notice in Colossians chapter 1 Paul tells the people of God why they ought to be thankful to God notice in Colossians 1 12 giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints and the light we don't give thanks to ourselves because we chose to be in Christ we don't pat ourselves on the back because we're believers we don't congratulate one another because we've decided to follow Jesus no we give thanks to God because God has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints and the light notice verse 13 he God the Father has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us or transferred us or translated us into the kingdom of the son of his love you see the sovereignty and the majesty and the power of God has held out we are not in the kingdom of the son of his love owing or due to anything in us we didn't come forward at a Billy Graham crusade we didn't raise our hand when every I was closed and every head was bowed rather the Lord God most high because of the doctrine of election in which at the foundation of the world he said his affection he set his love upon a great multitude that no man can God sends the spirit through the preaching of the gospel and by grace we believe that word we repent from our sin and what does the lord god tell us is happening he has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of his love he flushes this out more detail in verse 14 to show us how the power how the redemptive activities bound up in our Lord Jesus in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins our Redemption didn't come because of a payment we paid the redemption came because of a payment that Christ may namely his own blood notice in Colossians 121 and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works you see there's no way that we were elected because we were wholly there's no way that we were elected because we were blameless there's no way we put ourselves in Christ as a result of our good works Colossians 121 blasts that if it still remains in our minds our hearts Paul describes what man is apart from God's grace Paul describes here you if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ Paul describes all men everywhere in Adam all die he says in first Corinthians 15 and here he gives some vivid description to what that means and you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works that's man apart from God's grace we are God's enemies he looks upon us that way Romans 5 but God is our enemy do you think violating the law of God means that you are on friendly terms with him when you break the first table of the law by having other gods before him by being an idolatrous femur by being a Sabbath breaker could you actually believe that you're on friendly terms with God no you treat them and count them as your enemy when you go to the second table of the law and God ordained or God commands how we are to relate one another when children disobey their parents when persons disobey lawful authority when we murder might not be cutting someone's throat but it might be hatred in our hearts toward another person when we engage in adultery whether it's the actual physical act or as Jesus teaches us in Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount if we look upon a woman or a man to lust we have broken the commandment in our heart what about theft what about a lion what about covetousness we cannot conceivably think that as we violate every one of God's commandments that were somehow unfriendly terms so yes the father looks down upon sinners and sees them as enemies but sinners look upon God most high and they see him as Anna as an enemy they raised the fist of rebellion to him while their trouncing and trampling upon that holy law so poll indicates that Paul highlights that Paul is underscoring the reality that you're not in the state of grace because you're good guys and girls you're in the state of grace because God is gracious notice and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight the conspicuous order again it's not because you were blameless it's not because you are above reproach it's not because you were without spot but rather this redemptive work initiated by God before the foundation of the world executed by Christ at the cross and applied by the spirit is the reason why you are a new man notice in Colossians 2 verses 11 to 15 in him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptism in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead and you here's that description again of what we her before this state of grace being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh do you think a man goes from the place of being dead in his trespasses to holy and beloved do you think a man and his own strength moves himself to put off vice and to pursue virtue in his own flesh Paul tells us that we were dead Paul doesn't say you were crippled you were land you were maimed you were a little bit hindered Paul describes it in very powerful detail he says in you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh note where the power lies he has made alive together with him having forgiven you all trespasses having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross having disarmed principalities and powers he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it let's just stop for a moment and consider where we've been you're dead in your trespasses and sins tonight I have good news for you there is a God in heaven who has absolute power and authority who can raise you from the dead the gospel call to you is to believe on the Lord Jesus it is to look away from your own works it is to look away from your own pursuit it is rather to cast the eye of faith upon the risen Christ who sits enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high and this is where life begins and having done that by grace Paul now instructs the people of God in chapter 3 and even then he doesn't want us to look away from Jesus that's what the emphasis in chapter 3 at the very beginning notice in verse 1 if then you were raised with Christ 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 while you are putting our Vice new man while you're pursuing verge new man you're not supposed to do it without a constant look unto Jesus Christ sanctification is not Christ less sanctification is full of faith in Christ and that is absolutely requisite to all that follows in this particular chapter you put off sexual sin yes by moving the computer by turning off the TV by throwing out the computer certainly those are means that you ought to apply if you've got a problem with porn but you're looking unto Christ and faith you got a problem with the anger you lose your temper you're driving around chilliwack with your fist raised and your finger protruding because of everybody who goes a little bit slower than you think they ought yes you need to guard your heart you need to guard your mind listen to some soothing music maybe that might be an external means to help calm the Beast Within but look to Christ what are we told in Romans 8 13 if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live I think this is where many Christians falter and fail because they try to do it their own strength didn't Jesus teach the disciples in the vin jaune 15 that apart from him we can do nothing I mean the the branches draw strength from the branch himself and we need to understand that so Paul directs the people of God to consider Jesus and now he tells them how they ought to live so the identity they are identified as the elect of God holy and beloved this is their position in Christ because of God's sovereign grace now notice character in 12b 214 the first place we ought to observe his personal character what ought a new man look like and again ladies this isn't only for men it's you too when I say new man it means new man new woman the first place he is to put on tender mercies look at what Paul says they're there for as the elect of God holy and beloved put on tender mercies it's the same verb that we see in verse 10 and have put on the new man so new man by God's grace has been put on we have been saved according to God's election we have been brought out of darkness into marvelous light so that we may be holy so that we may be blameless and Paul now gives us concrete illustration and practical application on how we are to pursue this and the first place he begins with tender mercies bowels or a heart of compassion if you remember the reading from this morning would really love to give a quiz right now and say what was the scripture reading this morning some of you go in Matthew 9 you're right Matthew 936 Jesus was characterized with this disposition he looked upon the multitudes and he what he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep having no Shepherd this is the same word this is the same idea it is bowels of compassion it is tender mercy it is dealing with persons in a manner that you want them to deal with you all of this ought to be bathed than the golden rule we treat others the way that we want them to treat us we don't want to be harsh with them or we rather we don't want them to be harsh with us we want them to be tender and merciful to us well brethren the new man puts that into practice in his own life in his own being it is symptomatic or typical of God the Father Romans 12 Paul says therefore by the mercies of God I beseech you more often than not when Paul uses the term God he is referring to God the Father there are several instances in Paul however where he applies God that Greek word de oz to the Lord Jesus Christ he does so in Romans night he does so in Titus chapter 2 he does so consistently with other authors in the New Testament but he says by the mercies of God I beseech you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice this is a characteristic of God most high you see the logic he saves us by his son he renews us he remakes us we are renewed and knowledge and in righteousness and holiness according to his elective purpose before the foundation of the world he saves us to be what to be conformed under the image of the Sun and if this is symptomatic and characteristic of Jesus that he had tender mercies that it ought to be symptomatic and characteristic of new men and new women in Jesus Christ now that doesn't mean Jesus was effeminate so we saw this morning in Matthew 23 13 2 33 I don't think anyone could ever say Jesus was some limp-wristed hippy that ran around Judea drinking chamomile tea in starbucks that's not the image that we have of Christ set before us in the New Testament tender mercies does not mean not ever pronouncing woes upon scribes and Pharisees hypocrites tender mercies does not mean that you can't go what we can't but Christ couldn't cleanse the temple by driving out the money changers and the beasts and and turning over tables you see tender mercies brethren is something characteristic of the living and true God and it ought to be characteristic of the new man notice secondly he is to engage in kindness therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved put on tender mercies kindness good old fashioned simple kindness treat others the way that you want to be treated it is kindness expressed in attitude and D it is the friendly and helpful spirit which seeks to meet the needs of others through kind deeds the people of God ought to be kind to one another the people have got ought to do good to all man Paul says in Galatians especially to those of the household of faith there ought to be a kindness about the people of God because they have reaped the kindness from God God has not dealt with us according to our sins God has not rewarded us according to our transgressions but God himself has crowned us with loving-kindness and therefore we ought to reflect that and be kind to one another we ought to be kind in our families we ought to show deference we ought to show kindness we ought to show love in terms of deed and in terms of the way that we deal with one another thirdly he is to be marked by humility pride is an enemy of God James tells us that God opposes the proud doesn't he if you want to make God your enemy just be proud if you want to continue with God as your enemy just continue in Pride the new man however seeks to kill pride the new man seeks however to cultivate humility the new man seeks to embrace his lowliness and his nothingness and his insignificance I mean going back to that issue in Ezekiel 16 they should have never been proud and arrogant they should have never exalted themselves thinking that they were some house you know you know strong and mighty or they were more righteous than others God says I saw you in your blood I saw you in in in gross Ness I saw you in that scene and I said to you live live there's no place for pride in the Christian life lowliness in thinking humility it is the recognition of one's own weakness but also the recognition of God's power we learn in the prophet Isaiah chapter 57 that God inhabits eternity I mean let your mind dwell on that for a moment we've found a bit of challenge in there saturday morning discussions whenever eternity comes up Augustine said something with reference to time he says I know what time is until I'm asked what time is and then it really baffles me or eternity these concepts are difficult God has creator he's not as we said yesterday's not it's not worm dog man angel god it's not the same category of being it is creator and creature and God inhabits eternity according to Isaiah the prophet 5715 but also he says with him clues of a contrite heart isaiah the prophet chapter 66 who does God look upon one who trembles at his word the one who is lowly in spirit the one who is contrite you see Paul along with the prophets enjoying upon the people of God as new men in Christ Jesus to be humble isn't this just a wretched sin I mean we see it in others don't we it's terrible when we see proud man terrible when people you know vomit their pride all over us or they lose their pride all over us it's just get away from me it's easier to see it in them that it is to see it in us but it's as vile and it's as wretched and it's as wicked when it's in our own hearts brethren keep your own heart with all diligence Solomon says for out of its spring the issues of life don't go on a patrol tonight killing everybody else's pride go on a patrol tonight to kill your own pride you see but I'm the humblest man I know no you're not you're just not absolutely not and if you say I'm the humblest man i know you've just betrayed everything that is intrinsic with humility humility doesn't boast about itself humility didn't congratulate himself humility doesn't say wow you know I'm just so lowly and so contrite and such of a gentleman and in quiet disposition you see if you do that you're not humble if you write books on how you mastered humility you're not humble humility and how I perfected it if that would be a Christian bestseller it wouldn't surprise me and everybody who read it would betray the reality that this particular man is humble the Babylon be ran an article about a famous author who said he would in the spirit of humility only retweet 75% of the tweets that honored him I thought that was pretty funny you may not know what the Babylon be is it's a Christian satire site and it's made up but I think it illustrates a point i'll only retweet 75% of those that make me look good because i'm humble I one to one hundred percent Saul only it is seventy-five percent brethren pursue humility and may I say and I've said it many times in the past don't pursue humility pursue killing pride because if you're killing pride what lays in the wake humility when you're pursuing humility you're going to be tempted to blog about it when you're pursuing humility you're going to facebook status it when you're pursuing humility you're going to tweet it you're going to tell your brothers wow I'm just really working hard on humility don't do that just kill pride and what hopefully will lay in its wake is humility notice he is to be marked by meekness meet pneus again we cannot come away from scripture thinking that a meat man is a effeminate man Jesus Christ was described as meek and lowly and Jesus Christ announces the scribes and Pharisees in ways that many of us would be embarrassed to even utter Jesus Christ drove out money changers using a skirt a whip of cords to do so meet pneus indicates an obedient submissiveness to God and His will with unwavering faith and enduring patience displaying itself in a gentle attitude and kind acts towards others and this often in the face of opposition it is the restrained and obedient powers of the personality brought into subjection and submission to God's will by the Holy Spirit Galatians 5 23 is a fruit of the Spirit it is true of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 1129 it is a beatitude blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth meet pneus is power under control meekness is not to be a nancy boy and then fifthly in terms of the virtues he is to be long-suffering this is a tough one isn't it I mean it's hard to be patient especially when you live in a world filled with people that don't do things the way you do it the way you think it ought to be done but notice the man of God is marked by long-suffering long-suffering and in decay it's the patient long-suffering and bearing in bearing in justices or unpleasant circumstances without revenge or retaliation you see we don't need to be long-suffering your patient when everything's going well the word has particular application to situations that aren't going well it's like romans 8 28 all things work together for good to those who love god and to those who are called according to his purpose that's speaking about bad things none of us would ever question that all good things work out for our good do we we don't question how a promotion at work or how you know marriage to a wonderful woman or man we don't sit there and wrestle with how does this work for my good it's self-evident Paul's emphasis in romans 8 28 is that all even bad things work for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose the same thing is true with long-suffering and patience you don't need to activate long-suffering and patience when everything's going well do you know you need to during times of distress bearing and justices or unpleasant circumstances you need to do so without revenge or retaliation it is a perfection of God Exodus 34 6 it is something he exercises toward his elect and even toward the unconverted Romans 24 the patience of God ought to what ought to lead you to repentance is what the Apostle Paul says so brethren those are five virtues that the new man is to pursue not in order to be saved but because he's been elected by God he's been brought into eternal life by Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit he is now described as holy and beloved therefore he kills vice and he puts on these virtues Johnny D makes this comment it's a little long but please pay attention now these virtues certainly suit the elect of God holy and beloved they are in source and essence an imitation on the part of the saint or the new man of what God has felt toward him in other words we have with see these things from God therefore we reflect that we we engage in that and they indicate a consciousness of the relation which he stay sustains to the divine benefactor for he has experienced the Divine Mercy in its sweet and fullness there was no frown on the divine countenance when he's so abject insignificant and with all so provoking and guilty drew near God God is crowned and with loving-kindness and tender mercy and though he be daily sinning daily coming short of duty never committing positive faults he is born with and he has been long born with he then goes on to say must he the man who's experienced this from God must he not therefore act toward his fellows on the same level with himself as God from the heights of his glory has acted towards him and there is need for the exercise of such virtues for ofensas must calm and that brings us to consider the new man's relation with others in verse 13 not that he's not all these five virtues toward others but now there's some interpersonal skills inculcated upon the new man and they are two in the first place he is to bear with one another he say you've mastered long-suffering then put up with people in your house or in your church in a way that is characteristic of God be patient for bear FF Bruce describes it this way mutual forbearance mutual tolerance and mutual forgiveness should mark all their relationships with one another see we can't just demand that everybody bare with us we have to bear with them as well the new man understands that the man who's been saved by grace the man has been brought out of darkness into marvelous light he practices or he pursues or he seeks to be a forbearing man he is patient with people he is long-suffering with people he doesn't get easily upset he doesn't have a short fuse he doesn't snap at the slightest in can so the slightest problem he bears long with people parents you're going to have to bear along with your children children are going to have to bear along with their parents pastors are going to have to bear along with people people are going to have to bear along with pastors everybody in the church has to engage in forbearance this is absolutely crucial as the Apostle tells us notice that God doesn't just you know give us these ethereal thoughts for life and the clouds he is speaking to new man in the context of abrasiveness of San of offense of of difficulty and hardship this is where we live if you ever wonder where does the Bible get real practical well Colossians 3 is one of them put off sexual sin and pursue being a godly man not just sexual but the bulk of it is there a sexual in terms of the Vice but put on for parents and then notice he needs to exercise forgiveness this is a crucial and a vital application of forbearance and note the way Paul describes it and if anyone has a complaint against another it's a complaint of sin it's not a complaint that you know my wife left the lid off the toothpaste and she's a wretch that's not a sin it may be very inconvenient but it's not a sin if anyone has a complaint against you its sin what are we supposed to do when people sin against us change the way we live and avoid them that's what people do or do we exercise forgiveness it is inevitable that people that you have to do with are going to sin against you don't be shocked don't freak out don't how could they ever sinned against me it's one of the things we've seen on the Wednesday night Bible study when a man of David's caliber a man after God's own heart commits adultery and murder we ought not to be surprised if someone in our church dares sin against us but that's how we are we sin against God time with our number we sin against God which you know we can't even keep up with it I mean if we took out a pencil and a paper and started to record sin if we got up at six we'd make it this I don't know 603 and we'd have enough on that paper and our hands would hurt because we haven't love God with all our heart soul mind and strength women loved our neighbor as our so we sin so much against God and then we're so put out and so offended when somebody dares sin against us again I'm not justifying people sinning against one another but I am saying it's going to happen it is bound to happen if you say well I've been a Christian for 15 years and nobody's ever sinned against me wow you ought to write a book Your Holiness just exudes in such a way that it so wonderfully affects everybody else and they never do anything ill toward you are you married can you actually say my wife's never sinned against me or my husband's never sinned against me again model marriage I didn't know we had such power houses at the Freak raised baptist church it's an inevitability so what do we do you know what people do they're afraid to deal with sin so they changed the way they relate to people that person grieve me that person wronged me that person did such and such so I'm not going to sit next to them at the luncheon anymore I'm going to sit on the opposite side of the church there on the right side I'm going to sit on and I'm not this is no don't think hey is picking me out I'm not but this is the way we function and operate instead of Manning up and dealing with said we sniffle we whine we cry and we wonder how in the world could anybody sin against such a specimen his eye we need to get over ourselves and in a healthy way lower our expectations and realize that the people of God do not have everything under control so what does Paul specify if somebody dares sin against you what are you supposed to do forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another somebody says you sinned against me and they say okay please forgive me then forgive them it's a beautiful thing isn't it it just works interpersonal relationships function well when they live according to God's Word what does somebody do if they ask you to forget you forgive them seven times a day Peter says an actor luke 17 no seven times seventy the Apostles felt the press in that because they immediately say to Jesus increase our faith I think the implication is it's going to be tough to forgive that guy seven times seventy in a day you better increase our faith so that we can exercise this forgiveness in a manner that is consistent with your will and with your mind notice the duty we need to be gracious to forgive one another that's actually the verb that's in view be gracious to that gracious to forgive them the occasion is if anyone has a complaint against another again we all sin against each other how do we deal with it notice the standard involved forgive as Christ forgave you is that amazing forgive as Christ forgave you that's a high standard isn't it how does Christ forgive us you keep beating us over the head with it to keep bringing it up to keep rubbing it in our face to keep you know a cause it to haunt us or is first John 19 true if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness does God deal with us in this way yes Mike of the Prophet God takes our sin he casts it into the depths of the sea Spurgeon says he doesn't throw it into the shallow part because it would keep coming up to the surface he goes deep sea fishing with our sin he doesn't continue to parade it in front of our Munt of our hearts in mind why would we do that to someone else because we don't care about the standard that God has imposed upon us I forgive you but I'm still going to treat you differently I forgive you but if you get out of line I'm going to bring it up again you maybe have had this in your own home you and your wife perhaps you do something say you always knew there you did this 15 months ago I thought we dealt with it 15 months ago and I thought it was put away let's just deal with the here on the now if we've dealt with sin if we put it away don't keep bringing it up God doesn't do that to us brethren it takes faith to believe that but that's what scripture specifies then he throws the sin into the depths of the sea that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness forgive even as God in Christ Paul says in Ephesians here it's just Christ forgave you Gordon Clark says when we stopped to consider how the offended God forgave our sins by the death of his son we must be as hard as rock not to forgive a fellow church member who sin against us is so small when compared to our sin against God so everybody feel this or get this are you emoting properly and receiving with Thanksgiving the word of truth I believe that the church life is fought in one in passages like these it is inevitable that we're going to sin against each other it is righteous when somebody says you sinned against me and that wasn't right and that person confesses and forsakes it and what happens there's harmony there's blessing there's peace there's joy it's all restored persons don't walk around raised fist at one another holding grudges going home you know making a dartboard and putting so-and-so's face on there you know throwing those darts at it and saying man I hope they get much more and worse Oh forgive one another as Christ forgave you and then the supreme obligation of the new man is found in verse 14 but above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection the other virtues of the clothing this is the crown Peter T O'Brien says finally love is the crowning grace with which the new man to put on as part of his distinctive dress love is enjoin de pon the people of God in Romans 13 first Corinthians 13 what does Paul say their love is and then he gives us this long definition of what love is it's not supposed to be loved as defined in the you know the modern romance novel I love him because he's so awesome no it is a love biblically defined by God through the Apostle and that's what the christian church needs to exercise visa V specifically in Romans 13 you know how Paul measures love I don't violate God's law with reference to you I love you when I don't take your spouse when I don't take your property when I don't murder you in my heart you say well that's not very romantic but it's biblical and that's the standard that we need to subscribe to love is obedience in terms of God's holy law it is expressed very concretely it's given to us in 1st Thessalonians 4 Hebrews 13 first Peter 4 1st John 3 1st John for Gil says without this love all is nothing they will only be done in show an appearance and mere guys in hypocrisy if love is wanting this actuate San exercise if love is wanting this love actuates and exercises all the rest it is only from this principle that truth sympathy real kindness undisguised humility and meekness patient long-suffering and forbearance and Hardy forgiveness proceeds I like that description hearty forgiveness how do you invite these virtues how do you bear with one another how do you forgive one another as Christ forgave you without love this is Paul's point in verse 14 but above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection well in conclusion with reference to the five virtues do you display good question I ask yourself do you display 10 mercy kindness humility meekness and long-suffering and if you're quick get the answer it's well yeah what would your wife say what would your husband say maybe this good question for family devotions tomorrow night kids do you think I look like this be honest careful what you ask for you may not always like the answers that you receive this is what new men look like this is what the people of God ought to display we have received such from God we ought to reciprocate it towards others God doesn't save us so we can lay on the couch and just you know enjoy our holiness God saves us in community God saves us so that will be faithful in our families god saves us so that will be faithful in our churches God saves us so that will be shining as lights in a crooked and perverse generation what would your work associates say if you said you know Paul says I'm supposed to look like this would your employees or your employer your buddy at work say wow you do look like that you're not perfect and all that but you I see you striving in this particular regard as well we need to exercise forbearance and forgiveness short fuse is abound in the Christian life we need to get a hold on that we need to guard against that we need to bear along with people we need to understand the way that we have to function toward others is the way others have to function with us praise God others are for bearing with us praise God that others are patient with us for every husband out there's as you know my wife your wife Sables that way you don't know my husband I mean there's a lot of forbearance that is necessary to live in relationship with one another if we don't have it we need to go to the cross and we need to ask the Lord God most high to give us what we are lacking and with reference to forgiveness you have a few options when it comes to sinning with one another the first place you can choose to let love cover a multitude of sins Peter gives us that in 1st Peter for a let love cover a multitude of sins but here's the catch if you let love cover sin let love cover set my experiences is that people are afraid to do what the next thing says and for so I'm going to let love cover it but they change the way they function relative to that person if you're going to say let love cover it then love must cover it in other words ladies or men you say well I you know that's the way she is or that's the way he is I'm just gonna let love cover it but your embittered against them you're upset with them you're irritated with them you look cross at them you're grumbly and whiny and complaint you haven't I love cover it well there's remedy in the scripture if you don't want to let love cover it then guess what you can deal with it Matthew 1815 if your brother sins against you go to him tell him his fault between you and him and if he hears you you have gained your brother is it a beautiful thing it's beautiful process if your brother sins against you go to him tell him his fault between you and him not between everybody else not at the prayer meeting brother pray four brothers so-and-so because he's such a wretch and I mean that in the most holy and godly way I really want him to change no go to him don't tell everybody else about him but should go to him and if he repents he hears you he repents and if he asks for forgiveness what do you do you forgive in yahagi them you go back to normal wear them and then as well and Matthew the Sermon on the Mount what does Jesus say if you go and present your gift at the altar and there you remember to brother has a problem with you you go first and be reconciled to your brother the imagery in that particular passage is amazing too because Jesus assumes temple worship imagine if you lived in Galilee you come down to the temple in jerusalem you go to present your gift and you remember that your next door neighbor in Galilee has a problem with you it's a long way to go to make repair but Jesus says go first be reconciled to him and then present your offering there are methods there is a way people are to deal with sin in the context of the local church and then finally the supreme duty of love the manner by which a believer is identified remember what Jesus said in John 13 35 by this all men will know you are my disciples if you memorize the London Baptist confession of faith know if you have love for one another the virtue love that gives meaning to the spiritual gifts Paul says if I can do all this stuff and I don't have love it's useless it's futile it is the greatest of the Paul line or Pauline triad faith opened love it is the glue that holds together the other virtues in the believer in Colossians 3 14 above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection it is that in which the other virtues consist and function in that manner John Owen said it is the knowledge of god in christ alone that is effectually powerful to work the souls of men into a conformity unto him those alone who behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ are changed into the same image from glory to glory that to say that apart from faith in Christ the pursuit of these virtues will be vain the pursuit of these virtues will be futile you must first believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ you must first go from a state of deadness in sent to a place of newness in life in the Lord Jesus Christ and it's from that vantage point that the people of God as the elect of God holy and beloved put on the several things and joined by Paul in this passage will let us pray father we thank you for your word and for its clarity and I pray that you would help us in the pursuit of these things and may these indeed characterize us not so that people will congratulate us but so that we will honor and glorify the God who has saved us by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ we ask that you would go with us now and watch over us in this coming week grant us opportunity to do good to man to exercise kindness to put on these tender mercies and to be genuinely humble people in this world and we pray these things for your name sake and for your honor and for your glory and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of medication you