Colossians 3:1-4
Christ In You
We move into a new phase of this book tonight. The Book’s theme is the
"Exaltation of Christ." In the first two chapters, Christ was exalted by His
person and His work. In these last two chapters, we will see that Christ is
exalted through His believers.
I. \\#1:1-2:23\\ The Person of God Displayed through Christ
A. \\#1:1-12\\ Introduction
1. \\#1-2\\ Paul’s Salutation
2. \\#1:3-8\\ Paul’s Recognition
3. \\#1:9-11\\ Paul’s Prayer
B. \\#1:12-2:3\\ The Person of Christ
1. \\#1:12-14\\ Paul’s Thanks
2. \\#1:15-22\\ Paul’s Message
a. \\#15-17\\ Who Jesus is in Creation.
(1) \\#15\\ Jesus, the image of the invisible God.
(2) \\#15\\ Jesus, the firstborn of every creature.
(3) \\#16\\ Jesus, the Creator of all things.
(4) \\#17\\ Jesus, the One before all things.
(5) \\#17\\ Jesus, the One by whom all things consist.
b. \\#18-21\\ Who Jesus is in the church
(1) \\#18\\ Jesus, the Head of the body.
(2) \\#18\\ Jesus, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
(3) \\#19\\ Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead.
(4) \\#20\\ Jesus. the Peacemaker.
(5) \\#21\\ Jesus, the Reconciler.
(6) \\#22\\ Jesus, the Presenter.
3. \\#1:23\\ Paul’s Challenge
4. \\1:24-2:3\\ Paul’s Ministry
a. \\#1:24\\ Paul Enduring
b. \\#1:25-28\\ Paul Entrusted
c. \\#2:1-3\\ Paul Expected
C. \\#2:4-23\\ Warnings to the Church
1. \\#2:4-7\\ Don’t Be Beguiled
2. \\#2:8-15\\ Don’t Be (Spoiled) Ruined
3. \\#2:16-17\\ Don’t Be (Judged) Condemned
4. \\#2:18\\ Don’t Lose Your Reward
5. \\#2:19-23\\ Don’t Lose Your Christ
D. \\#2:10-23\\ The Solution is to Remember
1. \\#2:9-10\\ Who Christ is.
2. \\#2:11-15\\ What Christ has done.
3. \\#2:16-23\\ What we should do.
II. \\#3:1-4:18\\ The Person of God Displayed through the Believers
A. \\#3:1\\ A Condition
B. \\#3:2-4\\ A Correlation
C. \\#3:5-4:6\\ Commands
I. \\#1:1-2:23\\ The Person of God Displayed through Christ
II. \\#3:1-4:18\\ The Person of God Displayed through the Believers
A. \\#1\\ A Condition-IF ye then be risen with Christ.
1. "If" presents a condition and a correlation.
2. That is, if a certain condition is true, there will be a corresponding
correlation.
3. The possible condition is that you have been raised with Christ from
death.
a. To have been raised with Christ is a descriptive synonym for being
saved.
(1) One cannot be raised with Christ who has not been crucified
with Christ.
(2) Both of these are terms to describe the individual who has
been born again.
b. The question is, "Are you certain that you have been born again?"
(1) No one need doubt their salvation but everyone should be
certain!
(2) The Bible makes it clear that not everyone who claims Christ
is claimed by Christ.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity.
(3) The Bible says that we are to test our salvation to be
certain it is genuine.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?
(4) I commonly remind you that the proof of salvation is not a
prayer, a church membership, or even a history of doing good.
(5) The proof of salvation is a changed life.
(6) That is the point that Paul is making here as he describes a
correlation between being raised and being changed.
4. \\#4\\ For those who meet this condition, they have the assurance of
being with Him in glory.
B. \\#2-4\\ A Correlation
1. Paul lists two things that are true of those who have been born again.
a. \\#2\\ They will seek those things that are above.
(1) To clarify where he means, Paul tells us that the above is
where Jesus is sitting on the right hand of the Father.
(a) That is heaven.
(b) Paul is saying, the one who is risen with Christ will
seek heavenly things.
(2) This has to do with the believer’s APPETITE or LUST.
(a) While we normally think of lust as a bad thing, lust for
the right things is good.
(b) The believer has a lust for heavenly things.
i. To know Christ and His power.
ii. To understand the things of God.
iii. To serve and be used of God.
(c) Every believer will desire these kinds of things. They
are the rights and privileges of sonship.
(3) This desire should not be just a passing fancy but an earnest
desire.
(a) This is not merely a curiosity about heavenly things.
(b) To SEEK implies giving oneself to the task, putting forth
energy and effort.
i. How much effort do you give to finding heavenly
things?
ii. Effort is measured in…
aa. TIME
bb. CONSISTENCY
cc. FERVENCY-Intensity
b. \\#3\\ They will LOVE heavenly things.
(1) Affections are the emotions of the heart. We would call that
love.
(2) Consider the two terms that we are using.
(a) To lust is to crave, to desire for oneself.
(b) To love is to cherish, to devote oneself to.
(c) While we think of these two things as being similar, they are
actually opposites.
i. To lust after anyone or anything is to desire, to
receive, to get, to be satisfied by.
ii. To love after anyone or anything is to give to, to
exalt.
(3) The thought in these two expressions is that those raised with
Christ (true Christians) will seek after the privileges of
salvation while loving the Savior of salvation.
(a) It is not just that Christians will want the power and
privileges of being the sons of God (although we do).
(b) We will want to exalt Him, to magnify Him, to extol Him,
to LOVE Him!
c. Question-Can you have a lust for something without a love?
(1) The answer is YES.
(2) Christians must guard against having a lust for the privileges
and powers of sonship without actually having a love for the
Savior.
2. Now, we need to be certain that we understand the correlation.
a. It is not that these things will be easy for us.
(1) Nothing "spiritual" is easy.
(2) All spiritual attributes are against our nature and require
WORK on our behalf.
b. However, these things are INEVITABLE.
(1) These correlations will occur IF we have been raised with
Christ because God has DETERMINED that they would.
Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
(2) God has determined that those who have experienced death and
resurrection with Christ will be made like unto Him.
(a) We are implanted with a new nature. (The sinful nature
is removed and one that loves God and hungers after
His things is given.)
(b) We are given the Holy Spirit. (God Himself moves inside
of us to feed and direct that nature.)
(c) God arranges circumstances and situations in such a way
as to move us to a certain end. (We are all playing
with a stacked deck. There is only one outcome.)
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