The New Life in Christ
31st July 2022
Colossians 3:1-17
Some people see Christianity as a bunch of rules.
Right?
Christians can’t do this, can’t do that.
And, the Bible is imagined as a book of rules.
In today’s reading Paul points out it’s a mistake to believe faith is defined by ‘Thou Shalt Not…’
Instead, Paul declares “seek the things that are above, where Christ is”
(the Art Installation is a helpful metaphor – the shining orb defies the experience of being weighed-down; we lift our eyes, looking up finding the vision Christ gives us)
Let me unpack a few things about this reading.
1) It can sound like Paul is addressing an individual “So if you have been raised with Christ, …etc” (v1)
Those who first heard this letter would know Greek. And in that original language of the NT, Paul’s words are plural.
What does that mean?
Paul is writing to a community – the Church.
2) In the second verse of this reading, Paul says “you have died”
Wait, what? When did that happen?
This is based in the NT theology that we share in the death and resurrection of Christ.
And reflects this theology expressed in the Baptism liturgy:
· You have died in Christ
· You have been raised with Christ
Our identity as the baptised community is essential in what Paul is saying here.
It is our baptismal identity that makes our faith much more than a bunch of ‘Thou shalt nots’.
3) In the previous chapter of this letter, Paul says (sarcastically):
‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.” (2:21-22)
Isn’t that extraordinary?
Contrary to assumption about Christian faith, Paul explicitly rejects taboos and limits that are life-denying.
It reminds me of the guy I know, Warren.
Warren has never done anything wrong.
· Never lied…
· Hurt anyone
· Lusted
· Committed adultery
· Got drunk
· Littered
· Held a grudge
· Cause, continued or condone conflict
· Blasphemed
· Watches nasty content online – nor judgemental of those who do
· Oversentimental
· Smokes, swears or stares
Warren has never done anything wrong.
But he’s not a Christian.
And he’s not very good company.
(Pull out wooden man)
Warren is a wooden man.
(The idea for this illustration is from ‘Wooden Man’ in Cabbages for the King by Adrian Plass)
But, wait a minute, (I hear you say)
what about Paul’s list of dodgy behaviour: “fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed”
Surely, that’s a list of ‘Thou shalt nots’…?
Listen again carefully to what Paul is saying “Put to death … whatever in you is earthly” (v5)
In other words ‘kill off’ whatever is life-denying.
Paul’s list are some examples of the limitations that we are able to reject.
Our baptismal identity allows us to discard these distractions from our lives.
‘Seek the things that are above’
Raise your expectations.
Live with the FREEDOM you have been given.
You are not weighed down by the old ways;
you are free to live a much greater, fuller life.
And it’s not striving to live this life.
Through the grace of God, you share in the life of Christ;
you have died in Christ – you have been raised with Christ.
So, Christian faith isn’t trying really hard to be good;
it’s the experience of becoming who you are;
accepting who you were declared to be at your baptism.
Paul makes another reference to the baptism liturgy:
“[you] have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” (v10
This metaphor of being clothed in a new self – the image of our Creator – is what I talked about with the children.
It is metaphor about our identity of belonging – to God, and together as God’s family.
Last Sunday, we reflected on ‘home-coming’;
that God wants us to be where we belong – safe in His faithful love.
I want to show you a video clip from the film Blood Diamond.
In this scene a child soldier come face to face with his father, having been kidnapped from him several months earlier. See how the father reminds his child who he REALLY is.
Clothed in our new self, we are renewed in the image of the Creator.
We know who we really are; WHOSE we really are.
Although the clothing is metaphorical, the experience of this belonging is a VERY REAL experience.
Paul insists “In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!” (v11)
This dissolving of all artificial distinctions among us is similar to that other NT passage in Galatians – about there is no longer Jew/Greek, slave/free, etc. (Gal 3:28)
The distinctions that divide humans have no place in the renewed humanity that follows from the resurrection.
We are living in the resurrection life.
The fullness of the resurrection remains an anticipation, but it is still a very real experience in the interim.
We, the church community, live as a signpost pointing to this destiny as we embody God’s intentions for humanity-in-relationship.
I hope you can see how relevant this is for us at the moment at St John’s in the City – as we are putting our Vision into Action.
We are a community living the resurrection life – not constrained by rules.
We are a community that rejects all that denies life
We are a community that discards whatever weighs us down
We are a community that experiences the freedom we are given.
The differences between us are unimportant because our identity is in our belonging.
Our lives are not signposts to ourselves, but to the wonder of God in Christ.
“seek the things that are above, where Christ is”