Core Value: Gospel Transformation
Colosians 2:6-23
One of the most difficult questions in ministry is, how much have people changed? After all the sermons, bible studies, events, all the training and discipleship, all the retreats and mission trips, how much have people really changed. Of course, we can get people to do more ministries and service, learn about the Bible, incorporate some spiritual practices in their lives. But at the core, have people really changed?
Some people have always wanted to be accepted and approved of. For some that meant trying to be cool or athletic or smart. Maybe they’ve gotten involved at church, and now “being accepted and approved of” means trying to be spiritual, trying to serve others, to be a “good Christian.” They’ve only changed their strategy, but at the core, they still just wanted to be accepted and approved of. At the core, they haven’t changed.
We’ve been talking about our vision and core values and today we want to talk about
Gospel Transformation
The gospel is the power of God to radically change lives from the inside out. The gospel not only “gets us into heaven” but “gets heaven into us” as we align every dimension of our lives to its gracious truth. The cross of Jesus Christ establishes us in a new, eternally secure identity that sets us free from the pride and fear of trying to prove our own worth. It also frees from bondage to those things that once futilely drove our significance. We now live not “needing to get” love, esteem, success, or control, but out of “having already received” God’s loving acceptance. We live by faith in the Son of God and his precious promises, not by self-reliance or self-justification. We desire to see both those who see themselves furthest from God and those who assume themselves to be closest equally changed by the sheer grace of God through the gospel.
We believe it is the Gospel that changes us at our core, that frees us from within, that produces true love, joy and peace within us.
In our passage today, Paul talks about 2 different ways people try to change, 2 different belief systems, approaches. One is effective, the other is not.
“Elemental spirits of the world” (Stoicheia tou kosmou)
NIV: “basic principles of this world”; it seems this refers to a belief in angels/demons where they have to be appeased. People felt insignificant and largely helpless, producing even a sense of terror. They have to protect themselves from these powerful spirits by doing certain rituals.
8 Colossians were “taken captive” by philosophy/“elemental spirits”
16 food and drink, religious calendar (festival, new moon, Sabbath)
18 danger of being disqualified (anti-Gospel)
asceticism, angel worship, visions
By meticulous religious observance and strict self-discipline, they could appease the spirits and perhaps receive visions of God. In so receiving, they become part of a “spiritual elite” and become “puffed up without reason” (spiritual pride).
20, 21 elemental spirits of the world’s rules: “do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”
23 look wise: self-made religion, asceticism, severity to the body—looks holy, appears impressive, suggests the person has attained some “higher plane” of wisdom
no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh
These prohibitions can do nothing to create or develop new life from within.
Telling me to not be jealous doesn’t free me from jealous. Telling me to love people doesn’t produce love within me. Imagine you approach me because you’re struggling with lust and greed, and all I say it, “Stop it!”
We do not believe the same form of “elemental spirits” that the Colossians believed. But in our own way, we fall to the same kind of problem. We may think there’s a big and demanding God up there, and the way we appease Him, the way we score points and find approval, is by following the rules, by religious self-discipline, by observing religious holidays and sacraments. E.g., some people miss church, not read their bibles, and then they get a parking ticket, and think, “God is punishing me for not going to church.”
Some are really disciplined. They pray for hours, fast regularly, live a very simple, modest life and serve the poor. We’re impressed. We look up to them, believing that they are more spiritual, and thinking that if we could get our act together, if we could live like that, we’d be more spiritual, score more points, be more holy, God would love us more. If we do live like that, we feel we’re better than those who can’t. Others know they can’t, and they feel below those who can and in fear of this big and demanding God, who probably isn’t pleased with them.
Paul says, This doesn’t work. This doesn’t change people. “It has no value in stopping the indulgences of the flesh” (23). “Stop it! Do it!”
In fact, Paul says, this is anti-Gospel, that we’d be in danger of disqualifying ourselves (18).
This passage is warning against this approach, belief, religion that is based on rules and performance, on self-discipline and self-effort.
I’m sure many of us have been here. We hear the rules, “Love God, love others,” “love your enemies,” “be generous,” “be patient and kind,” “pray, read your Bible,” and as hard as we’ve tried (1) we’ve mostly failed (or boastful), and (2) we haven’t really changed. Rules and self-effort do not change our hearts.
Christ and His Gospel, Vv. 8-15
Paul shows how Jesus has overcome and nullified these “elemental spirits of the world,” these principles by which they live. 15, “disarmed the rules and authorities . . . triumphing over them.” It would be foolish and opposed to Christ to follow those rules and principles.
1. Christ is the one in whom the fullness of God dwells (v. 9). This fullness of God is in Christ. It is not in following rules or trying to make ourselves more spiritual.
2. The Colossians (Christians) have already been filled with the fullness of God in Christ (v. 10).
This isn’t something we strive for or achieve. This is what God has done for us in Christ.
It is our in Christ. We are united with Christ. Paul explains in more particular terms that we are united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.
United in his death and burial put off our body of flesh (v. 11), our old sinful nature has been put to death and buried
United in his resurrection raised with Christ (v. 12), new life, resurrection life, new creation, that points to our own physical resurrection (Christ is the firstborn from the dead)
This past January, US Airways 1549 crashed into the icy Hudson River [picture]. Fortunately, everyone survived and the pilate, Sullenberger, was celebrated as a hero for safely steering the plane into the river.
Why did these passengers survive? Was it because these people were more wealthy or powerful, more moral or kind? Were they quick thinkers or great swimmers?
No. Their survival had nothing to do with themselves. It had everything to do with their pilot. It wasn’t about their individual merits or accomplishments or demerits or failures. It was about being on the plane where Sullenberger piloted us safely.
It is because we’re on Jesus’ plane. It is because we’re connected to Jesus, united to Jesus.
We can get on our plane [picture of 2 planes], where we’re the pilot. We think we can get to the fullness of God. We think if we can keep the rules and try harder, if we can be spiritual and stay clean, then maybe we can make it. Paul says this doesn’t work and is opposed to Christ.
Or we can get on the Jesus’ plane, where we acknowledge, my plane is going to crash. There’s no way I’ll make it. I trust you Jesus. You take control.
Whom do we trust? By trusting in Jesus, the Bible said we’ve become united with Him. We got on His plane. In Christ, we died to sin, and in Christ, we rose to new life.
If you’ve lived on your own plane, Paul is saying, that plane isn’t going to transform you, no matter how hard you try, and it is opposed to Christ. But you’re invited to get on Jesus’ plane, to trust Him, not yourself, believing that in Jesus is the fullness of God, that on Jesus’ plane we’re headed for glory.
This idea of a resurrected life continues in v. 13: we who were once dead in our sins God made us alive.
How did God do this? He took our sins, the record of our guilt, and nailed it to the cross. Christ paid for that sin and guilt. And so, God can now forgive us our sins and erase that record. The debt has been cancelled, paid, the record of it is destroyed. We’re forgiven, our record is clean.
Paul’s point is to show how we’re not supposed to live in guilt or fear or shame. We’re not supposed to appease God or try to earn points with God. It doesn’t work and it is opposed to Christ.
Instead we already have the fullness of God in Christ. United with Christ, being on Jesus’ plane, our old selves are already dead and we already have the new life, the resurrection life.
Believing the Gospel is how we’re saved and how we’re changed.
Paul is explaining how we have the fullness of God in Christ, not so that the Colossians could be saved (already Christians) but so that the Colossians would be freed, would be changed.
Let’s go back to the planes [picture of 2 planes]. We understand the Gospel tells us to abandon our own plane and get on Jesus’ plane. Now we’re on the Jesus’ plane, the Gospel tell us that living inside the Jesus’ plane is different from living in our own plane. Paul is essentially telling the Colossians, if you’ve gotten on Jesus’ plane, why are living like you’re on your own plane? The Christian life is not just about getting on the Jesus plane. It’s about living in the reality of being in Jesus’ plane.
In our own plane, we have to worry about whether we’ve done enough, been good enough. Our failures are a great threat, and there’s insecurity and fear. We don’t know if we’re good enough to be accepted by others, let alone by God. We try hard, and we’re discouraged when we fail, or be a little self-righteousness when we’re good. It’s the plane of self-effort and performance.
But if we’re on Jesus’ plane, we know we’ve failed, we don’t deserve God’s love. But on Jesus’ plane, He’s already taken our guilt and nailed it to the cross—we’re already forgiven. We’re not trying to good enough. We know we’re accepted by God and headed for glory. We know we already have the fullness of God. We’re not trying to be loved, we know we’re already loved. It’s not about performance. It’s about Jesus. There’s a humility, a peace, a freedom, a joy.
Noah sometimes come into my office, and though I should send him away, I wind up putting him on my lap and giving him a hug. This reminded me of going into my Dad’s office. My Dad was a pastor (retired now). As a kid, I remember playing with the other kids at church. It was a small church, and we’d run around here and there. In my Dad’s office there was a jar of candy. Most of the kids were appreciative but a bit fearful of my Dad. And though they knew there was a jar of candy, they’d never dare go in. But for me, it was different. I’d run right in without a second thought. I’d grab some candy for myself and some friends, and run out. Why? Because this wasn’t the office of Reverend Joseph Kim. This was my Dad’s office. And I was already loved and accepted by Dad.
Is that how we feel about God? Do we live like God is our Dad and we’re already loved and accepted, safe and headed for glory. Or do we live like we’ve got to perform, like we still have to prove to God and others that we’re good enough?
The Gospel is about getting on Jesus’ plane and then living like you’re on Jesus’ plane, living like God already loves and accepts you, living like He’s your Daddy and you’re his precious son or daughter, living like you already have the fullness of God in Christ, living like your old self is dead and buried and you’ve been raised to new life. Change then comes not by trying harder and doing more. Change comes from believing the Gospel.