TOPIC:‌“Heavenly Clothing for Earthly Living”

                  by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Colossians 3:5-17

‌‌“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

‌‌giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (3:17)

‌A. B. Simpson was right when he wrote: “There must be a new man first before he can wear his new clothes. You would not put clean and beautiful garments on an unbathed person.” The believers before us have put on Christ so they are now ready to discard their old wardrobe and put on those garments which reflect their new life in Christ. In the portion of Scripture before us Paul describes the excellency of the Christian life as it is to be lived here on earth.

‌The believer is to live on planet earth like a citizen of Heaven. This to Paul is normal Christian living. Being in Christ demands that we begin to appropriate the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection to practical living. So the Apostle includes this section as he encourages the Christians at Colossae, and us as well, to dress the part now that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. For the new man there must be a new wardrobe. A complete change of clothes from what we have been wearing. Let's begin to look at our new appearance as set forth by the Apostle Paul.

I.

‌To begin with, let me remind you of those things to be ABANDONED. Recall the words of Paul in verses 5 and 8: “Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth…But now you also put off all these.” The double discipline Paul demands for believers “mortify” in verse 1 and “put off” in verse 8 is in the Greek aorist which speaks of a decisive and finalized action on the part of those in Christ.

‌The Apostle Paul is asking these Colossian believers to begin to discipline their lives in those areas where they have not as yet experienced Christ's victory, even though they have at their disposal His power by which to accomplish it. The word “mortify” means “put to death” which is never an easy thing to do. It is possible, but the process is painful as it goes right against what some believers desire to do. Let's get it down: HEAVEN may be obtained by faith, but HOLINESS is achieved by fighting, by fleeing, and by fastening on to the power of Jesus Christ. Alexander Maclaren writes . . .