What does it mean to be a Christian? What is “Christian behavior”? What do we mean
\nwhen we talk about “the Gospel”? To many, Christianity could be summed up as …<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was attitudes like these that prompted Paul to write his letter to the believers in
\nthe town of Colossae. Not only does he present to them what it means to be a Christian, but how
\na Christian ought to look. Paul begins the letter with thanks to God, establishing right away who
\nis responsible for salvation.<\/p>\n
We always thank God<\/em>, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
\nbecause we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the
\nsaints: faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and
\nthat you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.
\n
(Col. 1:3-6, emphasis mine)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nHe then begins to talk about his desire for these believers to continue growing in their faith…<\/p>\n
… We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you<\/em> with the knowledge
\nof his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order
\nthat you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing
\nfruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened<\/em> with all
\npower according to his glorious might<\/em> so that you may have great endurance and
\npatience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you<\/em> to share in the
\ninheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
(1:9-12, emphasis mine)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nIf you watch the italicized words carefully, you will notice a pattern emerging here. Paul is not
\npraying that the Colossians will fill themselves with the knowledge of God’s will, but that God
\nhimself will fill them. He doesn’t pray that they will become strong in all power according to
\ntheir diligent efforts, but that they will “be strengthened”, according to “God’s glorious might”.
\nAnd finally, it was not the efforts of these believers that qualified them to share in the
\n“inheritance of the saints” (that is, eternal life), but rather, “the Father.”<\/p>\nPaul moves on and begins talking about Jesus, establishing Christ’s deity and supremacy…<\/p>\n
“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things
\nwere created…”
(verse 15).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nHaving established this, he then discusses Christ’s role in their redemption.<\/p>\n
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile
\nto himself all things … by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you
\nwere alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior<\/em>.
\nBut now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death<\/em> to present you
\nholy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…. This is the Gospel<\/em> that you
\nheard….”
(verses 19-23, emphasis mine)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nAha! So this is what that “gospel” thing is: we were alienated from God because of our
\nevil behavior, but now we can be reconciled. Why? Because of our good behavior? NO!
\nBecause Jesus, “firstborn over all creation”, made peace “through his blood, shed on the cross.”
\nOnce again Paul establishes that it is not we who have made ourselves holy, but God.
\nApparently, this understanding was being threatened in Colossae. Ideas much like those
\nthat I listed above were no doubt creeping into the church and deceiving people. Paul begins
\naddressing this in chapter two.\n<\/p>\n“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus” [that is, by faith, not by good behavior],
\n“continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
\ntaught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive
\nthrough hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the
\nbasic principles of this world rather than Christ.”
(2:6-8)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nPeople were coming up with ideas about how to be saved and how to grow in faith that had
\nnothing to do with Christ, but just human ideas of what was decent and right. So Paul’s next
\nmove is to lay out an understanding of how Christians should behave, and why. He first
\nestablishes this point.<\/p>\n“[You have been] buried with [Christ] in baptism and raised with him through your faith
\nin the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins …
\nGod made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written
\ncode … he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
(verses 12-14)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nTwo points are established here:<\/p>\n
\n
- That believers have died to the law, to the “basic principles of the world”.<\/li>\n
- That believers have been resurrected with Christ.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Having established these, Paul goes into detail about each one, starting with the first…<\/p>\n
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the
\nthings that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
(2:16-17)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nRegulations on certain foods or drinks, religious festivals, and “Holy days” were all parts of
\nJudaism, as they are of many religions. But Paul says they should not be part of Christianity.
\nFor all of these rituals, all of these rules and regulations: they were only shadows and hints of
\ntrue life in God, whose reality came in Christ himself. But the Colossians still wanted them…\n<\/p>\n“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still
\nbelonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’?
\nThese are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands
\nand teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-
\nimposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack
\nany value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
(Verses 20-23)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nNow why would anyone want rules and regulations that weren’t needed? Because they appear
\nwise and pious. Look at some of the examples listed at the beginning of this essay; we can
\nappear to be very spiritual and wise by making a big deal about the things we do or don’t do.
\nEven today I meet Christians who seem to think their “godliness” is established on the grounds
\nthat they go to church every week, they don’t use swear words, don’t touch alcohol or tobacco,
\ngive money to this or that organization, or even because they eat kosher foods. But Paul tells us
\nthat such rules are basically worthless, because they don’t deal with the heart, where our sinful
\ndesires begin.<\/p>\nSo is Paul telling us that it’s ok to sin? Can we do whatever we want now that the written
\ncode is gone? This brings us to his second point: that we have been raised from the dead with
\nChrist.\n<\/p>\n“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where
\nChrist is seated at the right hand of God … For you died, and your life is now hidden with
\nChrist in God … Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual
\nimmorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the
\nwrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But
\nnow you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and
\nfilthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your
\nold self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in
\nknowledge in the image of its Creator.”
(3:1-10)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nNow wait a minute! Are these just more rules to follow? Weren’t we free of rules? But notice
\nthat these aren’t just rules: Paul is describing to us not just new behavior, but a new nature! Our
\nlives, as believers, are “hidden with Christ”. We have taken off our old self, and put on our new
\nself. And our new self is being constantly being molded into the image of God. What Paul is
\ngiving us is not a new set of rules, but a description of our new self. And the description goes
\non…\n<\/p>\n“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave
\nyou. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
(Verses 12-14)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nAgain, this new behavior deals directly with the heart. Compassion, kindness, gentleness,
\npatience, forgiveness, and most of all love, are not simply rules we can follow. They require a
\nnew heart, a new self. How can we get a new self? Remember chapter one? It is from God!
\nCenturies before Paul, before Christ came to earth in the flesh, God revealed what he was
\ngoing to do for us through the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 31:31-24 reads:\n<\/p>\n“‘The time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the
\nhouse of Israel and with the house of Judah…. This is the covenant I will make with the
\nhouse of Israel after that time, … I will put my law in their minds and write it on their
\nhearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his
\nneighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me,
\nfrom the least to the greatest, … For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember
\ntheir sins no more.'”<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThis is what was revealed in Christ. God’s law is now written on our hearts, because we have
\nput on a new self through faith in Christ.\n<\/p>\nWhether you are a believer or not, consider what the book of Colossians says to you. Are
\nyou trying to attain righteousness or godliness by obeying rules? Do you exalt yourself over
\nothers because of the things you do? Is God strengthening you, or are you relying on your own
\nhard work, cleverness, or talent? Are you living in the old self, or the new?\n<\/p>\n“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
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