Theme: Living as Jesus Disciples (Christian living July 22, 2018)

Text: Colossians 3:1-17; Rom.12:1-2

Devotion: Romans 8:29a (Col.2:6-7)

Title: Striving for Christlikeness

Introduction:
Good morning to every one of you. Before we begin, let us have a word of prayer…
First of all, I want to greet everyone Happy 28th anniversary TLTM family! Truly God has
indeed blessed us so much that that we are still here, still going, and still serving the Lord,
especially for those people who are still here since the early days. For those who are still
relatively still new, do not be dismayed. You are as part of this celebration as any of us, and are
already included in our history. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and our church will
continue to exist as long as there are people committed to the kingdom of God. Which is why
our message today will serve as a review. Not just of the church as a whole, but of our own
individual lives in full view of God’s word. As members of Christ’s body, let us not only focus on
the surface, such as number of attendance, quality of the equipment, size of the church
building, etc. while such things are important, what matters the most is of our inner condition:
how are we as Christians? How far have we already come? Have we grown these past years?
Are we serving the Lord in the manner that is most pleasing to Him? These I think are what we
should be working toward, because at the end of the day, it wouldn’t matter how long you’ve
been a Christian, how long you’ve been attending church, how many anniversaries you’ve
celebrated, if we aren’t doing our duty as Jesus followers. As we celebrate our 28 th year, let us
not forget what is of most importance. That is why of our message for today is Striving for
Christlikeness.

Exegetical Idea: Real faith and surrender to Jesus Christ will result in a new life. A new life
which follows the life of Jesus Christ.

Proposition: Brothers and sisters in the Lord, let me propose to you that if we truly understand
and experienced the gospel which saved us and appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for us, it
rightly follows that we are to live a new life striving to become like Jesus Christ in all things.

Interrogative: If Jesus Christ is truly is the head and founder of this church, if He is the author
and perfector of our whole faith, how then should we continue to live in such a way that
displays this truth, that we are His disciples? The word of God tells us…

I. Life is made anew in Jesus – v.1-4

Paul has always connected the things that we must do to the fact of who we are. Paul
knows and reminds the believers of the reality of being found in Jesus Christ: a person is
transformed into the new life: 2Cor.5:17 it follows then that a person who has been
transformed from old to new is different. It means...
A. Jesus’ disciples are transformed
v.1 The old has gone and the new has come. No one who comes and surrenders
their life to Christ remains the same. We are not talking about physical features, but of
character and attitude. The scriptures tell us of a marvelous truth: those who are in
Christ are in Him fully, and experience all the benefits of the life of Christ. Christ died for
us so that our old nature would die with Him, and He also lived again so that we may
receive the rewards of the new life, He did this all because of His great love for us.
Col.2:11-15 our former life and passions have died with Christ because of our union with
Him, and now everything is new. We have gained new insight into our life and what we
do. We understand what we beheld as mysterious before, and now we see things as
what they truly are. We finally see sin as what it is: deceptive and destructive in our
lives. We see what God wants for us and has planned for us: that it is good and
beneficial. Our position in Christ is not something we tack onto our name or resume. It
changed us and affects every part of our life, in how we think and how we act.

B. From the inside out – Matt.6:19-21

v.2 If our new life is now in Christ, the word of God tells us that everything is
affected. Our character, perceptions, emotions, even our sense of value is now changed.
What is implied when Paul says that we should set our minds on things above? Because
the reality is that when we got to know Christ, we gained something of great value that
nothing else could match on this earth. Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him is the
most important thing in the life of the Christian. It exceeds everything else once our
eyes became opened. In the light of the gospel of Christ, the earth loses its glimmer and
attraction. We see it for what it is. Temporary and fading. What happens now is our
focus is changed, we see not only Jesus Christ, but also the promises of God through
Him. In Jesus we have eternal life, in Him we have joy, and in Him we have perfect
peace. An abundant life is made a reality because of Jesus Christ. We see how Paul
himself understood this and lived accordingly: everything he ever was or ever did, all of
his achievements and ambitions, all of it didn’t matter as much as knowing
Jesus.Phil.3:7-10 Jesus Christ changes us inwardly; deeply, fully, and wholly, which then
affects everything we are and do outwardly.

C. Secured in God’s hand – Jn.10:27-28; 1Tim.6:17

v.3-4 We have died to the world and we have died to the sin that is in us. No
longer are we tied down to these things. A dead man feels no hunger, no desire, no
pain, and no sorrow. A dead man has no feelings. As people who died to the earthly
things, those very things now have no hold of us, no power over us, and no control over
us anymore. Even if we are still living on earth, our life is hidden in Christ. Psa.27:5 Being
hidden gives the idea of being well protected and guarded. Not by human security or
physical barriers, but our very life and being is hidden with Christ Jesus. We are sure
that our life is secure in Jesus Christ. A true Christian is always assured of His position
and protection in Jesus Christ. Nothing can sway him and dissuade him from this truth.
There is nothing on this earth that can be thrown at the Christian to scare Him or move
 him from His position. Even though we would all still die, death itself is no longer a
threat to any Christian. in the Christian life there is no fear, no guilt and shame. Those
who are in Christ walk through this earth secured because of the life given to them, and
to the inheritance waiting for them.

Application:
To be in Christ is to be a new creation, to have new life in Him. A new life in Christ
implies new things: a new character, a new mindset, new attitudes, new goals, and even a new
hope. Being a new creation puts everything into a right perspective. A Christ centered life
always has in its mind the eternal and not just the temporary. Living this life is bringing truth to
what Paul said to the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ.”

II. Do not conform to the world – Rom.12:2

Rom.12:2a Paul then takes the next step in the light of our new life. Since Jesus Christ is
our life, our hope, and our everything, it follows that we are now not living for ourselves, not
living for the flesh, not living for sin or anything else, but we should live for God alone. It
involves a two-step process, and the first step is putting an end to the things of our former/old
nature.

A. We must reject sinful ways

v.5a The ESV translation uses very strong and serious language: “put to death”
we are not to hide this sin superficially or suppress this sin temporarily, but to remove it
completely from our very lives. Sin is the very thing that blinded us from the reality of
punishment, sin has enslaved us to the point of ruining our lives, our bodies, our
relationships, and our future. It is not hard to hate something evil and crippling in our
lives. But more than just disliking or hating sin is the truth that we must also remove the
sin in our lives. It implies action on our part: now that we have died with Christ it is now
possible to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. But as long as we are in the world, as
long as we are still living here on earth, the temptation is always constant and present.
No matter when or where sin still knocks on our doorstep, and our part is to refuse its
admission into our lives. It means making a conscious choice every time the opportunity
is presented. Praying against temptation also means running away from that
temptation, every single time. We need to starve the appetite of the flesh until it
becomes inactive. While a Christian cannot live a sinless life: Rom.7:19-20 a Christian
also has no excuse to continue living in sin: Rom.6:1-2

B. No sin should be exempted

Paul again lists the very things to be put to death, like he has listed down in his
other letters. He first mentions sins of the sensual sense, which pertains to things that
gratify the senses and indulges the appetite. v.5 The yearning of our flesh for all kinds of
physical and sexual gratification of pleasure is included here.
1)sexual immorality – pertains to all kinds of illicit sexual acts outside the marriage of a
man and woman includes adultery, homosexuality, bestiality
2)impurity – pertains to uncleanliness both morally and spiritually
 3)passion – pertains to lust and selfish desires only for self
4)evil desire – pertains to the evil desires of the flesh and mind (hurt, deceive, murder)
5)covetousness which is equal to idolatry – pertains to greed of wanting to have what
others have and leads to idolatry because of a strong desire for things that we think are
more important than God
Now that we are in Christ, we can easily see how these things have taken hold of our
lives, bringing with them all the negative effects of sin. We suffer because of such
things! Aside from these Paul also lists down social sins that we commit against other
people:v.8-9
1)anger – sinful anger that seeks to hurt others physically or emotionally
2)wrath – extreme hatred that is unforgiving and destructive
3)malice – ill-will and the desire to see others hurt and fail
4)slander – speech often false that is damaging to another person’s reputation
5)obscene talk – speaking foul words and cursing, as well as filthiness and crude talk
6)lying – speaking deceiving words, deliberately speaking of falsehoods
Paul lists down these key things that we should put to death. But notice however, that
Paul speaks of no category, nor does he rank these sins from bad to worst. It tells us the
plain truth of the bible: no sin is lesser than another and no sin is greater. God sees and
treats all sin the same way. Even though their earthly consequences might differ, the
spiritual consequence remains the same. We have no business condemning one sin and
protecting another. All of these should be put away in the light of our relationship to
Christ.

C. Judgment comes to those who continue in sin

v.6 God’s judgment is coming for those who do not heed and follow his word,
and for those who do not surrender to Christ. God’s judgment will be swift and sure to
those whom He will find still continuing in all kinds of sin. A true Christian will put these
former things away from his life, and strive to do what is the will of God in all things. A
true Christian is no longer condemned because he is now in Jesus Christ. However, a
person who only says he is a Christian, but is no different from old life of the flesh is not
a real Christian. A person who says he is a Christian but is still controlled by his old
desires is not a real Christian. A real Christian is one who has been set free by Christ, and
no longer subjects himself to slavery. (so if now if anyone asks “what if there is a
Christian who continues and openly commits all kinds of sin? Is he/she a Christian? The
answer should already be made clear by now: a man who continues and openly commits
such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1Cor.6:9-10 Such a person is not a
Christian because of his actions. Do not let anyone of us be deceived, brethren, Jesus
makes it clear: Lk.12:2-5 We may hide actions and intentions from other people, but
never from God. 2Cor.5:10

Application:
If we will not rightly put sin to death, we put ourselves in danger because it might be sin
instead that would be slowly killing us. Sin is like a poison in the life of the Christian. It weakens
his faith, it wears us out so that our spiritual desires are diminished, and it invalidates our
testimony. Well I say that NO MORE! Sin has no place in the life of the believer. And even
though we are not perfect, and we will still sin, we have great comfort in the fact that Jesus
Christ is ready to forgive those who are truly repentant of their sin.

III. Let us continue to be transformed – Rom.12:1-2

Striving to be Christlike does not only involve the rejection of sin, but also of following
the examples set before us by Jesus Christ himself. We have a vast source of wisdom from the
word of God, through the life and teachings of Christ Himself. His life is not just to be admired
like a display in a museum. It is a pattern to follow for us in every aspect of our lives. Rom.12:2b

A. Let us apply wisdom to life

We will never reach Christlikeness if we do nothing. Some wonder why in all
their years of attending church, listening to the word, and praying that nothing has
changed in their lives, this is the answer. Without surrendering to God, and without
taking action, nothing will happen. Paul reminds us of who we are in Christ: we are
God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.v.12a Remember that is not our identity in and of
ourselves. That change only came because we are now in Jesus Christ. God has chosen
you, God has loved you, God wants you to be Holy, because of what Jesus has done for
you. Being a Christian and being in Christ is one and the same. As believers, as a new
creation of Jesus Christ, our identity is now in Christ Jesus. Using scholastic terms,
Christianity is not just an extracurricular activity; it is your major, your most important
subject. It is not something we “add” to our life. in fact, our life is changed by it fully.
Remember then the words of James: Jam.1:22-25 The point is this: striving for
Christlikeness is not just changing your tradition or religion, not just attending services
or staying for a long time, but it is hearing the wisdom of God through His word and
conforming our life to it.

B. Let us imitate Jesus Christ

Paul continues in what we must put on: while we put to death all kinds of earthly
things related to our old nature, we must now take on and do the things that are related
to our new nature. v.12-14
1)compassionate hearts – to feel mercy and sympathy
2)kindness – goodness and tenderness. Readiness to help with sympathy/consideration
3)humility – lowliness self. Thinking of oneself as one ought to think. Acknowledgment
that everything is under the absolute authority and power of God
4)meekness – refers to gentleness and kindness. It is having the right or power to do
something but refraining for the benefit of another
5)patience – is not a passive wait but an active one. Ready to endure all things.
Perseverance, and the attitude of not taking vengeance
6)forgiving – our model of forgiveness is God Himself. We do not let anything come
between the bond of Christ in our fellowship. There should be no spite or grudge against
one another.
7)love – which serves as the binding agent for everything else. Practicing such virtues
without love for God and love for others is useless and become distorted. 1Cor13
 We can see that most of these things stand in contrast to the sins that we must
be putting to death in our lives. As we go about our lives we learn what it means to be
Christlike, but we must then put these principles into practice. These things are good to
hear, nice to look at, but must also be done and obeyed in our lives. In this we are
blessed, because in this endeavor we are not alone, but the spirit of God is in us, helping
to grow and mature into being like Christ. Obedience is key.

C. Let us endure all things

As we look unto Jesus, as our savior, hope, and example, remember that as we
aim to imitate Him, Jesus did not lead an easygoing life. He experienced pain and
suffering that few others have. At the start of His ministry He was tempted by the devil,
and as He went on He was opposed by the Pharisees. He did not have much of earthly
possessions: he did not own a house nor any animal to ride on. He experience being
hungry and tired, and had to put up with His disciples lack of faith and understanding.
Near the end, the people Jesus helped and ministered to were the same ones to reject
Him and put Him to death. He suffered like a common criminal even though He was
without sin. He endured it all because of His obedience to the Father, in order to glorify
Him, and in turn, give all of us a chance at heaven. That is the life we look up to, and the
life we want to emulate. All this just tells us that the life of the Christian is assuredly
difficult, but it is the only way to eternal life. When we experience hardships, (because
we can be certain they will come), just remember Jesus, and what He has done for you.
Heb.12:1-3

Application:
I think it is time for Christians to stop giving Christ a bad name. We already have the
guidelines, and all that is left now is to follow them. The question remains, if you are truly a
Christian, if you truly are a new creation, if you truly have your identity in Jesus Christ, are you
willing to let Him direct the flow and outcome of your life? Because that is what it means to be
His disciple, striving to become more like Him.

Conclusion:
For my conclusion, let us all be reminded of the things that matter the most to God.
becoming more like Christ is not just an option to consider. It has been God’s will since the very
beginning. Rom.8:29a As we seek to serve Him, praise Him, please Him, and worship Him, we
know what He desires from us, His people. Rom.12:1-2 our lives are the most pleasing sacrifice
we can give to Him, to Him who has already given us so much. Let us not get distracted by the
affairs and troubles of the world so much, let us instead focus on what matters the most. May
all of us glorify God not only on the day of our anniversary, but all the days of our lives as we
seek to worship the almighty God. To God be the Glory.