In Christ, God has rescued us from the domination of sin.
Colossians 1:13 (NIV) says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."
Another word for dominion is domination, or even control. In Christ, God has rescued us from the domination of darkness.God has delivered us from the control of darkness. It is a frightening thing to be dominated by darkness. On the one hand, you sense that your life is spinning out of control. But on the other hand, you feel as if there isn’t a single thing you can do about it.
Take sexual sin for instance. In Colossians 3:5 (NIV) Paul says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." We never realize how dominated we are by something until we try to resist it andput it to death.
When is the last time you tried to put something to death, like sexual immorality or impure thinking? When is the last time you tried to guard your eyes from lust, or tried to redirect your sinful mind from a destructive fantasy? We’ve become so conditioned by our culture to sexualize everything, to think impure thoughts, to entertain our evil desires, to lust, to covet, and to see people as objects of our pleasure.
Sexual sin has far more power over us than we'd like to admit.
Would you agree that sexual sin has far more power over us than we’d ever care to admit? It’s an incredible thing and it’s a miracle that we would be rescued from darkness in times like these. The satisfaction of sexual desire drives every single aspect of our daily lives. Our music is about sex.Our television shows, our music, our novels, andour conversations are many times based on sex. Notice how sex is used to sell everything from cell phone contracts, to liquor, to laundry detergent.
And too often, we're more than willing to go along with the script that culture has written for us by acting on our impulses, thinking impurely, lusting, and fantasizing to the point that we find ourselves consumed— even enslaved.It is an incredible thing to be rescued the domination of something so dark as sexual sin. Do you agree?
Uncontrolled anger also enslaves us.
Speaking of darkness, what about our uncontrolled anger? Colossians 3:8-11 (NIV)instructs us,"But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practicesand have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
So do you think you’re in control of your anger? The other day Lara asked me if I looked forward to going fishing this spring. For some reason I started thinking back to high school. I was a D student. My Dad rode me constantly about my grades. I felt stupid.I felt like a failure.I hated myself. Every night it was the same thing. I was continually grounded, exasperated, and frustrated.
But then my Dad tried a different tactic. He said, "Jon, if you get your grades up we can do anything you want, within reason, for a whole day." I began dreaming about going fishing with my dad on the Kankakee River. It really motivated me— the thought of my dad not riding me so hard about my grades, the thought of just the two of us out there fishing, a father and son. Within no time, I got my grades up from D’s to C’s, then to B’s.
And then the day came when my dad looked over my grades and said, "Wow, well done! Great job." And sure enough, we made plans to go fishing. Just me and dad! But then my sister learned of the trip and insisted upon going fishing. It didn’t seem fair to me. It was my reward, not hers! And sure enough, we all went fishing and I didn’t catch a darn fish all day. But my sister had the time of her life! She caught a fish larger than any fish I’d caught in my whole life—a Northern Pike as long as my forearm! And all day long she rubbed her stinky fish in my face. And my dad razzed me about it too! While my sister was having the time of her life, I just seethed with anger and resentment. I hated her for hedging in on my day. I didn’t know who I was more mad at, my dad or sister.
"Jon, I asked if you are looking forward to going fishing?" "Huh?What?Oh yeah, definitely! I can’t wait to go fishing," I said.
In Christ, God rescues us from the dominion of darkness.Yet it seems we keep getting carried right back into it!The darkness keeps dominating us and it keeps controlling us. The sexual sin and the uncontrolled anger are so easily rekindled.The sinquickly regains its strength in our lives!
You know, God does indeed rescue us from the dominion of darkness. But with this rescue comes responsibility, and this is what Colossians 3:1-18 is all about. Last Sunday I suggested some practical strategies for breaking free from sexual immorality and anger. Let's review those and add a few more.
Strategy number 1: Seek Christ’s reign with all your heart.
Colossians 3:1 (NIV) says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." Remember, there can be no deliverance from sin where the heart doesn’t cooperate. If deep down in your heart you want to be sexually immoral,if deep down in your heartyou want to hold on to the anger instead of submitting to Christ, there isn’t a single thing anyone around can do about it.
Transformation begins in your heart. But here is the good news. It takes just a tiny mustard seed of desire on your part. Cry out to God, "Lord Jesus, give me a new heart and break my rebellious spirit!" God will answer that prayerone hundredpercent of the time.
Strategy number 2: Take control of your idle thoughts.
Colossians 3:2 (NIV) says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) says, "...takecaptive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, "… be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
You cannot keep thinking the same thoughts and expect a different result in your behavior. You become what you think. You have to interrupt your depressive,anxious,angry,lustful thoughts. Remember, disobedience begins in the mind, not in the body. Likewise, transformation begins in the mind, not in the body.Cry out to God, "Lord Jesus, give me a new heart and new mind!"
Strategy number 3: Trust in Christ’s forgiveness.
Colossians 3:3 (NIV) says, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." As Christians, we have a new status in Christ. We’ve been brought into the kingdom of the Son who God loves. If you are in Christ, you are forgiven! You are free from condemnation. If you are in Christ, your report card is hidden in Christ from your heavenly Father’s eyes! Your sin, your shame, your shortcomings, your failures, and your blemishes are all hidden! You're free to go fishing with your heavenly Father all day long, every day.
Believe me, you need the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness in order to escape sexual immorality and uncontrolled anger. God will not condemn you in your struggle. He loves you.
Strategy number 4: Remember your ultimate goal.
Colossians 3:4 (NIV) says, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Transformation is a life-long process that is only finished when we die or when Christ returns— whichever comes first. You had better be patient with yourself, and we all had better be patient with each other. Love covers over a multitude of sin as we await the coming of our Lord. We live under grace and we live under forgiveness. We have no other choice. But since we live under grace, let us not forget our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is tobecome like Jesus, to appear with him in glory, and for him to be our life. Our lives aren’t meant for sexual immorality. They are meant for the Lord.
Strategy number 5: Understand the consequence of rebellion.
Colossians 3:6 (NIV) says, "Because of these, the wrath of God is coming." This is a moment of truth. I am just a man. I cannot see what is in your heart. God, however, knows exactly what’s in your heart this morning. And some of you don’t seem too concerned.
You’re committing adultery. You’re sinning against the covenant of marriage. You’re guilty of fornication. You’re sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend. You’re violating your own body and that of others, engaging in reckless behavior, hiding your pornography, hardening your heart, and taking holy communion with the very hands you have all over your girlfriend or boyfriend.
You resent the concern being shown by the people who love you most. And you have the audacity to just sit there, thinking that God isn’t taking note of your rebellion! The truth is that God is restraining his wrath, not wanting you to perish. Every second God allows you to live on in your rebellion is by his mercy alone. But you’re a fool if you choose to gamble against time. You’re a fool if you don’t ask God, right now, for a new heart. And this is to say nothing about the danger of uncontrolled anger.
Strategy number 6: You will fail, apart from the Church.
Do you realize who we are? We are the body of Christ. Do you remember the secret? It’s Christ in you, the hope of glory! Christ dwells within us through his Spirit! Colossians 3:4tells us that Christ is our life, and that we are dead to ourselves!
The Church is our single greatest resource for spiritual transformation, second only to the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 18:20 (NIV) Jesus says, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." I see it every day. People who face the darkness of sexual immorality and uncontrolled anger alone,fail. You cannot put the deeds of darkness to death alone.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that almost without exception, every single command in the Bible is addressed to the church community, and not to individuals? We put to death the misdeeds of the body, not alone, but together. We clothe ourselves with Christ, not alone, but together. We need each other. We are interdependent. We are a body, the body of Christ. Our transformation and healing come as we allow Christ to indwell our relationships.
Incidentally, sexual immorality is Christ being ejected from our relationships. Uncontrolled anger is Christ being ejected from our relationships. So now the pathway to healing is inviting Christ to dwell in the very relationships we once denied him.In our marriages. In our dating. In our friendships. In our families. In our workplaces. In our church.
We are to be in relationship with other Christians.
Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV) is quite clear."Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Allow me to say one more thing about relationships. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV) says, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' "
You don’t think that relationships matter? For better or worse, you are the product of all your relationships. When youpickyour friends, you’re really picking your character. Every thought that you have, every belief that you hold, every behavior you do, every habit you’ve formed, and every attitude you express grows out of your relationships--- past, present, and future.
You cannot change your past, but going forward, you can choose Christ-centered relationships that will transform your character. Life Groups start next week. We will be discussing marriage first.