Photo: Unsplash – Helena Lopes

At the Anlaby Churches we’ve recently been working through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Here’s part of a sermon I gave on God’s new community of love, as we considered Colossians 3:9-17.

Heaven is a part of the creation which God has built to be the place of his glorious presence. Here he will dwell and gloriously reveal himself to eternity. And this makes heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the hemisphere in a clear day fills the world with light. The apostle John tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). And therefore seeing he is an infinite being it follows that he is an infinite fountain of love. Seeing he is an all-sufficient being it follows that he is a full and overflowing and inexhaustible fountain of love. Seeing he is an unchangeable and eternal being, he is an unchangeable and eternal source of love. There in heaven dwells that God from whom every stream of holy love, every drop that is or ever was proceeds.

Jonathan Edwards, Heaven a world of love

I quote those words because in them Edwards gives us a vision that Paul also explores in chapter 3 of the letter to the Colossians. Previously in the letter, Paul has shown that Christians – those who have repented and believed – are already seated with Christ in heaven spiritually (3:1-4); that all that is true of Christ is true of us (we have died with him – dying to our sin – and we have been raised spiritually)(2:9-14, 3:1-4); and that we grow and become more like Christ as we seek the things above: as we have a vision of Christ, of heaven, of the world of love (3:1-2).

In these verses Paul writes specifically about how this should affect our relationships in the local church, God’s new community. He argues that as we know who we are and where we are, so we grow – individually and corporately – into the likeness of what God is calling us to be for our blessing and his glory: He says ‘As those who belong in the world of love, live as a community of love.’

A new creation (verses 9-11)

‘You have put off your old self, and put on your new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.’ (verses 9-10). We had an old self – the old self of sin and self-centredness; but when we turned to Christ we took off that old self, as you take off an old coat, and we put on a new self. We became a new person, a new creation.

And what is this new person like? (S)he is ‘being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.’ This new self is being made more and more like God. And of course this is God’s work, by his Holy Spirit. He is transforming us into the image of the creator. At the creation God said: ‘Let us make man in our own image.’ (Genesis 1:28). The first man and woman were made in God’s image – that’s what it means to be fully human, not marred by sin. And so now, by the Spirit’s work in us, we are being re-humanised – being made fully human. As Dick Lucas writes in his commentary on Colossians:

In the local church we should be able to tell what it means to be a proper human being. To be recreated in Christ and renewed after God’s image is to rediscover the road to true humanness.

Dick Lucas

Imagine an orphan, in a country with no social welfare, who lives on the streets dressed in filthy rags, causing trouble and rummaging through bins for food. This orphan is found by a wealthy businessman, who decides to adopt him. He brings him into his house, gives him new clothes to wear, three delicious meals everyday, his own well-furnished bedroom, and everything he needs. We might say the orphan has put off his old self – living on the streets, wearing filthy rags, rummaging through bins – and put on his new self. And now he has to learn who he is and where he is; and to live accordingly.

Notice also that Paul isn’t just talking about us being restored as individuals, but rather as a church – as a community. In verse 11 he makes it clear that the things that separate us in the world – racial divisions, social and class divisions – are of no significance in this new creation; because Christ is all and in all. Christ is all we need; and Christ is all that matters. And we’re all in Christ and we’re all united to Christ; we are one new body.

What difference should this make?

Paul’s application in this little section relates to truth-telling and lying (verse 9). He says “you’re a new body – a new creation. So live like it. And therefore don’t lie to each other.” What’s the problem with lying? It undermines community, making it very hard to maintain relationship if we don’t know whether the truth is being told.

Most of us aren’t in danger of telling outright lies. But there is a different kind of ‘lie’ that can undermine community. This is the lie of pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t. We all do it don’t we? “How are you?” “I’m fine.” Perhaps we are – some of the time. But are we really – all of the time? What difference would it make if we were really honest with each other about how we’re doing – what we’re struggling with, what we’re rejoicing in? It might open up a real conversation that is helpful both to the other person and to us.

A new identity – Holy and dearly loved (verse 12)

‘God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.’ Paul’s picking up language from Exodus 19 speaking of God’s Old Testament people; language that Peter also picks up on. This is a reality we desperately need to know at the core of our being: not just in our heads but also in our hearts, both individually and corporately, as a body. Do we know, in our hearts, in the depth of our being, that we are holy and dearly loved by God? Not because of who we are and what we’ve done (because if it was down to these things God’s love for us would fluctuate); rather because we are in Christ by faith, and Christ is holy and dearly loved by the Father, and therefore we in Christ are holy and dearly loved by the Father. And because Christ has died for us: in love he has taken the right and holy anger of God against our sin on himself; he has taken all our guilt, all our shame. He knew everything about us – all our weakness, all our failure, the ways we’ll fail tomorrow and the day after and the day after – he knew all that, and yet he died for us. And as a wealthy bridegroom shares his wealth with a poor bride: so Christ shares his spiritual riches with his people.

Do you know that? As someone who has repented and is believing – do you know that God the Father looks at you and he sees Jesus? He loves you as he loves his precious Son. Maybe you feel unlovely today, unworthy of love. In one sense you are – just as I am. But God loves you anyway! He loves you because he loves you; he loves you because you are in Christ.

As we know who we are – holy and dearly loved – so we will behave differently. As we know God’s love for us in Christ – as we appreciate it more and more – so we are changed. Consider the list of qualities in verse 12 – compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience: They’re wonderful qualities for Christians to exhibit to one another; and the wonderful reality is that God in Christ has shown them to us first.

Think of the compassion and kindness of Jesus in his earthly ministry, as he saw people in need. Think of his compassion and kindness towards you and I in our sin sickness – even towards those who crucified him – “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Think of his humility – as Paul puts it in Philippians ‘who being in very nature God did not grasp equality with God but made himself nothing’ (Philippians 2:6-7): Being born in a squalid manger in Bethlehem; living in poverty and weakness and need; being rejected and humiliated and abandoned by God and man. Think of his gentleness, which Jesus himself combines with his humility in that famous saying “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest – for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:28-29). Think of his patience – towards his disciples who struggled so much to understand him and to follow him faithfully.

And as we know his love for us in all those ways and many more, so we will love in the same way. Think again of the orphan, now adopted into a new family, loved by a new father. He’s taken off his old self, he’s put on new clothes both literally and metaphorically. He’s learning to live a new life in a new family of love. How to relate properly to the other members of the household. How inappropriate it would be for him to go back to the streets, back to the rags, back to the bins.

What difference should it make?

I wonder – which of those characteristics do you most struggle with? Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience? And how do you need to gaze on Jesus – on that aspect of his character and ministry – so you become more like him?

A new community – of love (verses 13-17)

As inhabitants of heaven, those seeking things above, we will want to live lives of love to one another – as part of a community of love. As Jonathan Edwards put it:

If you would be in the way to the world of love, see that you live a life of love — of love to God, and love to men. All of us hope to have part in the world of love hereafter, and therefore we should cherish the spirit of love, and live a life of holy love here on earth. This is the way to be like the inhabitants of heaven, who are now confirmed in love forever. Only in this way can you be like them in excellence and loveliness, and like them, too, in happiness, and rest, and joy. By living in love in this world you may be like them, too, in sweet and holy peace, and thus have, on earth, the foretastes of heavenly pleasures and delights. Thus, also, you may have a sense of the glory of heavenly things, as of God, and Christ, and holiness; and your heart be disposed and opened by holy love to God, and by the spirit of peace and love to men, to a sense of the excellence and sweetness of all that is to be found in heaven.

Edwards, Heaven a world of love

As those trusting in Christ, we know that in heaven we will love perfectly. And so now is our opportunity to get into practice – however failingly, however imperfectly. The local church should be an outpost of heaven. As such it should show to the world what Christ’s love looks like; what Christian love looks like; and what is needed to maintain the community in spite of repeated offences and backsliding.

The commands Paul gives here are wonderful and they are profound, and I’d encourage you to take time to read through them and think about them, asking “which do I most need God’s help with?”

Bearing with each other (verse 13)

We’re called to bear with each other. In a church family – just as in a family or a marriage – it’s inevitable that as sinners rub up against each other, there will be friction. As much as possible we should try to smooth out that friction, to resolve issues. But there will always be an element of bearing with each other: We have different personalities – some personalities we click with, others we don’t; we have different backgrounds and expectations; we may be changing – becoming more like Christ – but it’s slow change, and so sometimes we will rub each other up the wrong way.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to sort any issues out. And there will be times when it’s right to lovingly challenge; there may be times when it’s right to complain to the church leadership, or via our safeguarding contacts. So there is unacceptable behaviour in the church – but at the same there is also a sense in which we will always have to bear with – until we see Christ face to face. And this is a hugely powerful witness in the community. In the wider culture, when a person isn’t getting what they want they stop the commitment, they go somewhere else. How counter-cultural and attractive it is to bear with, and to stick with each other.

Forgive (verse 13)

Connected to that we are called to forgive. When Jesus was asked “how many times should I forgive my brother?” he answered “70 times 7” meaning an unlimited number of times. Of course there needs to be repentance for it to be genuine forgiveness, but the willingness to forgive needs to be there, as we remember how much we have been forgiven.

Love over all (verse 14)

As God’s people we make a choice to love. We continually ask ourselves “what is the loving thing to do in this situation? How can I put the other person first in this situation? How can I love my neighbour in this situation?” And as we do that we find that we are happy; the person we’re serving is happy; and the surrounding community wants what we have.

Word of Christ dwelling richly (verse 17)

What is it that enables the community to live in this way? It’s the word of Christ dwelling richly – making its home – amongst us. And of course we find the word of Christ in the Bible.  

Notice also that we’re to teach and admonish one another: It’s not just the pastor’s job, or that of the church leadership. It’s for all of us. This is the mark of a healthy church – that we are teaching and admonishing each other. Is that our expectation? Do we expect and look for other people talking to us about spiritual things – the word of God? Do we look for opportunities to talk to other people about spiritual things? And if we don’t – why not? Is it because we don’t know what to say? Why not ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say. Is it because we don’t want to talk about our Christian faith? Why not? If you’re a Christian your faith is the most important thing about you, and you’ll want to grow. Are we worried someone’s going to challenge us in some way? Maybe they will – but if we speak the truth in love to each other – actually that’s for our blessing. I’m grateful when someone lovingly challenges me about something – it shows they love me, it shows they care.

Everything in the name of Jesus (verse 17)

Paul concludes with this wonderful verse that’s worth memorising. Everything we do should be in the name of Jesus – that is, according to his glory and character and will. If we can’t do it in the name of Jesus we shouldn’t do it.

Conclusion

Let us close with some final words from Jonathan Edwards, about Heaven:

What rest is there in that world which the God of peace and love fills with his own gracious presence, and in which the Lamb of God lives and reigns, filling it with the brightest and sweetest beams of his love; where there is nothing to disturb or offend, and no being or object to be seen that is not surrounded with perfect amiableness and sweetness; where the saints shall find and enjoy all that they love, and so be perfectly satisfied; where there is no enemy and no enmity; but perfect love in every heart and to every being; where there is perfect harmony among all the inhabitants, no one envying another, but everyone rejoicing in the happiness of every other; where all their love is humble and holy, and perfectly Christian, without the least carnality or impurity; where love is always mutual and reciprocated to the full; where there is no hypocrisy or dissembling, but perfect simplicity and sincerity…”

Edwards, Heaven a world of love