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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (16-6-1996
Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Additional Bible Reading: Colossians 3:1-17
Before getting on to very practical matters about the use
of the tongue, emotions, personal relationships, living in society and in the
home, Paul is laying down basic principles to show how fundamentally the
Christian life is built on entirely different foundation from other kind of
lives. In this passage he deals with the nature of Christian conversion using
terms found elsewhere in the New Testament. He speaks of putting off the old man
and putting on the new man. This is at the bottom of everything, a fundamental
and deep change has taken place. The source is God’s power. Always need to
understand this if we are to understand the Christian way of life.
Plenty of people who teach and
live upright and moral lives. Nice, decent, helpful people, we meet every day of
our lives. They hold no religious belief and do not go to church. They believe
the Christian life is like theirs, only Christians take it a bit more seriously,
and go to church and talk about God. But this is a total mistake. Outwardly, a
decent pagan and a Christian may be similar in certain respects, but the
Christian life is built on different foundation. The Christian acts from
different motives, deeply aware of unworthiness and frailty, utterly dependent
of God’s grace. The Christian’s way of life does not encourage pride and
self-satisfaction, has a very different attitude to sin, and everything is done
for Christ who loved him and gave Himself for him.
Only the Christian has a message
of hope for utter failure. Not just for educated and well brought up, but the
Christian life is put within the grasp of the man in the man in the gutter, and
the utter failure, because it rests on the power of God and not on man’s
ability. The Christian life does not mean white-washing the surface and painting
on a veneer – but it is based on the deep work of God giving people new heart,
new life and making them new men and women. Goes to root and to very source of
man’s life.
Going to consider this new man, (1) his creation, (2) his development, and (3) practical steps he takes daily.
You were taught… put off
your old self …put on the new self (Ephesians 4:22,24). How are we to
understand this? Is it something we have to do now, or is it something already
done? Various Bible translations add to the confusion – A.V., R.S.V. and
N.K.J.V put this as a command to be obeyed now. The N.I.V. speaks of something
which you were taught to do in the past. Grammatical issue. But the end result
is very similar. Preachers take both positions.
I personally take the latter
view, that it is something which has already happened. The old man is the man
you used to be, in guilt, under the wrath of God, dominated by tyranny of sin.
But this man is finished, was crucified with Christ, dead. I am in Christ now, a
new man, sins are forgiven, accepted, in God’s family, with God’s power
within. I am not perfect yet, the old nature is still there, though it is no
longer in rule and dominating. I have been remade by God’s grace. The old man
was all I was in Adam, the person I used to be before I knew Christ, the old
personality, unregenerate person, all I was as I was born. The new man, new
person, new creation, is all I am now in Christ.
The old man was corrupted by
sinful desires. His bias was towards evil, as behaviour of smallest child
proves. The old man is proof that the heart is deceitful above all things and
beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). Sin promises so much but never satisfies. God
by His grace has worked a miracle. For he has rescued us from the dominion of
darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves (Colossians
1:13).
The image and likeness of God in
which we were made, which has been spoilt and damaged by sin, is now being
remade. New man is created in righteousness – duty to man and true holiness
– duty to God. Concerned to be like God and separate from evil. Becoming a
Christian means a radical change. Effected by God’s power, which enables us to
repudiate former way of life and begin new one. Old man died, new man born. Out
of Adam, into Christ. Old dirty garment removed, beautiful new garment of light
has been put on.
Being a Christian does not mean
we are just like everyone else, except that we go to church and have made
changes in our outward actions. This would make us hypocrites. It is not about
being moral, decent folk. It means the life of God has entered the soul. Radical
change in outlook. Love for righteousness and holiness (and not just when people
are watching). And when sin comes, it is no longer a joke, or swept under the
carpet, but it is a cause of grief and concern. By the power of God, the new man
is reborn. Divine image is remade. Supernatural life into soul, under new
government and new control. This change is total, thorough, complete, divine.
Not altering outward acts and change of feelings. Not just turned over new leaf,
but received new life. Not informed, but transformed. Not just the old man
improved, but the new man created. Not a better man, but a new man.
If you do not know this divine work of being made a new man, you are not a Christian. Not a matter of what we profess or how many decision cards we have signed, or what meetings we went to in the past, not a matter of having had certain experiences and feeling happy (cults can do that for you). The whole experience is set forth and illustrate in baptism. Death to old life, raised to new life. The most profound change in the world. Nothing more shattering and powerful can happen to anyone. Not additions made by you to yourself. This is altogether from God. Supernatural, miraculous, from above, divine. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth (Psalm 40:2-3).
New birth, new creation, coming
into being of the new man is only the beginning. Then there must be growth, a
process has to get under way, the new man has to reach spiritual adulthood. Be
made new in the attitude of your minds (Ephesians 4:23) – literally
“keep on being renewed”. The Holy Spirit needs to keep on working there,
because the work of changing and transforming into Christ’s image is never
finished in this life. The man of the world has aimless empty mind, the
Christian’s mind has been possessed by the Holy Spirit. Outlook has been
changed, the way we think about things has been altered.
How very important our minds
are. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is (Proverbs 23:7). The things
we think about, the things we fill our minds with, keep thinking about – they
influence how we speak and what we say and how we act. Our thoughts influence
our actions, our actions become habits, and habits form our character.
Physically we are what we eat. Spiritually we are what we think. As we think of
God, His purposes, His will, His glory, then every part of our lives will be
affected. Whatever company we are in, whatever place we are in, whatever time of
night or day, we live, act, react and speak like a new man or woman. The new man
is not an act of pretence you put on if in certain company. That would be
hypocrisy. The new man is governing principle of whole of life. Centre of all
activities. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). The result is a
totally different way of looking at things.
“Heaven
above is softer blue,
Earth
around is sweeter green.
Something
lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen"
The Christian sees nature, but he sees the glory of God
there. Always the Christian sees something extra. So with the way we live and
the choices we make – not “how will it serve my interests?”, but “what
will please and honour the Lord, His will and His glory?”. We live in this
world, but do not have its mind and outlook. Strangers and pilgrims here.
Citizens of heaven. Living here on a passport.
Also because of the new man, we have power we never had before. Not only know what to do, but we are able to do it. Far too many Christians faced with challenge, just say “I must pray about it”. If God has called you to do something, don’t procrastinate by pious words about praying about it. Do it, and do it at once. Get on with it. You can do it, you are a new man. Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you (Philippians 2:12,13). Never say you haven’t got the strength. If you are a new man, you have got the strength. Use it. God never commands a man to do something without enabling him. If you are a new man, the Spirit of God is in you. Power is there in your soul. Use it. Act on it. Enjoy it.
We are new men if we are in Christ. Born again. Different
outlook. New way of thinking. Indwelt by divine power. In practical terms –
what does this mean every day? Is our daily routine affected by our new
position?
Remind ourselves every day we are new men and women in
Christ. Finished with old way of life. Committed to Christ. Indwelt by His
power. Under His authority. So as each day begins we yield self afresh to God.
Reckon selves dead to sin and alive to God, and yield and present bodies and
personalities to God for each new day. At the start of each day we should remind
ourselves of who we are, who we belong to, and what He has done for us. Bishop
Taylor Smith used to start the day, “This bed is the altar, this body is the
sacrifice. I am yours for today.”
Wherever we go, whatever company we are in, whatever
decisions we have to make, whatever way we have to react to what people have
done or said to us, when facing temptation – remember – I am a new man or
woman in Christ, the old man I used to be has been crucified with Christ. I am
alive to God. Remember the dignity of being a new man in Christ. Certain things
are unthinkable. Must act and speak as He requires, and must remember not to
live on own resources, but by the Holy Spirit of God who indwells me.
After Augustine’s conversion, he met a temptress from
his former immoral life. She said, “It is I”, and he replied, “Yes, but it
is not I”.
Be careful to starve evil, deal quickly with the
suggestions of the devil, beware of whatever encourages evil. Fill the mind with
God’s word. Sanctify them by the truth, Your word is truth
(John 17:17).
Remember people are watching us, they will judge God and the Gospel by us. Don’t let the family down. Also make the most of Christian fellowship. Talk together and pray together. Strengthen one another’s hands. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).
New man. This is what the Gospel claims to produce by the power of God. This is the deepest need of men. It is the answer to the world’s need. Not political action, or education, or social agencies, or even following the example of Jesus. The world needs the power of God. The Gospel of Christ …the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).
