Colossians - An Expositional Study
GUIDANCE ON GARMENTS
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:5-14 (KJV)
If you are a soldier, you must dress the part; if you are a baseball player, you must dress the part; if you are a bus driver, you must dress the part; if you are a Christian, you must dress the part. The resurrection life demands a complete change of costume. Paul was a practical person, dealing in his letters with the highest of themes, yet always bringing them down to the level of the work-a-day life, showing how heavenly truth is intimately related to the homely details of everyday living. Consider that great teaching on full surrender (Rom. 12:1-2). Notice how, from verse 3 onward, he applies it to common ground. Also, in his letter to the Ephesians, how in the first part he is in the highest of themes, but in the closing chapters he is in the home, speaking of the mutual obligations of wives and husbands, children and parents, servants and masters. Like the apostle John, Paul regards the truth not merely as something to be held or admired and taught, but as something we are to "do" (1 John 1:6). Doctrine is always linked with doing. Paul pursues this same habit in Colossians. "Habit" – the French use this word to describe clothes. A "habit" may refer to a coat, skirt, or suit. It is interesting to observe how often Paul speaks of personal habits and characteristics under the illustration of clothes. He does so in our present text.
The old clothes first claim our attention:
What they are – a lot of junk and worse. Consider the moth-eaten garments in verse 5, and that other list of disreputable pieces of apparel in verses 8-9. Notice in the latter list that many iniquities are those of the mouth. A powerful speech, a good speech, is one that has a bit for control and a helm for guidance. James says it is a fire, a beast, a poison (Col. 3:2-8). In our text, in the first list, it is interesting to consider the phrase "covetousness, which is idolatry." But do Christians worship idols? Sadly, often yes. The covetous man made an idol out of some possession, some position, which he coveted and sought to secure by hook or crook.
What God thinks of such clothes – "for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (v. 6). Christians often play with sin and trifle with God; speaking of foibles, weaknesses, failures, when God calls them sins. Are we treading on His mercy? Forgetting the awful reality of His wrath? Disobedience incurs His displeasure, and that is gravely serious.
What we all once wore – "in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them" (v. 7). Walking about in rags; for even if we were respectable citizens in the eyes of the world, we were not so in God's eyes. Concerning humanly well thought of people, He says, "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Is. 64:6). No matter how well-dressed we are in a material sense, we are wholly unattractive in spiritual vesture.
What we should do with these old clothes – "Put off all these" (v. 8). Discard and destroy them; "mortify" (v. 5). They are fit for nothing but the rubbish bin and furnace.
The new clothes come under inspection:
What they are – a lovely list, as seen in verses 12-14 of our present text.
Why should they be worn – "as the elect of God." The elect should always be select. Christians should dress the part. A Child of God who is spiritually down-at-heels and out-at-elbows is a disgrace to his profession. In the Lord's parable, when the king punished the "man that had not on a wedding garment" (Matt. 22:11), it was the fellow's own fault, because the festive robe was offered at the entrance. Perhaps he thought he could not afford one, but they were free to all the guests. Perhaps he thought his own clothes were good enough, but they did not satisfy the king. Perhaps he was late, rushing in at the last moment, but he should have allowed nothing to hinder his coming to such an important function. From this we learn that the right dress was available, if he had only received and accepted it. Likewise, all the wonderful qualities of Christian demeanor and behavior can be ours.
What to do with them – "put on" (v. 12). It is not enough to admire or covet them. In another connection, speaking of a Christian soldier's uniform and accoutrement, Paul says, "put on the whole armour of God" (Eph. 6:11). As we seek to match the new life "in Christ", two immensely important things await us; "put off" (v. 8) and "put on" (v. 10).
A beautiful overcoat – "above all these things put on love" (v. 14). We will often find it chilly facing life. Cold winds of opposition may come and blow at our allegiance to Christ; dark clouds of disapproval may frown on our Christian stand for Him, so we should never be without our overcoat. The love of God will warm our hearts and spirits. The cold looks we might get from people don't matter anymore.
We should remind ourselves that this very over-coating of the love of God, His for us and ours for Him, will also kindle within our hearts a love for others, even for those who oppose. Pray that people will admire your overcoat, enquiring where they can get one just like it.
A change of personality precedes a change of dress. It is useless to speak to unbelievers about Christian qualities. To expect them to wear such characteristics is like expecting young David to go forth to meet Goliath in Saul's armor – "I cannot go with these" (1 Sam. 17:39).
"Ye have put off the old man" (v. 9). This is not the old nature. Paul's name for that is "the flesh", the entail of Adam's fall which is in every child of Adam down through the human race remaining with us until the end of our days on this earth. We have temptations from without; from the world and Satan. It is aggravated by temptations from within; from the "flesh", acting like a spy in the castle, in league with the enemy without. If left undealt with, it will lead us astray, wandering off in the ways of wickedness. The ancient English game of bowls is a good illustration of the workings of "the flesh" within. A little white ball, the "jack", is trundled along to the other end of the green, and the player bowls his wooden ball to lie as near to the jack as possible. It seems easy, if one has a straight eye, but not so. Inside the wooden ball is metal, a bias, causing it to go astray, in spite of taking careful aim. The skill is in allowing for the bias, counteracting it. Our old sinful nature, "the flesh" within, is destined to lead us astray, collaborating with temptations from within – "every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1:14). Thank God, there is a way of control. "The flesh lusteth [fighteth] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). The Christian has become a two-natured person: the abiding old nature wars for control, but the indwelling new nature fights. The secret of conquest is to let the Holy Spirit take over the conflict. This is about what the "old man" is not. But what is he? Simply stated, the "old man" is the man of old, the person we used to be before conversion.
Regarding the old man, consider:
The old man's decease – "our old man is crucified with Him" (Rom. 6:6), by the reckoning of God, through the identification by obedient faith, spoken of in our last chapter.
The old man's dress – "ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (v. 9). His conduct is here likened to his costume.
The old man's double – "ye put off as concerning the former conversation [manner of life] the old man" (Eph. 4:22), the way you used to go on in the old regenerate days. Sometimes, because he is taken off guard, a Christian is betrayed into doing or saying something that was habitual in his old days, something which, when he was born again, he discarded, but for a moment he behaves like the old man's double. If a Christian husband came to breakfast in a temper, it would not be a bad idea for his wife to rebuke him by saying, "Honey, you've got the old man's coat on this morning."
"Ye have put on the new man" (v. 10). That poor deformed savage Caliban, in Shakespear's Tempest, spoke better than he knew when he said, "'Ban, 'Ban, Ca-Caliban
Has a new master; get a new man." We put on the new man when Christ is our Savior and Master – "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17). As a Christian one is to dress the part. "The garment of praise" (Is. 61:3); "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness (Is. 61:10). The story is told of some sightseers, who, while wandering the grounds of a famous English castle came upon a man whom they thought was one of the gardeners because of his clothes. They asked, "Is the Duke in residence?" But, in fact, it was the Duke himself, who obviously wasn't dressed the part. A Christian soldier must never be out of uniform. So it should be with all new-born people of God. Whether Greek, Jewish, Barbarian, Scythian, slave or free (v. 11), they all dress alike. "Christ is all, and in all." This of course is a spiritual suiting, which is the height of fashion in the circles of Heaven – the old clothes look drab beside them. No wonder Christians are exhorted, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance" (1 Pet. 1:14), when, not knowing any better, you thought yourselves looking smart. And now one last consideration from our present text...
"After the image of Him that created him" (v. 10). We have been considering putting on various Christian virtues and we have noticed how becoming they are in a Christian. But, now, in conclusion, we take the matter a step further. God formed man, "in the image of God created He him" (Gen. 1:27); and now that we come to man's new creation in Christ, we learn that a like principle obtains – "after the image of Him that created him" anew. This likeness to Him is, indeed, at the very purpose of our redemption, "for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). Therefore, we can say that God intensely cares to produce Christ-likeness in His children. It is moving to observe that He often uses the circumstances of life, impressing this pattern on the hearts and lives of Christians. Paul knew this. He had suffered much. Listen to him, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28). We don't always think it, understand it, appreciate it, but "we know" it. Job said, "He knoweth the way that I take: when He tried me I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). One further testimony from the last of the prophets, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Mal. 3:3); "sit," because the operation is a delicate one; and the refiner will be satisfied with his work when he can see his face in the purified metal. One day, we shall be perfectly "like Him" (1 John 3:2), in an appearance of soul consonant with all His work for and in us. In that day, wonder of wonders, "He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied" (Is. 53:11).
"A Christ...so...ye" (v. 13). While we move among others, it is God's plan for us that we should represent Him to mankind. As the moon reflects the sun, so Christians are to reflect "the Sun of Righteousness" on this earth even though it will be a pale reflection. "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). If we are Christ's, we are called upon to live the Christly life, to be a Jesus person. What right does anyone have to be called a Jesus person? What degree of resemblance is there about us? Jerome K. Jerome wrote a story called, "The Passing of the Third Floor Back." Roughly, the tale is of a poor-class lodging house, where a heterogeneous company of needy and seedy people lived. Also living there was a girl who was trying to sell her virtue to the highest bidder. Into the place came a lodger who seemed different, who occupied the third floor back. He quickly revealed himself to have a kind heart and way. He always had a kindly word for the girl, who was usually ignored and down-trodden. She soon almost worshipped him, as did many of the other lodgers, too. He was always doing something for somebody in his kindly, sympathetic way. One day he moved elsewhere. The girl watched him, open-eyed, as he walked with his small bag to the front door. As he turned to her with a smile, she said, "Please, are you Him?" Is there any need to point out the moral? The moving story is fiction. Could anything like it be fact in our lives? "Like Him." It is the Holy Spirit alone who can do this for us and in us (2 Cor. 3:18).
