Holy and Forgiven

Introduction

We all carry an identity in us. We have a sense of who we are. That identity is largely molded through experiences, what others say about us, and our thoughts. For some, identity is tied to what one does—I’m a student, employee, business owner, etc. For others, it is tied to relationship—I’m a wife, mother, child, father, husband, sibling, friend, etc. Identity can also be found in terms that describe personality—free spirit, disciplined, determined, artistic, etc.

God establishes identity as well. What God says about us is true whether we believe it, feel it, know it, accept it, or understand it. What God says about you is true. You can reject God’s pronouncement about who you are and refuse to live in its truth. This is the path of defeat, disconnection, and debasement. God says, for instance, that we are made in his image. Whatever that may mean and it is layered in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components, one can live in its certainty or one may reject it and decide to be in the image of one’s own making (being one’s own god). To be one’s own god, leads to defeat, disconnection from God and others, and debasement as one lives in the mire of desire and selfishness.

We begin a brief series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Colossae was one of three towns that were within a few miles of each other. The other two being Laodicea and Hieropolis. Paul in 4:13 mentions the other two cities and then in 4:16 instructs that Laodicea and Colossae swap letters. Paul did not know most of the people in the church at Colossae. 1:7-8 tells us that Epaphras founded the church. He knows Philemon (who Paul writes a letter to), Onesimus, Archippus, and Apphia. Epaphras has come from Colossae and told Paul about what is going on. Paul writes at least three letters—Colossians, Philemon, and the letter that we do not have to Laodicea. A man named Tychicus along with Onesimus are transporting these letters and will minister to the believers.

Paul has been told that there are false teachers who are infiltrating the church in Colossae. It appears that while there is a large Jewish influence in the teaching, there are also pagan thoughts filtering through. In 2:16, we are told that there are contentions about celebrations, food laws, and holidays. Paul’s appeal to the believers is to remind them of their identity so that the false teachings cannot sway them. If you know who you are, the temptation to behave and think in different ways can be resisted rather than persuaded. The title of today’s lesson captures the identity of these readers and in turn our identity as well. We are holy and forgiven. Let nothing tempt you to believe otherwise.

Holy and Faithful

If you are under attack, it helps to know who you are. Paul begins this letter with a statement that stabilizes the foundation of those who follow Jesus. You are holy and faithful. Paul can write those words because Epaphras has told Paul this is what he sees in them. Additionally, this phrase suggests an allusion to Israel. Notice in 1:13, that Paul uses the word “kingdom” to describe where they reside. The Jewish allusion would combat the false teachers who think that unless certain food laws and holidays are kept, one cannot be fully God’s people. They are in the kingdom of the Son. They are holy and faithful in the kingdom. Paul uses the word “brothers” to describe both men and women in the kingdom. The word literally means “from the same womb.”

Paul is emphasizing the family nature of those who follow Jesus. As he writes in verse 4, he has heard about their faith in Jesus and their love for all the saints (same word as verse 2). This faith and love spring from the hope or because of the hope that we have waiting for us in heaven. Let me stop here and try to make this practical. Don’t turn your head but you know who is sitting close to you and around you. These same people will be with you in heaven. Stop and think a moment. We have all been born from the same spiritual birth (baptism 2:12); we all have the same Father (1:2); we all have the same brother (Jesus 1:2); we all love by the Spirit (1:8); we all have believed the same gospel (1:5); we all have been raised with Christ (3:1). We are going to spend eternity together!! Knowing that means we love each other now. Like all siblings, we will have our spats and misunderstandings but Dad wants his children to get along and our older brother showed us how to love deeply and sacrificially and the Spirit is working to bring about love in us. We are made for heaven and we will see each other there. We treat each other accordingly.

Faith, love, and hope go together. Faith describes the vertical relationship with God through Jesus. Love is the horizontal relationship we have with each other. Hope is the reminder that the future is in heaven. Holy is our identity. So then we live a life that is worthy of the Lord and we live to please him (1:10). Succinctly, this life is about God and not about us. We live with the end in mind. We live knowing that heaven is next. We live with more confidence and certainty. Nothing this life throws at us changes the reality of where we are going. Of course, we hurt and lament and suffer, but that doesn’t change the reality of our hope.

How Do We Live?

In verses 10-12, Paul gives four indications of what it means to live a life worthy of God and to please him. As Paul mentions in verse 9, he has been praying that we will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so that we can live as God wants us to. How does God want us to live? What is God’s will for us about how to live this life as we anticipate eternity?

Bearing fruit in every good work and second growing or literally increasing in the knowledge of God. These first two go together and allude to Genesis 1:28, where those created in the image of God are told to be fruitful and increase. Combating the false teachers, Paul is going back to the beginning. God’s intent finds its fulfillment in Jesus and those who follow him will fulfill God’s intent.

Third, we live with patient endurance because of God’s strength. Patient endurance suggests that there are trials and challenges to living. Whether one lives for God or not, challenges exist. Unbelievers use all sorts of methods to manipulate life to make it easier and find themselves deeply impatient, lacking the strength to endure or to keep going. Believers, however, are given strength from God so that we face the challenges with patience and endurance. This is how we live to please God. We patiently endure trials and challenges. We live with the end in mind. This is not all there is. The false teachers instructed that life had to be manipulated—eat only certain foods, keep certain holy days, and Sabbaths, worship the angels as if they will manipulate God to change things. Believers know how to wait and endure.

Fourth, giving thanks with joy to God because he has rescued us from darkness into the kingdom of light. I appreciate those who remind us in pain that God is good. Pain doesn’t mean that God is evil. Pain is a part of life. God is good even in the pain. So we live filled with thanksgiving for what God has done. He has redeemed us. Bought us from being guilt ridden, shameful, sin laden people and brought us into the kingdom of his Son.

Look at verse 14. When Paul uses the phrase “we have” along with an abstract noun, the meaning is that we are in a condition or constantly in a state of the abstract noun. It is continual. It never stops. Deep dive into scripture.

    (1) Look at Romans 5:1—"we have been justified and we have peace." God declares us not guilty and we have continual peace or we are in the state of peace or we are in the condition of peace.

    (2) 2 Corinthians 3:4—NIV translates the "we have" as "this is ours." We have confidence because we have the Spirit in our hearts. We are continually confident or in a state of confidence or the condition of confidence.

    (3) Ephesians 3:12—NIV translates well the wording is literally "we have freedom or boldness to speak." We are continually free or state of freedom or the condition of freedom

    (4) Colossians 1:14—"we have forgiveness." We are continually forgiven in a state of forgiveness or the condition of forgiveness.

This is not a result of living right. We live to please God because this has already happened. This is our response to being brought into the kingdom of light.

Who are we? Holy. What is our condition? Forgiven. How do we live? To please God. Why do we love each other? Because we will spend eternity together. Who do we belong to? God’s family. Invitation.

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