857. The Nature of the Church

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Today on The Daily Platform, we're continuing a study series entitled, Seeking Things Above, which is a study of the book of Colossians. We're looking this morning in Colossians chapter 3 verse 9.

If you have your Bibles, would you please turn there? The apostle Paul here is speaking about seeking things above. We are to be heavenly people, and we are to think that way and live that way. And in verse 9 he says, put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all in all. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Scientific research shows that having a connection to something bigger than yourself makes you happier and healthier.

New York Times writer David Brooks gave advice to college graduates in a column that he wrote entitled, It's Not About You. His conclusion is that the purpose of life is not found in yourself, it is actually in losing yourself. He implies that the most successful people spend time on things bigger than themselves. As a part of Paul's ministry, he was to teach Gentile believers that they are actually a part of something bigger than themselves. And specifically, he is speaking of the church. The church is God's work in the world today. The church, you could say, is where it's all happening. And Paul's primary teaching on the church is actually found in two letters that he penned, the book of Ephesians and the book of Colossians. However, there's a slight difference of emphasis regarding the church in these two letters. In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells us that through the gospel, we have been incorporated into the spiritual body of Christ, which is called the church.

Remember what Jesus said to Peter, I will build my church. So, we through faith in Christ are put into that body. Colossians, however, tells us that through the gospel, all believers are connected to their spiritual head, that is Jesus Christ.

So Ephesians focuses on the body and Colossians focuses on the head. And in both letters, Paul tells us that the church is actually a mystery. A mystery refers to something that was hidden in the past, but now it's being revealed in the present. And what he means by that is in the Old Testament, the Jewish people would not have understood the church. It was a mystery, and it was given to Paul to teach that mystery.

And here's the secret of the mystery. And that is that believing Gentiles, and by the way, there's two kinds of people in the world, Jews or Gentiles. And if you're not Jewish, then you're a Gentile. And Paul is saying that believing Gentiles could enter into the blessing of God's covenant that was reserved for the Jewish people. It is through the gospel that we become partakers of those promises. And through the gospel, we become a part of God's work in the world.

T.S. Eliot said most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. And Paul is saying that we have become a part of the most important thing in the world, and that's the church.

Think about it. If you're connected to a church, if you are committed to the church, if you are serving God either in the church or in support of the church, then you are really a part of the biggest thing in the world. That's why I believe at Bob Jones University, if we don't serve and if we don't support the church, then our existence is questionable.

Bob Jones does not exist for the sake of Bob Jones University, because God doesn't need this place. Because God's great work in the world is what he is doing through the church, and therefore we are to be a support of that. So in Colossians, Paul is unfolding the nature of the church. And basically he does it in two metaphors. The first metaphor is the church is a new creation. And by new creation, he is speaking of something that God made that did not formally exist. And in chapter one, he says that God created or he made the physical world.

That is, God made the world out of nothing. Look at Colossians 1 15. He says, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created. That are in heaven, that are in earth, visible, invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

What is Paul saying? Everything was made by Jesus, everything was made through Jesus, and everything was made for Jesus. By Christ's own power, he sustains and he holds creation together. And like a firstborn son in the ancient world who has rights and privileges over his father's inheritance, Jesus has first place over all creation. So the new creation is first of all pictured in the physical world, but then secondly, Paul says, is pictured in the spiritual body, the creation of the church. Look at Colossians 1 18, and he is the head of the body, the church.

What is the church? It is a society of men and women who have been supernaturally recreated through the new birth, through regeneration. And this new creation is a result of what Christ came into the world to do, and that is to deliver us from Adam's fall, or we would say to reverse the curse. In the Garden of Eden, Adam lived before God in a state of righteousness. However, he disobeyed God and the result was disastrous. His entire nature was transformed, Adam's nature, from being God-centered to being self-centered, and his sin was so great that he passed it on to the entire human race so that you and I are all born children of Adam. What did Jesus come to do?

He came, if you could say it this way, to start a new race of people. And think of the result of the fall of Adam and the way it has transformed how humans relate to each other. Everybody knows that in human society, we are deeply divided.

I mean, we see it all the time in the newspapers today. We see the struggle, even in American society. We are divided through language. We're divided through culture. We're divided through racial conflicts. We are divided through tradition.

We're divided through religion. So what did Christ come to do? He came to create a new society. You could say it this way, a new spiritual race of people. And this new society or this new creation is called the church, the body of Christ. And Paul's point is this, everyone who believes becomes a part of the body regardless of your background, regardless of the way you've lived. I think one of the glories of the church is to become a member of a body of people where people come in from all kinds of diverse backgrounds. And what once separated humanity has now been broken down through the cross. Look at verse 11, where there's neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarians, Scythian, bond or free, Christ is all and in all.

What is the result of Jesus becoming everything to everyone? It is this, that there is a potential of incredible unity in the midst of extreme diversity. Or to make it simple, it's like going to a church. I remember preaching in a church in New York City, had 200 church members and in that church of 200 people it had 40 different nationalities in it. And what was interesting is that some of the nationalities in the real world hated each other. For example, in the church there were people from India and there were people from Pakistan. And Pakistanis and Indians have always had conflict and yet in the church they have peace and unity.

How do you describe that? The only way to describe that is the new birth, the love of Christ, the new creation. People who once hated each other now love each other. People who were once separated from one another are now connected to one another. People who distrusted each other now trust each other.

People who would not associate with one another now are part of a family. And as the old life of sin and prejudice is put off, believers become united through this spiritual renewal that comes from the knowledge of Christ. The church is the new creation.

But then notice there's a second metaphor. And that is not only is there a new creation, but there's a new Israel. God chose Israel and made them his treasured possession. And God has invited Gentiles now to fully participate in the people and the heritage of Israel. We the church stand before God as Israel stood before God. And look at Colossians 3 and verse 12 where Paul tells us that the church is given the same titles he gives to Israel.

Look at what it says, put on there for as the elect of God, holy and beloved. Elect, holy and beloved is the way that God spoke about Israel. Like Israel, believers have been chosen on the basis of God's sovereign will and not on any special quality that they possess. God chose Israel. Like Israel, believers have been set apart for the Lord and for his service. And so we have been set apart for God's service. And like Israel, God set his love upon them. He chose to love them and therefore in response they love God back.

That's exactly what we do. And Paul is calling us the Israel of God. Listen to Galatians 6, 15. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon you and upon the Israel of God. Now let me just stop here and say that there's an important question that has to be asked.

And this is not one that we have time to fully develop, but the important question I want to throw out is this. Has the church replaced the nation of Israel as the people of God? Or let me ask it this way, is God finished with the literal nation of Israel in his plan and now God's plan is only the church? Well if he is, then how do we handle all the promises that God made to Israel as a nation? He made them to a literal nation, is God still going to fulfill them? Well we know Jesus came and God fulfilled his promises in Christ and yet there are many promises to the nation of Israel that have not yet been fulfilled. If God is going to fulfill those promises, then it means he cannot be finished with the nation of Israel. And therefore as a conclusion, Israel and the church are distinct. And the reason I'm bringing this up is because there are differing viewpoints on this and I'm not here to make contention over the points, I'm just simply here to tell you there are differing points of view. One point of view is a covenantal form of view that says that the church has been rolled over into Israel and now it has replaced Israel and the promises of the Old Testament are strictly for the church. But then there's a dispensational view that believes that God has specific promises to the nation of Israel that are yet unfulfilled and therefore there's a distinction between the church and Israel. That's where I personally stand and that's what I personally believe and I'm bringing that out simply because I don't want you to think that I'm passing by that, but the point that Paul is making here in this passage is actually much more practical. And that is if we are a new creation and we are the new Israel, then the point is how are we supposed to live?

It's all about being practical now. And I want to ask you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9 and I want you to notice what Peter says because he's actually saying basically the same thing Paul is saying. And he says in 1 Peter 2 and verse 9, notice the language he uses. He says, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. By the way, peculiar doesn't mean weird, although the gospel light does attract some strange bugs.

The word peculiar means special, unique, one of a kind. You're a peculiar people and here's why he did all this, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into marvelous light. We are called to show forth God's praises as we display the light of Christ. So how do we do this?

How do we display that light? If we are a new creation, a new race, a new society of people, how are we supposed to live? And basically we're supposed to live a different kind of life.

And that's what Paul is commanding us to do here in Colossians chapter 3 beginning in verse 12. He says we are to put on the qualities that reflect a new creation. We are to have these character qualities in our life. And I want to just stop here and say that oftentimes, and we do this, we can do this easily at Bob Jones, that in our emphasis of Christian character development, it can actually become very selfish. For character is developed, could be for the benefit or the betterment of the person so that you can be successful in life. We understand that people who are successful in life have character. But Paul is not speaking so much about success.

I don't think that's even in his thinking. I think what Paul is concerned about is that the church reflects the character of God so that the world can get a glimpse of what God is like. That the world would see the nature of God through the society of his people called the church. And the qualities that God wants us to reflect are the same qualities that God showed to the nation of Israel. Take your Bibles and turn with me please to Exodus chapter 34 and I want you to notice this.

On Mount Sinai, God revealed himself to Moses. God told Moses what he was like. And I'd like to read these verses to you because I want you to read this, Exodus 34, and then we'll go back to Colossians 3, 12 and notice the exact same qualities.

In verse 34 it says, And the Lord passed before him, Moses, and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation. Look at the qualities that God says about himself, merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy and forgiving. Now let's go back to Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12 and notice that these same qualities are to be reflected in our lives. And since we are Christ's body, then obviously these are the qualities that were reflected in the life of Christ that we are to put on. Notice he says in verse 12, Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, forgiving one another.

These are qualities that were reflected in the nature of God to the nation of Israel and the Lord is saying these are the qualities that we need to have developed into our life. Now I do want to make a point here about the sermon I preached last week because I've gotten some response back and that is there was a point in the sermon last week where I was talking about putting to death and putting off the old and I used a phrase repetitively and by the way I did it on purpose, I said stop it. Do you remember that? I just kind of yelled stop it about six or seven times. And for some of you that was difficult for you and I'm not going to sit here and try to correct your thinking but I want to say something.

I did that intentionally. Why? Because the only way to deal with sin is you have to stop it. For example, you can't have sex a little bit.

Okay? It's like, okay, would you stop having sex, you know, or at least try? That's not the way that you deal with sin. Would you stop cursing just a little bit?

Okay, like can you cut it in half? That's not the way you deal with sin. The only way to deal with sin is you have to stop. You have to put it off. So when we deal with sin, it's always to be put off immediately. What do you do if you sin again?

You confess it and you go back to choosing not to do it. But what is very interesting is that the putting on of these qualities is not something that can be done immediately. It's a choice that you made and it grows progressively. It's like fruit. Fruit is grown.

We kill weeds, we grow fruit. So these qualities do take time. And what are the qualities that reflect the nature of God? Look at what he says, bowels of mercy.

What does he mean by bowels? He's talking about your inward parts and the Greeks believe that this was the seed of your emotions, your feelings. It's a deep, heartfelt compassion for people. It's what the Bible says when Jesus saw the people and he was moved with compassion.

Or when Jesus saw the man who was a leper and he was moved with compassion. It's the feelings that we see for those who suffer. The quality that we should be putting on in our life is this sense of mercy. And then notice the next word, kindness. Kindness means to display gracious acts of kindness for the good of others. Jesus said, love your enemies, do good, lend to them hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and you shall be the children of the highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. We are to be kind to actually people who are not kind to us. And then number three says humbleness of mind.

What does that mean? It means thinking of others and serving them. Thinking of their interests, serving their needs. Is that not the way Jesus thought? Remember what Paul said? He said, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but of the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

What is he saying? Humility, kindness, a heart of compassion, all of these qualities reflect Jesus and these are the things that we're to be developing in our life. This is going to take our whole life to be this way. And then notice the next word meekness. Meekness is somebody who is not consumed with their own self importance.

They're not rebellious, they're not reactionary, they're gentle, they're mild and they're patient. Jesus said take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek and lowly in heart. So we're to put on a spirit of meekness and then notice the next word long suffering. Long suffering means that people are painful, suffer, and you have to put up with them a long time. You know if you don't put up with people a long time it's obviously not long suffering.

So the idea is putting up with people in the face of being provoked or somehow there are complaints or there's some kind of irritation. Think of Jesus he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so he opens not his mouth. Jesus showed patience and long suffering. And then the last two forbearing one another and forgiving one another to bear means to endure. To forgive means to show the grace of forgiveness and notice what he says and I want to finish with this this morning. He says in verse 13 if any man have a quarrel against any. So let's stop there.

The word quarrel means to be able to find a legitimate complaint that implies blame. Alright now think with me a moment. We are to put up with and forgive people who actually have done things wrong to us that actually are legit. Okay? Somebody really mistreated us.

And the temptation and what I want you to see when he says forgiving one another he's talking about Christians. I think one of the easiest places to develop quarrels or complaints is Bob Jones. Why? Because we're living among Christian people in a society of people where we're restricted and there are regulations and you're under authority and it's very easy for people to misunderstand or mistreat or not really treat you appropriately and it's very very easy to have a legitimate complaint.

Okay? I went to Bob Jones University. I served outside of this ministry for over 30 years and let me tell you something. I actually had some legitimate complaints about Bob Jones. I'm being serious.

I'm not being funny. Some things that I felt were not right or the way that I was treated or things that were said. So what am I supposed to do? Be ticked off the rest of my life?

Really? What does Paul say to do? He says put up and forgive those things that are legitimate. And why does he tell us to do that? Because even as Christ forgave you so also do ye. Let me ask you a question. Does God have any legitimate complaints about you? Anything that you have done where you in actions have mistreated him? And what he's doing is he's taking all of these qualities and he's putting them together almost in this package of perfection and he says look you are as the body of Christ or to reflect the nature of Christ in these character qualities by the way you respond.

Let me finish with this illustration. Probably two months into my presidency here as back in 2014. I got a letter from a former student who was here in 1952. I think he was 87 or 89 years old at the time. He came to Bob Jones University and he was here for about a year and he got kicked out of school. He came as a preacher boy and he was I think he was married and he lived off campus and he had a job where he was painting. And so when the Bible conference came up he got a legitimate excuse to miss Bible conference in the morning because he had to work. Well when Bible conference was over with he got turned in for missing Bible conference services. And so when they brought him in he said look I had this pass I was excused and in the process he was actually dismissed from school because he missed the classes and that was put on his record.

Well he writes me and he asks can that be removed from my records. He went on graduated from Michigan State University. He got a PhD.

He taught there for years retired from there he had postdoctoral work. OK this is the guy that wrote me. I get this letter and I go whoa all right. So I checked all the records and sure enough what he wrote to me was very legitimate. So I wrote him back. I said dear sir thank you for your letter. It appears like what you have told me is the truth.

There's no reason for me not to believe you. And I want you to know that your record is clear. And I want you to know that whatever was done that was wrong would you please find it in your heart to forgive us. And I want you to know that the people that dealt with you are actually no longer with us they are in heaven.

So whatever they were like down here they are now in a perfected state. And it reminds me of a little poem that says to dwell with saints above oh that will be glory. But to dwell with saints above below.

Now that's another story. And I said sir I just want you to know that in Christ all is forgiven and all is good. That's what we're supposed to do. Wrongs are never justified. But in the body of Christ there should be a spirit of putting up with people. Now I want to say this as we finish. There are a lot of you right now that need to put this stuff on in your life. Because you go around and you complain and you grumble about things that really are not a reflection of the light and the character of Christ. May God help us to put these things on.