Shalom, everyone. I'd like you, please, to turn with me to the book of Colossians, in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant, Colossians chapter 3. We are going to begin today. We have covered already the first two chapters of Colossians, El HaKolossiim, as we say it in Hebrew. And we are going to begin today to study from the third chapter of the book of Colossians. Paul, the apostle, his Hebrew name Shaul, is writing to believers in Colossi, whom he never even seen. And he's writing to them, and I'm going to read the first 11 verses of chapter 3. And look what he is saying. If, or better way, since ye then be risen with Messiah, with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ, where Messiah, sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For we are dead, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Messiah in God. When Messiah, who is alive, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, affection, evil desires, and covetousness which is idolatry. For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them, but now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his desires, or with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

Well, there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, citidian, bound or free, but Mashiach, Christ, Christos, Messiah, is all and in all. And I stop here with these 11 verses. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, one of the wonderful lessons we learned from the writing of Shaul, of Paul, is that before he is even talking about practical things, He, first of all, like any good teacher, give us teaching, doctrine. Before we are able to practice something, it is important, first of all, that we learn what it means. What is the lessons that the teacher has in mind here? In the book of Colossians, we have four chapters, and we have covered the first two chapters, and he gave us doctrine.

Doctrine, teaching after teaching after teaching after teaching. He told us many things which we have already covered, and specifically, if you remember what he said, For in him, this is in the Messiah, in Yeshua, in Jesus, in the Lord Jesus Christ, in him, all the fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily. The Father, the Son, Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, all dwelling in the person of the man, Christ Jesus. He taught the Colossians of the importance of the person and the work of the Messiah, which he has done for us. You remember he also said in chapter 2, ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

In other words, what he is saying, you are not lacking anything when you have the person of Jesus the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And he has given us all kinds of wonderful truths concerning the believer. And before he could even speak about practical things, he gave us doctrine and teaching. And this is very important. You see, I trust and I believe all of us in this room today can say honestly, you don't have to say publicly, but in your own heart, you can say, I know that my sins are forgiven because of what my Messiah, my Lord, my Savior have done for me when he died for me on the tree.

This is important to know that, first of all, to know that we have been brought into a relationship with the Savior, with the Redeemer, and that we are linked with him, we are connected with him, and we belong to him forever. This is very important to understand. But now he is leading us into some practical things. You know, I am a believer for about 30 years, believer in my Messiah, in my Lord and in the Messiah. And I know very well, from experience, and some are older than I, that became believers longer before me. They know it, we know it from experience, that it's one thing to know head truth.

Or it's one thing to know doctrine and teaching. It's another story to practice this every day of our life. And what we learn from Paul, he says, listen, I want you to understand what the position that you have in the Messiah, and now I'm going to lead you on into the practical aspect of those things. And now notice, by the way, he tells us in these verses, verses 1 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 11, three things that he is teaching the disciples, the believers at Colossae. Number one, in the first four verses, I want you to be occupied with heavenly things. Number two, in verses 5 to 9, I want you to put to death the earthly things which are wrong that are being done in our life.

And number three, be on a daily basis renewed as you're getting to know more of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. So three things we are going to be talking about at this moment. The first thing is, be occupied with heavenly things. Notice, I'm reading the first four verses one more time. "Since ye have been risen with the Messiah, seek those things which are above, where the Messiah sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, when Mashiach, who is alive, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Now notice that.

The first thing that he does, he wants and he challenges the Colossians, and he's challenging you and I to be occupied with things which are in heaven. You know, one of the tricks of one of the things that the enemy does to you and I, Satan, the world, and the flesh. You know what he does very well, what these three enemies of the believers do very well? Keeping us so much occupied with earth, so much occupied with here and now, that we don't enjoy the things that God has in mind that belong to the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ in glory in heaven. And that's what happened to us.

You see, the television, the computer, the internet, the radio, the billboards on the street, everywhere around, when you look around, you seem to be so much occupied with the things here and now, that the believer is no longer occupied with things which are in heaven. And what he's teaching us in those verses, he says, listen, be occupied with heavenly things. Now, how does he do it? You know what, Paul is a great teacher. He first gives them facts, and then he leads them to the practical things. He first gives them, notice that I have here four facts concerning you and I, concerning the believer. And I'm jumping over verse 1 and 2 for a moment, and I'm talking about verses 3 and 4 of Colossians chapter 3.

The first thing he's telling them in verse 3a, notice that, the believer is dead. Now, wait a minute. Notice what he says, verse 3. For ye are dead. Now, wait a minute. When I read such a verse, he's saying to them, the first part of verse 3, you are dead. You immediately scratch your head and you wonder, wait a minute. I mean, look at us here, this moment, at this meeting, you all look very alive and well. Thank God that you are sitting and breathing and looking at me and smiling and learning for what I have to share with you this afternoon. We are all alive and well here.

But you know, he's teaching us positional truth. And you know what happened when the Messiah Jesus died for us 2,000 years ago on the tree? He did not only die for our sin and sins, but he died because we are connected with him that we will be dead to sin. You know, that's what the book of Romans is very clearly teaches us. And I'm going to read just a couple of verses from Romans chapter 6. If you just turn there for a second with me. Romans chapter 6. In verse 1, it says this. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, he says in verse 2 of Romans 6.

How shall we, notice that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Knowing not that many of us as were baptized into Jesus the Messiah were baptized into his death? Notice, go down to verse 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. Now think with me, beloved brothers and sisters, what Paul, Shaul, is saying in Romans 6, that's like he's saying in Colossians 3 verse 3a, that the believer is dead. Now that is a positional death. Yes, we are practically alive and well. But positionally, beloved, look what happened when we became believers in the Messiah. This old nature had been set aside positionally before God.

When God looking at us, he doesn't look at Gideon with his sinfulness, with his old nature. He's looking at the believer through the person of the Messiah. And when we became believers, we are seen through the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And that's why he's saying, number one, you have to understand this fact. You are dead. Positionally, as far as God's concerned, that old nature is not recognized. You are dead. God knows your old nature. But he is considering the believer as dead. That's why it says here, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. You notice when the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, he was crucified on a Roman cross.

They took him there. They took him there. They placed him there between the two malefactors. They nailed his hands and his feet to the tree. And they pierced his side with a spear. They crucified him. He was hanging there on that cross. And ultimately, God judged him on the tree for our sin and sins. And when he died, you remember what he says, it is finished. He finished the work of redemption. God had been the God of Israel, had been satisfied. The Messiah had died. Our sin and sins have been dealt with. But when you become a believer, you and I, actually, positionally, to know that the old man had been crucified with him.

Just the same like he died 2,000 years ago. The old nature of ours died with him on the tree. That's what he's saying. Shaul, that's what Paul is saying to the Colossians. In Colossians 3, verse 3a, the first part, you have to recognize when the Messiah died, we died with him. Now, go back to Colossians, please. Chapter 3 and verse 3b. Not only that the believer, not only that we are dead, we died with him. But notice in verse 3b, he says that the believer is hid with the Messiah, with Christ in God. Notice I'm reading verse 3 again. Verse 3b. After he says, for ye are dead. Notice he says, and your life is hid with Christ, with the Messiah in God.

You know what? That is precious to me. And I'm sure it is precious to all of us. What happened when the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, died for us and we have accepted him? You know that our life is like a treasure that is being hid with the Messiah, with Christ in God. You know what they teach us, beloved brothers and sisters? They teach us eternal security. That teaches us that it doesn't matter what happens when we belong to Yeshua, to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. We are eternally secure with the Messiah in God. It's like a treasure that's been placed in a safe place. And it's been placed there for protection.

We belong to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. And nothing, nothing ever will be able, no one will be able to separate the believer from the love of God. No one will be able to snatch the believer out of the hands of the Messiah, out of the hands of God. No one, nothing will be able. Where we read in the book of Romans, again in Romans chapter 8. Who shall separate us from the love of the Messiah, the love of God, which is in the Messiah, Jesus. He's talking about all kind of situations that happen in the life of the believer. But nothing will be able to separate us.

It says in Romans 8:31. What shall we say to this thing? For if God is for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son by delivering him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to charge against God's elect? Who is he that condemn us? Notice verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of the Messiah? You know, if sometimes you feel lonely and troubled and discouraged. And you see around and you have problems at home. Problems on your job. Problems around us. And your health situation. And everything. Just meditate, beloved brothers and sisters, on this fact.

That your life is hid, as Colossians 3:3b says. That your life is hid with the Messiah in God. You are so precious to him. You are so dear to him. That nothing, no one will ever be able to harm you. When it comes to your relationship, to your position, relationship with the Lord. No one will be able to take us away from the preciousness that we belong. That the believer is to the heart of the Messiah. Hid, protected with the Messiah in God. With Christ in God as we have it in verse 3. Your life is hid with Mashiach in God. Now he's moving on. You see, he's stating facts.

He's telling us. The readers today. The Colossians 2,000 years ago. He's telling them those facts. He says, get a hold of that. You are dead. Your life is hid with Mashiach in God. You are protected. You are saved. You have an eternal relationship with him. Number 3. Notice in verse 4. The first part of verse 4. He says, listen. He says, the believer's life is now not only safe. Not only that he's safe and protected and he has eternal relationship. But he continues to say, when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. The first part, first of all, when Mashiach, who is our life shall appear.

Do you know that it's not only that we have safety and protection, but the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is our life. Do you know that our life is linked totally with the person of the Messiah? Our life, as it says here, Christ who is our life. That's who the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is. He is our life. Everything that is linked with us as believers today or all what we are linked with today is with the person of the Lord who is now our life. Paul says, the life that I now live. Galatians. I live by the faith of the Messiah, the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul says that in the book of Galatians. And notice, fourthly now, I'm reading in verse 4, not only that the believer is dead, not only that the believer is hid with the Messiah in God, not only that the believer's life is the Messiah himself, but in verse 4b, it says that the believer is glorified in Christ, in the Messiah. It says in verse 4b, it says, when he is going to appear, verse 4, when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall he also appear with him in glory. Do you know what he is saying to us? That the believer is actually seen as he is glorified with Christ, with the Messiah.

When he is going to appear, we are going to appear with him. I mean, this is amazing truth to understand. We cannot grasp it because we are so earthly bound. We are so occupied with here and now me and my problems and my issues and my desires that we don't have the time even to meditate of what positional truth God is teaching us through his word. That we are dead. That we are dead. That we that believe in him, we are hidden in Messiah. We are sheltered. That we have our life linked with him and that we belong to be with him in glory. When he is going to appear, guess who is going to appear with him?

All of the believers, all of those that have been sinners saved by grace. And that's what leads him to say now, and I'm going back to verse one and two. He says again in verse one, since ye have been risen with the Messiah, seek those things which are above. Where the Messiah sitting? On the right hand of God. By the way, you remember, Shaul, Paul, did not have any New Testament when he was writing to the Colossians. He couldn't say, you say, let me read you Matthew. Let me read you Mark. He was quoting the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures. And where do you think he was thinking about the Messiah is sitting on the right hand of God?

Well, how did he know that? He knew it because he read the Psalms. Where God the Father said to God the Son, sit down on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. You see, when the Lord Jesus finished the work on the tree, after he was buried in the tomb, after he rose from among the dead, God tell him, I'm going to give you a place. Sit down on my right hand until all your enemies are going to be dealt with. I'm going to put your enemies, going to be the footstool. Your enemies are going to be judged, ultimately. And to Lord Jesus, to the Son, he says, you sit down.

And you see what he's saying to the believers, to the Colossians? You know, Colossians, they were Gentiles, pagans. They came from a pagan nation. They have not known those truths. They had to learn those truths. They had to learn those things. They just got saved. They just accepted the Messiah. They got saved. And here Shaul, Paul, is teaching them truths, doctrines that are important for them as believers to understand. Look for things which are above. You know what? You have problems. You have issues in your life. You know where the Messiah is. The Messiah is at the right hand of the Father, at the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above and not on things here on this earth. You know, sometimes our affection is in a wrong place. You know, it's nice to be in love. And it's nice to have affection. But affection needs to be placed in the right place. The Messiah, the Lord Jesus, is at the right hand of the Father in heaven. And he wants the affection will be towards him. To have affection stirred, you know, when you fall in love with someone, you miss that person. You want to be with that person. You want to be with that particular individual, whether it is a bride-to-be or bridegroom-to-be.

You want to be with that person so much. Your affection is directed towards that person. And you can't sleep at night. And you can't go without to think about that person. That's how the Lord wants us to have our affection upon the Lord Jesus. Our affection upon the person. And you know what makes our affection stirred? When we think again and again of the price that he paid for our sins. Remember we sang, we could not keep the law. We could not fulfill the holy requirements of God. And what did he do? He sent his son to pay our price. To pay the price that we could not pay.

And you know what? It's a love relationship. It's something that really ought to stir up our hearts again and again. But he won't hear the believers to have their affection set on things above. Not here on this earth. Because one day this world is going to end. Even before this world will end. We are going to leave this scene. Perhaps at any time. Maybe we're at a meeting not even going to finish today. And we're going to just even go outside the hall. And who knows what can happen to each and any one of us. And then we have to leave everything behind. But what he really set before us here.

He wants to set the Lord Jesus, the Messiah who is in heaven. The affection to be stirred towards him. And you see that's how he started. Paul Shaul is like this. Giving some beautiful teaching facts. And now he's leading us to the practical things in the next verses. Now notice I'm moving down in our chapter. Colossians 3. And now from verse 5 to 9. He's telling them to put to death their earthly wrongdoings. Wrong things. To put it to death. To put it to death. You notice he's using the word in verse 5. Mortify. In other words for mortify simply. Put to death. You remember in verse 3 he says you are dead.

Now he's telling them in verse 5. Put to death. You see the difference between the positional and the practical. The positional is verse 3. You are dead. But God have left us here in this world. God have left us here in this scene. In this world. Now he's wanting us with our affection set on the person of the Lord. Now to move from the positional. To recognize it. And to begin to practice this. On a day by day routine. So he's telling us. Notice what he's telling us. By the way. He's talking about sensual sins. Which all of us. And by the way. Don't you think that he's speaking about to unbelievers.

He doesn't speak to unbelievers. He doesn't speak to unbelievers here at all. He's speaking to us as believers. He's speaking to Christians. He's speaking to those who confess that they belong to the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And he's telling us. Because he knows our hearts. He knows how our nature. The old nature is sinful. The old man is so sinful. We are not better than the unbelievers. We are not better by one iota. From the unbelievers outside. And that's why he's speaking to us. He says listen. Put to death therefore. Your members. Which are upon this earth. Fornication. Uncleanness. Passionate affection. Evil desires. And covetousness.

Which is idolatry. For which things sake. The wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. Children of disobedience. Not just these thoughts. First of all. Put to death your members. By the way. You notice that he's speaking about members. With those members. The members of the body that God had given to us. To use it in a proper way. Are capable to be used in a wrong way. And that's why. It's not even possible. Otherwise. Unless our affection is on the Lord. If our affection and our thoughts are not on the Lord. We will not have the energy. The strength. The ability. To be different.

Than the unbelieving world. And that's why he says. Put to death therefore. Your members. Which are upon this earth. Fornication. He mentioned in number one. This is sexual immorality. Then he says to us. Uncleanness. Speaking about lustful desires. And so on. And he's continuing. He's giving us these practical things. For the Colossians. And for us. Evil desires. And covetousness. Which is idolatry. So you notice that. Including with those things. The sensual sins. Using the word covetousness. As well. And you know. It's his capability. That we have. As believers. To covet. Things that. Is not belong to us. It is sins. That creeping into. Our own hearts.

And our own mind. This is the way. The old man. The old nature. That's the makeup. Of the old nature. Is sinful. And that's why. He's saying. Listen. I know. That we have. Those conditions. It may happen. In the life. Of the believer. But if you are going. To be able. To put to death. Those members. You must recognize. The place. That you have. In the Messiah. And with the Messiah. And he's giving us. That list. I mean. He's amazing. That list. And he says. In verse 6. You know what. The wrath of God. Came. The children. Of disobedience. Because of death. Verse 6. It says. For which things.

The wrath of God. Cometh upon the children. Of disobedience. The children. Of disobedience. Are the unbelieving world. The unbelieving world. Are considered. Here. And in Ephesians. Chapter 2. As it says here. Children. Of disobedience. Those. Who haven't accepted. The Messiahship. Of Yeshua. Those. Who haven't acknowledged. That they are sinners. And that God. Through the person. Of the Messiah. Paid. The penalty. For their sins. They haven't acknowledged. What the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. Have done for them. Well. He's calling them. Children. Of disobedience. But the believer. Have obeyed. The word. In accepting. The Messiah. And he's appealing. To us. He's appealing. To the believers. To put. To death.

All. The wrath of God. To fall upon. The children. Of disobedience. And beloved. You know. This is very practical. Because we know. Our hearts. We know. Our failure. In many. Many ways. We know. What we are capable. Of doing. But God. Having desire. To have our affection. On the person. Of the Lord. Will enable. The believer. To rise above it. And to seek. To be. Living. For the pleasure. Of the Lord. You notice. He says. In verse 7. That we used. To walk. In that way. In the which. Ye also. Walked. Sometime. When ye. Lived. In them. You know. The Colossians. Used to live. This type.

Of a life. He's saying to them. You know what. You used to walk. In sometimes. In that. In the past. But once. You have. Accepted him. Once. You died. With him. Now. Put. In a practical way. To death. Those members. And seek. To live. For the Lord. Jesus. Demonstrated. That's what he's saying. You see. And thank God. That he's always. Forgiveness. If we confess. Our sins. He's faithful. And just. To forgive us. First John 1. And to cleanse us. Of unrighteousness. God is able. Through the person. Of the Messiah. Through the work. That he has done. For us. On the cross. There is forgiveness. For sins.

But it ought not. To be characteristic. Of the believer. There is a change. That had to happen. In our lives. But this change. Can only be. Obvious. As we are setting. Our affection. On the person. Of the Lord. In glory. In glory. And so here. Now. He is telling them. In verse 5. 6. And 7. To put to death. These members. Now notice. What he does. Not only. That we are talking here. About. What you call. Sensual sins. There is another. Type of sins. Which are called. Social. Sins. You know. Those sins. Perhaps. You and I. I don't look at them. You know. If somebody. Fell into sin.

Morally. We say. Ah ah ah. What a bad person. But when somebody. Fall into. Those next sins. That he is going to mention. We don't take it. As serious. As the other. And it is amazing. How we are. You notice. In the next verses. Verse 8 and 9. It is not only. That we are to put to death. Those members. With regard. To the sensual sins. Verse 8 and 9. But now. He also. Notice. He used the word. Also. Put off. All these. Anger. Wrath. Malice. Blasphemy. Filthy communication. Out of your mouth. Lie not. One to another. Seeing that. Ye have put off. The old man. With. His. Deeds.

You notice that. These are things. That we are. What you call. Social. A relationship. Between you. And I. You know. Imagine. To be angry. At the other. All the time. Can you imagine. To have. On an ongoing basis. Anger. And wrath. And malice. See. This is something. That's happening. And we know it. I mean. We know. That happening. In local assemblies. In local churches. In fellowships. We know. The people. I'm angry. With one another. Wrath. Against the other. And malice. Against the other. And they don't. Intend. To forgive. Or to judge it. To confess it. And to set it aside. You see. Beloved. See. He doesn't say.

Listen. Ah. If you have. Sexual sin. Committed. God. Going to judge you. For that. But if you're angry. Or have wrath. And anger. And malice. Against someone else. That is not so bad. You can carry on. And do that. No. Beloved. What he's saying here. In additional. To the. Sensual sins. The social sins. Are just as important. To deal with. On day. By day. Living. And you know. I want to tell you. That if you. Or I. Harbour. Anger. Wrath. Or malice. Who do you think. Is going to lose out. We. Are going to lose out. From a spiritual. Growth. When we have. Such an attitude.

Towards one another. Do you know. What's happening. To a person. That is always angry. And always. Have anger. And wrath. And malice. Do you know. That person. Never come. To a meeting room. And enjoy. The grace. Of God. You know. If there's anybody. That can be angry. With us. If there's anybody. Who can be. Just. With. Having anger. Against us. Having wrath. Against us. We read. About the wrath. Of God. Coming against. The children. Of disobedience. God. Has a right. To be angry. With the sins. That even. The believers. Are committing. Every day. But God. Does not. Justify. Our sins. He does not. Sympathize. With our sins.

The Lord. Is sympathized. With our. Infirmities. Want us. To deal with it. To get out of the way. So we can come freely. To be in his presence. And we can bow before him. Knowing that we have failed him. Knowing that we have done wrong. And yet he forgave us. He paid. For our sins. And he brought us back to himself. He restores my soul. The psalmist said. And you know. What a peace it gives you. In your heart. When you have dealt with those things. And he says. God. If I'm getting angry. And if I'm getting malice. And if I'm getting malice. And wrath.

If I'm speaking blasphemy. And filthy communication. Come out of my mouth. God. I want you to help me. To set this aside. So I can come into your presence. Clean. Forgiven. And I can worship you. Worship my Mashiach. In a right way. In a right. Suitable. Practical way. And you see beloved. Paul is very practical. He knows it. And you know what. Many times. Churches. Local churches. Local assemblies. Local fellowship. Have been divided. The sheep are scattered. People are going around. Have no place to be in. Because we haven't learned to deal with each other. And haven't learned to be more gracious. More conformed to the image of our blessed Lord Jesus the Messiah.

If we will learn from him. If we will set our affection on him. It will change us. In a practical way. We will know how to deal with our wives. And the wives know how to deal with our husband. With our children. And the children with their parents. And brothers and sisters in a local fellowship. Will know how to deal with each other. When we set our affection. On the person. On the person. Of the Lord. That's what he's telling them. Here. In this passage. And you notice. He continues. And you know. Another thing that is very easily done by us. In verse 9. Let no one lie to the other.

Seeing thee have put off the old man with his deeds. You know. Not to lie to one another. Apparently. You know. I mean. Those things are written for a reason. Apparently. People are lying one to another. You know. We have to be honest. So quickly we can lie. It's like. You know. It's not a big sin. But you see. What happens. When believers begin to lie to one another. There is a breaking of the trust. And there is no longer the freedom. Of sharing. And caring. You know. We lose out. You see. He's talking about relationship. As we talk. Not so much here about sensual sin.

But social sins. Things that can harm relationship. And. The truth of the matter. That we fail in that. In many ways. Many times. We can always come back. To the Lord. And always ask him. To help us. In those attitudes. So. Here we have. Here's that fact. That he's. Encouraging the Colossians. Don't be. Living in such a way. You know. Satan is called. A liar. In John 8. And verse 44. You know. The spirit of God. Is called. The spirit of truth. In the book of John. John chapter 14. The spirit of God. The spirit of God. Is a spirit of truth. And the devil. Satan himself. Is a liar.

From the beginning. And let's emulate. The person of the Lord. With the help of the spirit of God. Much more than to emulate. Satan. Who is sick. Only to destroy. And to cause havoc. And so beloved. Here. Practical. Verse 1 to 4. Be occupied. With heavenly things. Verse 5 to 9. Put to death. Earthly. Wrong. Doing. Put to death. That takes actively. That means that. We're doing it. At times. But actively. Put. To death. Actively. Judge it. Have the help of the spirit of God. To help you. To do so. But now. Next. And that's quickly. I'm going to close with this. Verse 10 and 11. Be renewed. After the knowledge of God.

After the knowledge of the Messiah. Be renewed. In verse 10 and 11. He says this. Put on. The new man. As it says here. Which. The new man renewed. In knowledge. After the image of him. That created him. Where. There is neither Greek nor Jew. Circumcision nor uncircumcision. No uncircumcision. Barbarian. Thetirian. Bond. Or free. But Messiah. Is. All. In. All. Notice what he's telling them. At the end of this section. He's telling them. To put on. Or. As it says. And have put on. The new man. In other words. You notice like. It's like putting. Closing on. In earlier. He says. Put to death. And earlier. He said.

In verse 8. Put off. All this. Anger. And malice. And wrath. And blasphemy. Now he's telling them. Put on. The new man. It's like wearing. Some garments. Putting off. The old. Put on. The new. You know. We have. Two natures. Is the. Adamic nature. That's which. We inherited. From. Our father. Adam. The new nature. Is a divine. Nature. Is a nature. That link. With the Messiah. It's a divine nature. And there is a constant. Struggle. Between the two. And we are. To. Put off. And to put on. To put off. That which is. Connected. With the old. And to put on. That which is. Connected. With the new.

And that's. Also. Demands. Day. By day. Help. From the spirit. Of God. So he's saying to them. You know what. You need to. Put off. We know that. We had once. A part of time. Where we have accepted. The Lord. We have really. Been judged. The old nature. Been judged. And we put on. This one. Time action. Already. We have had it. But now. In a practical way. Which is linked. With the new man. Which is renewed. In the knowledge. After the image. Of him. That created him. You know. The new nature. The new man. Is renewed. After the image. Of as it says. Of him.

That created him. This is God. So we are. To be renewed. After the knowledge. Of God. As we are occupied. With the person. Of the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. The Messiah. We are being renewed. After the image. Of God. We become. Like him. More. We become. Like the Lord Jesus. Like the Messiah. Himself. And. End. This section. Where it says. Where there is neither Greek. No Jew. Neither circumcision. No uncircumcision. Barbarian. Barbarian. Scythian. Bond. Free. But Messiah. Is all. And. In. All. Now let me put. An important. Truth. About the. Last verse. We have read today. Verse 11. You know. There are three times. In the Bible.

At least in the new covenant. The new testament. Where the apostle. Used this expression. Neither Jew. Nor Gentile. Or neither Jew. Nor Greek. Or neither circumcision. Nor uncircumcision. In. Every time. We read. That passage. It is important. To. Understand. The context. Like. I said. Many times. Text. Without. Context. Is. Pretext. We must. Understand. The text. In light. Of. It's context. Let me read. You please. Two other verses. Go to the. Book of. Corinthians. Now. Please. First. Corinthians. Chapter 12. And. Verse 12. For. As. The body. Is one. And. All. The members. Of. That. One. Body. So. Also. Is. The. Messiah. For. By. One. whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bound or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many. In light of 1 Corinthians chapter 12, where the apostle is speaking about there is neither Jew nor Gentile, nor, as it says here, nor barred nor free, what he is saying in context with these verses, especially verse 13, is that entrance into the body of Messiah has no distinction of Jew and Gentile or bound or free. All must enter into the body of Messiah under or in the power of the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit of God who baptized, who put under, who put together that one body, and every member of the body had to enter in the same way, in the power of the Spirit of God.

A Jew had to enter this way, and a Gentile had to enter this way. A barnman had to enter this way, and the free had to enter this way. Every one enter into the body of Messiah one way is in the power of the Holy Spirit of God which gives us new nature. Now, go to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 28. Listen to what the apostle is saying there. Galatians chapter 3 and verse 28. I'll read verse 27 first. Galatians 3, 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, or into Messiah, have put on Christ, have put on Messiah. Where, now notice again, there is neither Jew nor Greek.

There is neither born nor free. There is neither male nor female. And there is for all, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Here is again important to understand the text. While in 1 Corinthians 12 he says the entrance into the body is for the Jew the same way as it is for the Gentile. For the born it is the same way as it is for the Gentile. In Galatians he is speaking about the fact that in our positional standing before God, the Jew and the Gentile have the same positional standing, whether, as it says here, in there there is no such a thing that the Jew is higher than the Gentile, or that the born is higher than the free, or that the male is higher than the female.

All have the same position in Christ, in Messiah, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Now, mind you, while he said there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither born nor free, neither male nor female, we know that in practice there is still male and there is still female. We are going to the restroom. There is a male washroom and a female washroom. In the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah, God had given to the men to take the leadership in the assembly. And that the sister is not to usurp authority. He gave that in Scripture. Not because the male is better, it is the divine order.

But positionally, the male and the female is in the same positional truth in the presence of God. By the way, it is also saying here, neither born nor free. In the Roman Empire, when the free men had liberty and freedom that the bond, the one who was slaves, did not have in this earth. But positionally, when the bond become a believer, he is in the same position that the free man. The slave is in the same position when he became a believer in Jesus the Messiah. Now, he could not come to his boss and tell him, listen, I became a believer, so I am no longer a bond.

Give me the keys. I am no longer a servant. I am free. No. He still was a slave. But in Christ, positionally, they all enter in the same way, 1 Corinthians 12, by the power of the Spirit of God. And they all have the same position in the body of Messiah, standing before God. Male or female, Jew or Greek, or bond or free. They all have the same position. We have the same thinking here, but with a different context. Text, without context, is pretext. What we have here in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 11, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, cithelian, bond or free, but Christ is all in all.

Here is the third lesson we learn. In the practical outlook of the life of the believer, a Jew need to stop the wrath, the anger, the malice, the blasphemy. All are need to have this practical walk with the Lord. Doesn't matter who they are. In context, here it has to do with in our practical day-by-day walk. You cannot say, you know what? I am Greek, I am not a Scythian, I am free, I am not barbarian, or I am Jewish, or I am Gentile, I do not need that. No. Every individual had to have, as he tells us here, to mortify therefore your members which are upon this earth.

Every one of us need to do that by the grace of God. Now, I am often amazed how people take these verses and take it out of context. It says, no Jew, no Gentile. Therefore you see, you are no longer Jewish because you became a believer in Jesus. You are no male or no female, therefore you are no male or no female, you became a believer in Jesus. Therefore you are not free or not bound, you became a believer in Jesus the Messiah. That is not what the Bible teaches because on earth we are still Jews and Gentiles, we are still bound and free, and we are still male or female.

And God has given us responsibility in this world. But every one of us enter into the body by the same spirit. Every one of us have a position and standing before God in the same position. And every one of us responsible to be subject and to mortify the members of our bodies. Every believer has to do so, as God is enabling us today. So, beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first 11 verses of Colossians chapter 3. Be occupied with heavenly things. Put to death earthly desires, earthly things, earthly wrong things. And be renewed after the image of the knowledge of God. Can you say amen to that?

Amen. Well, we thank the Lord for these verses. May the Lord help us as we study Colossians. We're going to move on to the next verses next time in the will of the Lord. And you will see what a blessing it is to learn from the word of God.