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“Grace-Drive People”
Col. 3:12-17
IPC, May 3, 2009

The couple was well into their 80s and were having problems remembering things, so they made an appointment for a doctor’s checkup.  At the office, they explained to the doctor about the problems they were having with their memory.  After an exam, the doctor told them that they seemed to be in pretty good shape physically, but they might want to start writing things down and make notes to help them remember things.  The couple thanked the doctor and left.  Later that night, while watching TV, the husband got up from his chair and his wife asked, “Where are you going?”  He replied, “To the kitchen.”  She asks, “Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?” to which the husband says, “Sure.”  She asks, “Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?”  He says, “No, I can remember that.”  She added, “Well, I also would like some strawberries on top.  Now you better write that down so you don’t forget it.”  He says, “I’ll keep it straight.  You want ice cream with strawberries on top.”  And she goes on, “And I also want some whipped cream on top. I know you’ll forget that so write it down.”  With irritation in his voice, he says, “I don’t need to write that down.  I can remember that.”  He storms off into the kitchen.  After about twenty minutes, he returns from the kitchen and hands her a plate of bacon and eggs.  She stares at the plate for a moment and says, “I knew you were going to mess it up—you forgot my toast.” 

Often, in life, we are better at forgetting than remembering.  Of course, when it comes to holding grudges and resentment, we probably remember things that we should forget.  

During the month of May, Ingleside Church will pass her 109^th year of existence. Last November, we observed our tenth anniversary in Gwinnett County. To say that God has been good to us is a gross understatement!  At a recent Home Fellowship Group meeting, I told one of our newer folks, “When we moved from Stone Mountain you could count all the elementary and younger children in the church on one hand.”  She said, “It’s not that way anymore!”  Ingleside is part of Georgia Foothills Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.  Of the 14 churches in our presbytery, Ingleside is the fourth largest.  I’m not so impressed with the numbers at our church, but I am blown away by the type of folks God has directed our way—enthusiastic, loving, gifted people.  God is INCREDIBLY good to us!  He is a gracious, giving God and we are the recipients of His grace.  And, as a result, we are to extend that grace to others.

We like to make a big deal when our young children or grandchildren have birthdays.  If we’re not careful, our naturally egocentric children can demonstrate certain negative attitudes on their birthdays.  They may view birthday presents with a “gimme, gimme, gimme” attitude with little to no gratitude. 

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he paints a beautiful picture of what the body of Christ should look like.  As we observe another anniversary in the life our church, let’s see what kind of attitude the birthday boys and girls gathered here today should have.  Col. 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy & beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness & patience, bearing with one another &, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching & admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word of deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  I would like to think that this passage gives an accurate description of many of you sitting here today. 

Author Philip Yancey was the editor of Christianity Today magazine for many years.  He wrote: “Grace comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it and I am one of those people.  I think back to whom I was—resentful, wound tight with anger, a single hardened link in a long chain of ‘un-grace’ learned from family and church.  Now, I am trying in my own small way to play the tune of grace.  I do so because I know, more surely than I know anything, that any pang of healing or forgiveness, or goodness, I have ever felt comes solely from the grace of God.  I yearn for the church to become a nourishing culture of that grace.” 

“A nourishing culture of that grace.”  Does that describe Ingleside?  It is sad to think that many people often find more grace and acceptance in places other than church.  I’ve talked to folks who have been to church and then leave without ever finding grace.  Some churches and Christian groups are known more for their rules and religious pretense than for being authentic grace-freed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.   

It is common to believe in God’s grace but to be ungracious.  It is also common to preach grace, but not extend it.  As Christians, we claim grace and forgiveness for ourselves, but we often demand performance from others.   

As another church birthday rolls by, I want us to reaffirm that we are committed to a “grace gospel”—no one earns salvation in any way.  On top of that, I want us to be committed to grace-oriented lifestyles and relationships.  I want us to avoid practicing legalism, instead, we should trust that God the Holy Spirit will work in people’s lives.  I want us to treat each other as God has treated us, with “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness & patience.”   

C.S. Lewis said, “Man is incurably religious.”  Our human nature makes us legalists by nature.  We need regular, repeated doses of the truth of grace to flush that out of us.  We need to put down the gavel and stop judging.  We do that because tucked inside of human DNA is an urge to not only try to earn God’s favor, but also to compare ourselves and out-perform others.

Let’s spend a few minutes looking at the Colossians 3 passage we just read and see the relationship of God’s grace toward us, and our grace toward one another. 

1. Grace-driven People Remember Their Heritage. (Vs. 12)

In verse 12, Paul describes the people he’s writing to.  If you’re a Christian, you can take these words as true about you.  We are chosen of God, “holy and beloved.”  If I would come up to you and call you, “holy one,” you may laugh at me.  Folks, we are God’s chosen people.  The Bible tells us that God has set His love on us.  He set His intentions on us as His very own.  Israel was God’s single chosen people of the Old Testament.  He established a covenant with them to be His—He marked them out to be distinct and unique from every nation on the earth.  When Jesus died and rose again, He established a new covenant with a new body of people—the Church, His Body.

The Church is composed of Jews and Gentiles, from every tribe, tongue and ethnic group.  We are God’s chosen people. 

In verse 12 we are called God’s chosen people who are holy and beloved.  We don’t earn the description of holy and acceptable.  If we are in Christ, God declares, we are.  We also don’t earn or keep God’s love—we are God’s beloved.  We are dear to the heart of God.  You will never know a more powerful truth than the fact that you are acceptable in Christ and you are God’s beloved child.  He loves you deeply.  Please know what your heritage is in Christ.  When you know God’s work of grace in you, you become free to express grace to others. 

If you don’t know, or if you forget that God brought you to faith in His Son, by mercy and grace, and forgave your sin, you won’t be forgiving and grace-filled with others.  In the Yancey quote I read a few minutes ago, he described himself as “tightly wound” before grace entered his life.  People who don’t understand grace are never free to pass it on.   

Religion and legalism will never provide grace-filled relationships, because religious people are trying to earn or keep God’s favor.  Grace-driven people remember their heritage and celebrate God’s grace. 

2. Grace-driven People Reflect Grace. (Vs. 12-14)

Since we are God’s chosen and God’s beloved, we are to put on “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, & patience.”  We are also to “bear” with one another, which is a spiritual phrase for “putting up with one another.”  And “above all these put on love.” 

Not only do we have a heritage of being God’s chosen and beloved people, He has given us the RESOURCES to reflect His grace.  Paul uses one of his favorite phrases: “put on.”  This doesn’t infer that we are to “fake it.”  Paul uses the same phrase in verse 10 when he tells us that we have put on a new self.  If you’re a believer, God’s grace has invaded your life and you are a brand new creation in Christ…you have a new character, new power and resources to live out this new identity. 

You also have new ways to extend yourself to others…Christ gives you a new wardrobe.  God never gives us an assignment without providing us with what we need to carry it out.  Earlier in this chapter he talks about putting off the old man, which means laying aside, like you would grimy, old worn-out clothing.   

Think about getting up in the morning and going to your closet to make a clothing choice of what to wear for the day. (Unless you guys have wives that will ask, “You’re not wearing THAT, are you?”)  We’re free to make a choice of what to wear—either old nasty stuff or the new gracious stuff.  Because God is gracious and forgiving and because He has touched our lives, we will never be the same.  Paul describes habits of relating that we are to put on as we interact with our families and fellow believers.   

Paul already mentioned the old ways that we are discard earlier in the chapter.  We are to “take off” anger, rage, slander and filthy language.  We are no longer to lie to one another.  Sarcasm, cutting remarks, rudeness and sour attitudes don’t match up with God’s glorious work in your life.  So PUT THEM OFF! 

The term “compassion” in verse 12 literally means “bowels of sympathy.”  Greeks thought that the emotions emanated in the bowels.  We come close to that thought by saying, “I’ve got a gut feeling.”  God wants us to feel what others feel.  We are to put on compassion when we deal with our spouse and kids.  When you come to worship or Home Fellowship Group, come ready to show compassion.  The Bible describes God’s compassion toward us is like a mother who cares tenderly for her children. 

“Kindness” is the action which grows out of compassion.  When I get urges to demonstrate compassion to people, that usually comes from the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, at times I simply let the urge pass.  Actions should flow from the Spirit’s work inside of you.  This word for kindness is the same word used to describe God’s kindness.  God’s kindness draws us to repentance.  Imagine how demonstrating that grace could impact other people. 

“Humility” flows out remembering God’s grace toward you.  We’re warned in Romans 12 NOT to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.  Don’t come at others in the Body of Christ with an attitude—come ready to serve. 

We are wear “gentleness.”   It’s the opposite of rudeness and abrasiveness.  It is strength under control that doesn’t need to show off.  Gentleness is a willingness to waive your rights and preferences for the cause of Christ. 

We are to put on “patience,” which literally means putting up with people’s exasperating conduct without responding back in kind.  It means holding back and restraining yourself from being upset or speaking harshly to others.  Remember how patient God has been with you. 

These graces lead to two very concrete actions in verse 13, which are “bearing with” and “forgiving each other.”  Bearing with literally means to put up with.  None of us reflect Christ 100% of the time without flaw.  Our rough edges continue to show, so forbear.  Put up with them. 

And forgive.  Forgiveness is fundamental in the Christian life, because God has forgiven us through Christ.  Now I’m suggesting that grace should make us doormats or the recipients of abuse from other Christians.  There are times to speak the truth in love.  But grace-driven people do their best to mirror God’s grace. 

3. Grace-driven People Demonstrate WHOSE They Are. (Vs. 15-17)

Verses 15-17 still talk about relating in the body.  But there are three commands in there that relate to WHOSE we are—we belong to Christ. 

First, let the “peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”  We are commanded to have unity in our fellowship with one another.  To rule here means to “umpire or govern.”  Peace is a corporate experience here.  The tone of our interactions as a church must embrace Christ’s peace.  That describes how we are approach each other, talk to each other and talk about each other.  Grace-driven people choose to let Christ’s peace rule in them. 

Secondly, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”  As believers we should allow Scripture to permeate our lives and our church life.  We need to know God’s Word well and we need to help each other live it.  There is no substitute for the Truth of Scripture and our life as a church is dependent upon how well we know it and live it.  We should remind, challenge and encourage each other from it. 

Our passage tells us that one way that Scripture dwells in us is through our music.  Worship music should flow out of hearts that are filled with Scripture.   

The third command is found in verse 17 with “whatever you do.”  That means Christ is to be Lord in all areas of our lives.  Doing something in the name of Christ means that we are putting His imprint upon it.  We should not be guilty of living in two worlds…our faith life and our social life.  We should constantly remember that we are His and God’s grace should spur us on to honor Him in how we behave toward other Christians.  Remember whose you are! 

PCA pastor Steve Brown writes, “Once you know two things—God’s unconditional love and the truth about yourself—you will rest easy.”  In other words, you will be free to be who God intended for you to be all along.  I don’t like living the “let’s pretend to be religious” game.  Galatians tells us that Christ has set up free.   

As our 109^th year as a church passes us this month, I would trust that the word GRACE would describe this faithful congregation.  That we would be people of grace.  That we would celebrate our heritage and we would remember where we were when God found us.  I trust that we would remember His grace toward us that we did not deserve and we would strive to demonstrate that grace to each other and even to an unbelieving world around us.  I want people in our community to know Ingleside.  I want them to know that this is a meeting house filled with, as I mentioned at the outset,  “birthday boys and girls” who love God and His Word, who have been recipients of God’s grace and who demonstrate that grace to one another and to whoever comes our way.   Let’s pray. 

Please visit us at our next worship service.

We offer "An Unchanging Word To A Changing World"

In Christ,
Bill Bratley - Pastor