Creekside Church, Sunday, May 22, 2022
Win Your War With Sin
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Focus Scripture:
Colossians 3:1-17
SIX ACTIONS WE NEED TO TAKE TO WIN OUR WAR WITH SIN.
1. OWN YOUR FIGHT
Jesus dealt with the penalty of sin for us through his death, burial and resurrection. But the presence of sin and the power of sin are still active on all of us.
These 17 verses are just loaded with verbs, action words, calling on us to own the fight.
Set your hearts
Set your minds
Put to death
Rid yourselves
Clothe yourselves
Bear with each other
Put on
Let the peace
Be thankful
Let the message
Whatever you do
Do it all
Look at this principle expressed more fully here in verses 7-8.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:
Colossians 3:7-8a
And to remind us Paul gives us a list of some of the sins we may face.
The list in verse 5 goes like this . . .
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry
The list in the end of verse 8 and part of verse 9 goes like this . . .
anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie
2. KILL YOUR SIN
Don’t shame it. Don’t blame it. Don’t injure it. Don’t wound it. Don’t play with it. Don’t excuse it. Kill it.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:
Colossians 3:5
John Owen, an English pastor and theologian wrote this in the early 1600’s. “Always be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”
3. DIRECT YOUR HEART
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
Direct your heart to “things above”. Think differently. Think about the good things, the holy things, the godly things, the right things.
It’s a values thing. It’s a longing thing. It’s a focus thing. It’s a what matters most to me thing. It’s where is my heart should ultimately be looking thing.
Notice that you can choose, you must choose where to put your heart.
A longing for what is above has a way of weakening the longing for what is below.
4. REPLACE YOUR SIN
In verse 8 Paul writes,
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: . .
Colossians 3:8
Those are the list of sins we read earlier. Get rid of them. Own them. Kill them. But after instructing us to get rid of sins he calls on us to grab hold of some other things.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with . . .
Colossians 3:12
Don’t just take a sin away, make sure you fill that vacuum with a virtue.
Notice the list of virtues he prescribes.
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12b-14
5. CONTINUE THE FIGHT
Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above.
Colossians 3:1-2 Amplified Version
Every time you say yes to a sin you give it greater power over your life – you increase its influence – every time you say no to a sin you weaken its power over you –
John Owen – The power of sin is weakened little by little
6. WORSHIP THE LORD
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17
You worship your way into sin by bowing to its lies and you will worship your way out of it by bowing to the King of kings.
Colossians 3:1-17
SIX ACTIONS WE NEED TO TAKE TO WIN OUR WAR WITH SIN.
1. OWN YOUR FIGHT
Jesus dealt with the penalty of sin for us through his death, burial and resurrection. But the presence of sin and the power of sin are still active on all of us.
These 17 verses are just loaded with verbs, action words, calling on us to own the fight.
Set your hearts
Set your minds
Put to death
Rid yourselves
Clothe yourselves
Bear with each other
Put on
Let the peace
Be thankful
Let the message
Whatever you do
Do it all
Look at this principle expressed more fully here in verses 7-8.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:
Colossians 3:7-8a
And to remind us Paul gives us a list of some of the sins we may face.
The list in verse 5 goes like this . . .
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry
The list in the end of verse 8 and part of verse 9 goes like this . . .
anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie
2. KILL YOUR SIN
Don’t shame it. Don’t blame it. Don’t injure it. Don’t wound it. Don’t play with it. Don’t excuse it. Kill it.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:
Colossians 3:5
John Owen, an English pastor and theologian wrote this in the early 1600’s. “Always be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”
3. DIRECT YOUR HEART
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
Direct your heart to “things above”. Think differently. Think about the good things, the holy things, the godly things, the right things.
It’s a values thing. It’s a longing thing. It’s a focus thing. It’s a what matters most to me thing. It’s where is my heart should ultimately be looking thing.
Notice that you can choose, you must choose where to put your heart.
A longing for what is above has a way of weakening the longing for what is below.
4. REPLACE YOUR SIN
In verse 8 Paul writes,
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: . .
Colossians 3:8
Those are the list of sins we read earlier. Get rid of them. Own them. Kill them. But after instructing us to get rid of sins he calls on us to grab hold of some other things.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with . . .
Colossians 3:12
Don’t just take a sin away, make sure you fill that vacuum with a virtue.
Notice the list of virtues he prescribes.
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12b-14
5. CONTINUE THE FIGHT
Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above.
Colossians 3:1-2 Amplified Version
Every time you say yes to a sin you give it greater power over your life – you increase its influence – every time you say no to a sin you weaken its power over you –
John Owen – The power of sin is weakened little by little
6. WORSHIP THE LORD
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17
You worship your way into sin by bowing to its lies and you will worship your way out of it by bowing to the King of kings.