Colossians 3:1-11 Devotion for August 1, 2010

Here is the Scripture passage on which I am preaching on Sunday. I of course invite comments on the devotional thought that follows.

Colossians 3:1-11 (NRSV)

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³ for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. ⁷ These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. ⁸ But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. ¹¹ In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

“Know yourself” was the famous advice of the ancient Delphic oracle. Socrates referred to it. Self-knowledge is certainly a good thing. Yet, as Christians, our baptism serves an important reminder. We are not very good at knowing ourselves. If anything, we want to avoid genuine self-knowledge. Among the most important elements of baptism is that re-directs our attention away from self and toward Christ. Baptism means washing away the old and putting on the new. It identifies us with Christ, especially in his death and resurrection. Our lives are “hidden,” or “encrypted” with Christ in God. I know this may seem strange, but there seems to be a sense in which our own lives as Christians will not be fully revealed even to us until Christ comes. Our self-knowledge will always be partial. If our lives truly belong to Christ, it will mean becoming quite specific as to the form of life we adopt. Paul says we must die to an “earthly” way of life. Yet, he does not let that statement remain an abstraction. For him, it means specific things: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. It means anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, and lying. Generally, the rabbis and even the Greek philosophers would agree with Paul here. Respect for our bodies and respect for other people would seem to be the decent thing to do. Yet, for the Christian, the motivation for such respect is important. Putting aside such behavior will free us for genuine self-renewal. With all our modern emphasis upon the self, whether self-esteem or self-knowledge, we run the risk of knowing ourselves in a shallow way. We know ourselves, but in comparison to what? I would suggest that we know ourselves better as we know Christ better. “Christ who is your life” says Paul. Is Christ truly your life? May it be so.