Evening Sermon

June 8, 2008

Peace in the Church

Text

Look at how this chapter begins. "If then you were raised with Christ..", and, of course, you were. That's Paul's. "Since you have been raised with Christ." "Therefore, put to death," according to verse 5, the sins of the flesh.

"Therefore," again verse 12, "as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on..." some other things. Those biblical virtues we studied last time, "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

As we continue tonight, I want to remind you again of that connection between the foundation of our salvation and our relationship with God and the applications and exhortations of what it means to be a Christian. The connection is really that word, "therefore." Therefore might well be the most important word found in the Bible as a key to understanding the Bible. It connects what we know to be true about our salvation with the applications of duty for those who are saved. "Therefore, on the basis of what God has done for you in your salvation, heed these exhortations to put off the old man and to put on the new."

And that's where we are in our study of Colossians. Put off the old and put on the new. We've looked at those things the last two sermons. And now the summary, not surprisingly,

I. THE COMMAND OF LOVE. v.14

I want you to think about love, as a command. Think about love as a duty. Duty refers to something that we are obligated to do, so think about this series of questions and answers in our Shorter Catechism. Question 39, "What is the duty which God requireth of man? A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will." Obedience. Then the next question, "What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?" Answer, "The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law." Then, "The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments."

So all of our duty of obedience to the moral law is summarized in just ten laws. But then, the question, "What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?" The simple answer is "love." "The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves."

So each question focuses the point a bit more, and the final focus of all the laws and commands of God is this, the command of love. Now don't ever think that love replaces the law, or that law supersedes the law, as if you could ignore the commandment themselves in order to fulfill the duty of love. Lots of people make that disastrous error, actually pitting the commands against the whole of love. They wrongly claim the objective of love while ignoring the actual requirements of the commandments. They contrast the two, or put tension between them, as though love were some sort of spiritual trump card that would cancel out anything else specifically required. Just love.

Scripture knows no such contradiction nor even creates the least tension between love and the law. There is not need for reconciling love and duty, for they are happily and harmoniously married together in the biblical revelation.

A. Love is the comprehensive summary of the Christian duty. 1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Do you get the connection? This is love, that we obey. That's our obligation, our duty. But it's not oppressive. Not burdensome at all. Rather, we are given the promise that we have overcome the world. That is the victory, obtained by faith, that we are no longer slaves to sin.

So the law becomes a delight. "More to be desired are [the laws] than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

Ps. 119:97 "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day."

So we read, "But above all these things put on love." Above what things? v.12-13

So love is not placed in contradiction to those things. Not, "Instead of those things, put on love," but "above all these things." As a comprehensive summary of all these things. As that which ties all those things together, as that which gives all those things their final and ultimate definition, put on love. As that which explains all of those other things, as that which places all of those other things in the proper context, put on love.

It is the supremacy of love which allows love to that comprehensive definition of all that would be established it. The supremacy of love, not in contradiction of all that comprises the very definition of love, but its supremacy in making evident all those other things.

1 Cor. 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Such is the biblical exposition of love, the greatest of all these virtues. The comprehensive summary of all those virtues. And the full expression of what it means to obey God, your Christian duty.

So love is the fulfillment of the law. Not the cancellation of it or contradiction of it, but the very essence of it. Lawfulness is nothing less than, and nothing more than, genuine love expressed.

Gal. 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Again, don't read "fulfilled" as superseded or cancelled or abrogate. Rather, read, fulfilled! The law made full. That's love. The law made fully expressed. So we read,

Rom. 13:8 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

And so that trick question came to Jesus, Mat. 22:34 "But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Do you know what that was a trick? The Pharisees wanted a hierarchy of laws, laws rated in order of importance, and so the priorities of obedience were determined by which law was at the top. Those laws of lesser priority, lesser importance, could, of course, be ignored. And they were condemned by Jesus.

Mat. 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Which the is the most important law? If the Pharisees had access to modern day technology, they would have taken a poll, just call the number on the screen and register your vote. Or they would have started a blog, publishing their foolish debates all over the internet for all interested participants around the world to observe.

But what did Jesus do? He answered their question, but not with a law that could be placed at the top of the list in terms of priority over all the others, but one that summarized all the rest. Two laws, actually.

Mat. 22:37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

So that's our duty. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." And so Jesus himself says,

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

So that is the definition of our new clothes as a Christian.

v.14 "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

The bond of perfection. The perfect glue. That which holds us together. Love is the ligament that holds us together, as the bones of our body are held together. Love is the rope, the chains, that bind us together and keeps us together. And remember what is under love, what gives substance and definition to love, those virtues that come out as of the greatest preeminence in the new clothes of our Christian lives, "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering." "Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another."

Love is the enabling power to all those things. Love is the impulsive motivation for all those things. Love is the comprehensive summary of all those things.

B. Love is the uniting bond of perfection. So dear ones, love one another. Do you hear that application and that exhortation clearly. Love one another, demonstrating in your relationship with one another "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering." People of God, love one another, "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another." And you who are able to do that the most are the one most mature, most advance in the school of sanctification. Not you who know the most theology, thought good theology is the fuel that drives this love, but knowledge of theology isn't the preeminent mark of perfection or maturity. Love is.

Love is what will keep us together as a church. Love is the only thing that will keep us together as a church. For it is the bond of perfection.

The parallel passage in Ephesians 4 put it this way,

Eph. 4:1 "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

There is one God, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Therefore, there is to be oneness in the church, the unity of the spirit. There is to be a reflection of God's oneness in the church, namely "the bond of peace." The bond of perfection, which in our text leads to, v.15

So it is that love, and love alone, will bring about,

II. THE EXPERIENCE OF PEACE. The experience of being one body. The experience of so loving one another that we actually are able to get along with one another. That's what humility and longsuffering do! That's what lowliness and gentleness do. They enable you to get along with one another and to live in peace. And that is to be the characteristic identity of the church, one body living together under,

A. The rule of peace. v.15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts."

Beloved, that does not refer to some sort of subjective or emotional impression that you alone define, though that's often how this verse is used. We make choices to do things or not to do things with this sentiment, "I have a peace about that in my heart." Or, "I don't have a peace about that."

Now, I'm not discounting the whole realm of subjective inclinations, but I would say two things. First, they are not infallible. Some people have a peace about things when they really ought not to! And others are paralyzed from doing something good because of some lack of "peace." So your subjective inclinations are not infallible, unlike Holy Scripture. And secondly, whatever is to be said about subjective inclinations of peace, that is NOT what this particular verse is talking about. This particular verse is referring to our existence and enjoyment of life within the body of Christ which is the church.

And very objectively, within that church there is to be the rule of peace. Peace is the umpire, to arbitrate among us in our disputes. Peace is the official appointed to maintain the order, just as that official would do in a basketball game. Peace is the umpire in the baseball game, so when you offend that peace, when you disturb that peace, when you undermine that peace, you are disobeying God in the highest and worst order.

Prov. 6:16 "These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren."

I can tell you one of the most important rules in our house, one of the most quickly rebuked and corrected offense. Causing discord. God hates those who cause discord. Let me say that again, God hates those who sow divisions among his people.

And to the contrary, the very definition of our lives together as God's people is the rule of peace. So let me remind all of you of a vow that we require of all church officers, the third vow that Jeff took just last Sunday evening as he was ordained. The vow I took upon my ordination, and again upon my installation here. "Do you promise to seek the purity, the peace, and the unity of the church?"

It is an essential commitment. It is an essential element of our identity. The peace of the church. The unity of the church. And not to the exclusion of the peace of the church. But all together.

So "let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body." You see, you were called to peace.

B. The calling of peace. You were called by God to live in peace with one another! Just think about that. If you are not living in peace, then you are not fulfilling your calling!

Beloved, this is your calling, to be joined together with a body, this body. That's what church membership is all about, the declaration of that holy calling to be one body ruled by peace. that's why we have church membership, to give affirmation and pronouncement of that calling. You are not called by God to be isolated and individualized. Your calling is not a solitary calling, but one to be intimately joined together in this body just as my left hand is joined to my right hand.

That is so much a contradiction of the priorities of the world in which we live, where individual rights are what matters. The pursuit of individual glory or advancement, the quest for individual autonomy. Independence. Separation. Even anonymity. The right to be left alone to think and to do whatever you want to do, to do whatever is right in your own eyes.

And all of that is completely opposed to your biblical calling, which is the calling to live together in a body, in peace. That is the calling I lay before you this evening, with the charge to bear your responsibilities well within that calling.

1 Cor. 12:12 "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased....24 But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."

Let me tell you a secret. Being part of a body is going to require some sacrifices. You won't always get your own way. You won't always get the attention and the approval that you think you need. You won't always get the attention or the praise you desire. Your own self-fulfillment is not the goal and it cannot be your objective. For your calling is the peace of the body, this body in which God has placed you, according to that verse I just read, 1 Corinthians 12:22. God has set all the members in this body just as He pleased. And therefore, if the peace of God is to rule among us, you must,

Phil. 2:3 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

That's your calling. Self-denial, in the pursuit of the good of the whole body. Self-denial, in considering the interests of others. And that, beloved is a high calling, indeed.

And don't miss the last part of verse 15, "and be thankful." That is,

C. The gratitude of peace. The thankfulness that comes when we experience this sort of peace. This isn't a bad thing. It's not a hard thing at all, to live together under the rule of peace. In fact, its quite delightful.

Ps. 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore."

How beautiful it is, when we live in peace as we have been called by God. How utterly enjoyable, for tell me, how many of you really find your joy living in the stress of conflict? Of course not. It is peace that is enjoyable. So be thankful. Live together in peace. And be grateful. Show yourselves thankful.

People of God, that is your calling. That is the duty of your calling.

v.14 "...put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."

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