New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday this year. It’s one of those rare times on which we find ourselves in a church building instead of on a couch or in a bed at 10:15 AM after staying up to welcome in the New Year. Being New Year’s Day, many of us may be thinking about resolutions. According to CCN, about 100 million Americans are making New Year’s resolutions this morning.[1]
I believe our tradition of New Year’s resolutions ultimately stems from a God-given hunger. God created us to grow, to mature, and to develop. The New Year in our culture reminds us of this. We hunger for transformation and renewal. And most of us are not content with just superficial renewal. We’re interested in significant renewal. We long for significant rather than just superficial renewal.
Earlier this year The New York Times reported on Hany Farid, a professor at Dartmouth.[2] Farid noticed that many of the pictures of celebrities which show up in magazines are altered. He’s found that the retouching can be slight — colors brightened, a stray hair erased, or a pimple healed. Or it can be drastic — carving 10 or 20 pounds off the celebrity, adding a few inches in height, or erasing all wrinkles and blemishes. Farid has thus proposed a tool which can detect how much a photo has been altered. He proposes a scale of 1-5 which would then be labeled onto every photo in every magazine. Slightly altered photos would be labeled with a 1. Drastically altered photos would be labeled with a 5.
Renewal in the form of digital alteration is fairly easy with today’s technology. But I don’t think any of us would be satisfied with that kind of renewal when it came to our lives. It’s too superficial. What good is it to photoshop twenty pounds off a photograph when you’ve not actually lost a single pound? Most of us are interested in significant renewal.
What most of us are looking for is the kind of renewal pictured by C. S. Lewis. Lewis’ book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was made into a movie in 2010. The book and the movie tell of Lucy and Edmund Pevensie returning to Narnia, this time with their cousin Eustace. Eustace is easy to dislike. He’s rude. He’s self-centered. He’s a know-it-all. He’s greedy. And he looks down on everyone. At one point in the movie Eustace stumbles upon some treasure on an island. He hoards it all for himself. And after this horrendous display of avarice Eustace transforms into a dragon. He becomes on the outside what he is on the inside. He morphs from a boy to a dragon, because he has acted like such an animal. In despair, Eustace eventually turns to Lucy and Edmund and begs for their help. But they can do nothing for him. It’s only when Eustace lands on another island and meets Aslan the lion that he finds the help he seeks. Aslan, representing Jesus, is able to scratch away the dragon skin and renew Eustace into a human. The transformation is painful. But when it’s done, not only is Eustace changed outwardly, he is changed inwardly as well. He becomes humble, brave, caring, and giving. That, I believe, is the kind of renewal most of us long for: deep, significant renewal.
This is the kind of renewal Paul describes in Colossians 3. Colossians is part of a group of letters from Paul called the “prison epistles” or “prison letters.” They were all written by Paul during one of his imprisonments. They include Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon. In Colossians Paul is writing to a relatively young church. He’s writing to help them experience spiritual renewal. [3] We could, in fact, call Chapter 1 “The Plea for Renewal.” Paul shares in chapter 1 that he’s been praying that they would “be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” and that they would be “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” He finishes chapter 1 by telling them that he’s writing so that they can become “mature in Christ.” Paul wants to see these young Christians experience the kind of deep and significant renewal only God can bring.
But if Chapter 1 is “The Plea for Renewal,” then Chapter 2 is “The Path to Superficial Renewal.” In Chapter 2, Paul reveals that some of the Colossians have embraced a spirituality that’s only going to lead to superficial renewal. There’s a great deal of debate about what this alternate spirituality is. Some scholars argue that teachers of pagan philosophy or pagan religions are influencing these Christians. Others argue that fundamentalist Jewish teachers are influencing these Christians. Either way, some “experts” in renewal are leading these Christians astray.
As Paul reveals in Chapter 2, these so-called experts are telling these Christians that they’d experience renewal if they eat certain things and drink certain things and observe certain holy days. It is a growth plan that centers on keeping an endless list of rules. Paul mentions some of them in chapter 2: “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” And Paul writes in vs. 23 “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” All of these external rules, Paul says, will only lead to superficial growth. They have no real value in bringing about any kind of deep transformation.
If Chapter 1 is “The Plea for Renewal” and Chapter 2 is “The Path to Superficial Renewal” then Chapter 3 is “The Plan for Significant Renewal.” Finally in Chapter 3 reveals a plan for Christians to experience real renewal. This is the chapter where Paul shows how Jesus can change us from dragons into humans. If you look back at 2011 and see ways in which you’ve acted like an animal and you long to have that dragon skin removed in 2012, this is the chapter for you. This chapter, especially Col. 3:1-17 will be our focus in this four-part Sunday morning series called “Renew You.” We’ll look at four things that lead to significant renewal.
This morning we focus on the first four verses: 1 If then 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. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col. 3:1-4 ESV). One point Paul makes throughout Colossians is that Christians and Christ are tied up together. Here, Paul reminds us that “you have died” [with Christ], “you have been raised with Christ,” and “you also will appear with [Christ].” Just as Jesus died on the cross, was raised from the dead, and will appear at the Second Coming, so we have died with him, been raised with him, and will appear with him. The link between us and Jesus is so strong that Paul actually says “your life is hidden with Christ” and “When Christ who is your life.” Jesus is now the source of our life. When Paul writes that our life is “hidden with Christ” he means that Jesus is the hidden source of our life. [4] That is, when other people look at me, they only see Chris Altrock. What they don’t see, what is hidden from them, is the fact that Jesus is the source of my life. Jesus is the hidden battery, the hidden power plant, that makes “me” possible. Paul’s point is that renewal can only come from Christ. As you look into 2012 and you dream about renewal at work, at home, in your marriage, with your parents or your children, or renewal with God, it can only come through Christ. Your life is now hidden with Christ. He is the only source of deep and lasting renewal. Everything else you may turn to in 2012—books, magazines, DVD’s, programs, and preachers—can only bring superficial renewal. Only Jesus can bring deep and lasting renewal.
And the place where Jesus wants to begin is with our mind. The place where this hidden power source begins to make a deep difference is in our thinking. Listen once more to the first two verses: 1If then 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. Renewal begins when we “set our minds on things that are above.” Renewal begins when we concentrate our thinking on Christ. His character, his deeds, and his words. We are to “set our minds on” these things. Later in vs. 10 Paul will write about our being “renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Renewal begins with knowledge. It beings with the mind. It begins by focusing the mind on Christ and his way of life.
The verb “set your mind on” occurs 26 times in the New Testament. Twenty-three of those occurrences come in Paul’s letters. Paul wrote more about the Christian mind than anyone else in the New Testament. Paul specifically used this verb to indicate that the way a Christian thinks is intimately tied to the way a Christian lives.[5] Paul believed you change living by first changing thinking. For example, Paul writes in Rom. 12:2 “let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (NLT). Paul uses the same verb here in Colossians 3. Paul wants us to set our minds on things above because that’s where renewal begins. God will transform us into a new person by first changing the way we think.
Paul’s saying that the first step toward renewal is not doing better. It’s thinking better. Here’s another way of putting it: Renewal is rooted in orthodoxy not just orthopraxy. Orthopraxy is literally “right practice” or “right actions.” It refers to doing the right things. But orthodoxy is literally “right thinking” or “right believing.” It refers to thinking the right things. For most of us, there is a tendency to focus on orthopraxy. When it comes to renewal most of us give very little thought to changing our thinking and instead we just try to change our doing. But Paul believes that what we set our minds on will have a radical impact on our doing. You get to orthopraxy by attending to orthodoxy.
In 2005, Ron Sider wrote a widely read book called The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience. Sider showed study after study which revealed that when it came to our doing, most Christians were behaving just like non-Christians. The rates of divorce, premarital sex, domestic violence and use of pornography were about the same among Christians as they were among non-Christians. Sider thus called for renewal. He said the Christian church in America needed deep and significant renewal. And what he meant by that was orthopraxy. Evangelical Christians needed to start acting in better ways. Renewal would come by doing things better.
But ten years earlier, Mark Noll wrote a similar book called The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. Like Sider would, Noll found that there was a great need for renewal among Christians. Unlike Sider, Noll said the key was not getting Christians to start acting right. They key was to get them to start thinking right. What Christians most needed to focus on was not actions but thinking. The mind was the frontline of the battle for renewal. And that’s exactly what Paul is telling us. Significant renewal begins when you set your mind on the things of Christ.
John Ortberg shows how a difference in mindset can impact the way two individuals experience the same day.[6] Here is an excerpt from a Dog’s Diary:
8:00 AM – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 AM – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 AM – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 AM – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM – Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM – Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
And here is an excerpt from a cat’s diary regarding the very same day: Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre, little dangling objects. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. Our mind-set has a tremendous bearing on how we experience life. One individual’s mind-set allows him to experience everything during the day as “my favorite thing.” The other individual’s mind-set allows him to experience the same day as “captivity.” Renewal begins by changing our mindset.
Michael Hyatt writes: When I was twenty-nine years old, I became vice president of marketing for Thomas Nelson. It was a huge step up in my career. At the time, I thought I had arrived at the pinnacle of success. But I was in over my head. Or at least that’s the way it felt. I was just waiting for other people to come to the same conclusion. I struggled constantly with anxiety and fear—anxiety was the daytime version; fear was the nighttime version. This manifest itself in my body in two embarrassing ways: First, I sweat profusely. Second, my hands were always cold—ice cold. Before attending important meetings, I would wear two t-shirts, hoping that I wouldn’t sweat through both. I strategically selected my clothing, based on which colors would show the least amount of perspiration. I would also step into the bathroom right before the meeting began, and frantically run hot water over my hands. I would then dry them vigorously, praying that they would warm up. I dreaded having to shake hands with anyone. At some point, I realized that the problem was not in my body, but in my head. I was telling myself a bad story. Mine went like this: You are too young for this job. Worse, you don’t have the experience. Who do you think you are fooling? It’s just a matter of time before everyone in the company sees it. When that happens, you will be out on the street—right where you should have been all along. I would never say this out loud, of course. It was just the sound-track that was playing inside my head. Things didn’t change until I became aware of the story and took control of the narrative. I started telling myself a different story… Mine went like this: Yes, you are young. That gives you tremendous energy. You also don’t have a lot of experience, which is why it is easier for you to think outside the box. God has provided everything you need to be successful in this situation. Even if you fail, you will learn something from it. You can’t lose; you can only quit. And you most certainly are not a quitter! Hyatt didn’t change his actions. He changed his mind. He focused his mind on something far more heavenly. And that led to radical renewal in the way he experienced life.
Paul’s text points to this truth. Paul is saying that life renewal begins with specific habits of mind renewal. Paul is urging us to adopt specific habits of setting our minds on things above, of filling our minds with Christ and the things of Christ. Why? Because the more we fill our minds with Christ, who is our life, the more we will begin to live like Christ. The first things you need to set in place to make 2012 better than 2011 are specific habits by which you can focus on and keep your mind filled with Christ.
Let me offer four possible habits:.
- First, memorizing Scripture can be a powerful way to begin renewing your mind. The key is to memorize something short and to repeat it to yourself during the day at stoplights, when you drink from your water bottle, or every time you Tweet, text, or post a Facebook update. The memorized Scripture becomes a booster rocket that lifts your mind toward heavenly things. You could choose a statement from Jesus, a line from one of the Psalms, or an especially encouraging line from one of Paul’s letters.
- Second, the Jesus Prayer is one way to keep your mind focused on Christ. Practiced for centuries by Christians, the Jesus Prayer is a short prayer meant to be said as you breath. In its shortest form, it’s simply this: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” As you breath in, you say silently or think to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ.” As you exhale, you say silently or think to yourself: “have mercy on me.” I often practice this on Fridays when I am doing work at home and have some time alone. I find that it keeps my mind focused on Christ.
- Third, reading the Bible daily is a powerful way to keep your mind focused on Jesus’ story, God’s story, instead of some inferior story you are telling yourself or which others are telling you. You don’t have to read long. In as little as 5 minutes a day you can give your mind something heavenly to chew on. If you have a smartphone or tablet, I encourage you to use the YouVersion Bible which has numerous reading plans. Some take you through the whole Bible in a year. Others take you through the New Testament in 30 days. Some let you survey key texts in the Bible. Others focus only on the Gospels. Pick a plan and stick with it. YouVersion will even keep track of the readings for you and give you reminders when you miss.
- Fourth, use inspiring art, jewelry, music, graphic designs, or objects to keep your mind focused on Christ. I often wear a cross. Each time I see it or feel it, I think about Christ. I have a replica of the Cristo Redentor statue on my office table which reminds me of Christ. Carl McKelvey, an acquaintance in Nashville, keeps a large print of Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal hanging in his office to compel him to think of Christ. Earl Lavender, a friend at Lipscomb University, has visual representations of the 7 Deadly Sins on a wall in his office. These force him to think of Christ when he sees them. All of these are just different ways of setting your mind on Christ.
Ultimately, Paul reveals in Col. 2:11-12, renewal begins with baptism. Paul writes that in baptism we are buried with Jesus and raised with Jesus. We undergo a circumcision of sorts—having the bad and evil aspects of our lives cut off by the power of God. Part of the new life God gives us through baptism is a new mind. The renewal of our thinking begins in baptism as God pours his Holy Spirit in us who is able to correct our thinking and help set our minds on things above. If you’ve never taken that step, today is a great day to do just that. Begin this New Year by getting baptized. Begin personal renewal in the most powerful way—by being immersed in water in the name of Jesus so that God can wash away your sins and fill you with his Holy Spirit.
[1] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/dailydose/12/02/new.year.resolutions/index.html
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/technology/software-to-rate-how-drastically-photos-are-retouched.html?_r=1
[3] Wright, N. T. (1986). Vol. 12: Colossians and Philemon: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (22–23). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[4] James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Eerdmans, 1996), 207.
[5] Peter T. O’Brien Colossians, Philemon Word Biblical Commentary (Word, 1982), 163.
[6] John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be (Zondervan, 2010), 95.
