The purpose of this lesson: To increase each Christian’s awareness that he or she brings unchristian baggage with him or her into the church when he or she enters Jesus Christ.

Years ago I worked first as a counselor then as a director for a Christian camp for many summers (a session per summer).  When the camp first opened, campers brought themselves and their clothes—going to camp was “getting away from it all.”  As time passed, campers brought more and more “things” with them.  The camp board made rules about what a camper could and could not bring to camp.  Then came the petitions.  Every year the camp board was petitioned to allow campers to bring “this.”  When my going to camp experiences ended, there was little difference between going to camp and moving!  The campers’ baggage contained far more than clothes!  Going to camp became “bringing it with you.”

All of us likely could illustrate the principle of “taking it with us” instead of “leaving it behind.”

There is a lot of parallel in the above illustration and the experience of entering the church.  More and more people do not choose to enter the Christian community in order to leave the world.  In fact, being an “official” part of the Christian community has less and less to do with the decision to “leave” anything.  In too many people’s thinking, being a Christian has to do more with combining than leaving.

Too many in the church are more focused on what they can bring into the Christian community than they are focused on attitudes and actions they should leave behind.

Whether we wish to admit it or not, all of us enter the Christian community with baggage from our past life and past experiences.  Increasingly, local Christian communities become a strange combination of devotion to Jesus and baggage from people’s past.  Increasingly, congregational confrontations, power plays, and divisions have more to do with the baggage people brought with them than devotion to Jesus Christ.

To immediately (upon conversion) leave everything behind that challenges godliness or is ungodly is not an option for anyone.  To do that, the person would need (immediately) an accurate understanding of (a) what is godly and ungodly, (b) what is personal opinion and preference, and (c) what deals with your personal situation that is not a part of everyone’s situation.

Only spiritual maturity (that comes with time, study, and thinking) identifies that which is unquestionably godly, that which is grey, and that which is unquestionably ungodly.  “Line drawing” is a dangerous task that easily can involve baggage brought into Christianity rather than the principles of Jesus Christ.

Attention is called today to a group of converts that brought a lot of baggage from their past into the church.  They were suffering because of their baggage from the past.  Bringing unchristian baggage into the church is not a new problem!  It was a common problem 2000 years ago!

It is quite simple to bring baggage into the church when a person is converted from a background that is powerful in ungodliness and exists in an ungodly society.   That was often the situation with the conversion of gentiles who came from devotion to idolatry to devotion to Jesus Christ in their idolatrous society.

Begin by reading today’s text.  Do this to have that scripture fresh in your mind as some things are called to your attention.  Notice there was (a) a “before conversion” existence, (b) the understanding that formed their “reason for coming to Christ,” and (c) an “in Christ” behavior.  Verses 17-19 speak of conditions in their pre-conversion existence.  Verses 20-24 deal with the understanding of people who entered Christ.  Verses 25-32 deal with the behavior they should have as people who belong to Christ.  In these verses, there is the “what you were,” the “why you came to Jesus Christ,” and the “how you should act” as people who belonged to Christ.

Make certain that each student sees the three-fold division of today’s text.  It involves a “before Christ,” a “coming to Christ,” and an “after entering Christ.”  Paul’s focus is on behavior, but there are attitudes and motives behind the behavior—it is more than a “belonging” or a check list for “right procedures.”

Second, notice that coming to Christ involved a definite transition.  There was the “old self” that was corrupted by the lusts of deceit which formed the spirit of their pre-conversion existence.  Conversion occurred because they were renewed in the spirit of their mind.  Because of what they learned about Jesus Christ, their thinking was changed.  Because of this different way to understand existence, they were converted.  The new existence created in the righteousness and holiness of truth was called the “new self.”

One becomes a Christian because the person wants to make the transition.  Realize not everyone wishes to make that transition.  The task of Christians is to find those who wish to make the transition and appreciate doing so.

Third, notice that the reality of the existence of the “new self” was verified by the way they behaved.  Pay particular attention to the contrast in behavior: old self—deceitful, new self—truthful; old self—prolonged anger, new self—short-term anger; old self—stole in selfish greed, new self—earned to help the struggling; old self—destructive speech, new self—edifying speech; old self—enemy of God’s influence, new self—helper of God’s influence; and old self—ruled by negative emotions, new self—devoted to positive emotions.  Why the transformation?  They allowed God’s behavior demonstrated in Christ to become their model.

Point out the obvious contrast between behavior that is not Christlike and behavior that is Christlike. The contrast is between the “old self” and the “new self.”

Fourth, notice that not all their behavior has been transformed.  A case could be made that this congregation had deceit problems, anger problems, stealing problems, speech problems, godly influence problems, and problems caused by negative emotions.  It is entirely possible that Paul used these specific examples because these areas were trouble spots in their Christian community.

Make a clear distinction between what God does and what humans do in transition.  It is the distinction between divine “immediate action” and human “growth/development” acts.  There is a distinction between wanting divine forgiveness and acting like a saved person.

However, to be beyond speculation, consider verse 28.  Some Christians in the Christian community were still stealing.  Stealing was not a moral issue!  It was a way of life!  Perhaps it was like one place I lived—stealing from “the well-to-do” was not stealing, but a way for the less fortunate to share in the good fortune of someone who would not miss what was lost.

Stealing was clearly a practice that was a present, ongoing behavior occurring among Christians.  It likely was not a “moral” issue, but a “way-of-life” issue with the Christians that stole.

In most of the epistles, the writer directed his comments to situations that were ongoing in the congregation addressed.  The writer was writing for them.  We make application to us by first accurately understanding what he said to them and understanding their situation.

Take note of how Paul addressed the situation.  He did not say, “You should know better than that!” which would not address the problem.  He said that it was the nature of Christians to be helpers of those in need, not takers from others.  Christians share!  They help those in need!  There is no need to fear violent acts from the man or woman in Christ!

They did not forfeit their Christianity because of their ignorance and its ungodly consequences.  Paul addressed what was wrong by teaching what was right.  Paul did not ignore what they did, but neither was his initial approach based on an “I cannot believe what you ungodly people are doing” attitude.  He began by teaching instead of merely condemning.

Fifth, notice that the divine part of transformation is immediate.  Forgiveness, redemption, and sanctification are immediate acts that occur when a person enters Christ.  That is God’s part.  However, it takes some time to educate the person to act consistently with what God did for him (or her).  To learn the behavior that is consistent with divine forgiveness, divine redemption, and divine sanctification takes time.  The relevant question is “Is the person growing?” not “Has the person arrived?”  Arrival involves (1) a subjective human expectation, (2) the person’s past, and (3) what society told the person was okay prior to the person’s conversion to Christ.

Make a clear distinction between what God does immediately when we enter Christ, and what we do in the process of growing and understanding.  The objective of our spiritual growth is to behave consistently with what God did for us when we entered Jesus Christ.

Never allow your baggage to provide justification for ungodly behavior.  Let Christ be your example.  Let God in Christ be your model.

The baggage we brought with us into Christ never justifies (makes right) ungodly behavior.  Nothing but God’s values is to determine our behavior.

For Thought and Discussion

1. In too many people’s thinking, being a Christian has more to do with what than what?

It has more to do with “combining” than “leaving.”

2. All of us enter the Christian community with what?  Where did we get it?

We all enter the church with baggage.  It comes from our life and experiences that occurred before we were Christians.

3. Increasingly, what three things have more to do with baggage than devotion to Jesus Christ?

a. Congregational confrontations

b. Congregational power plays

c. Congregational divisions

4. What five things are you asked to note?

a. The “before you were converted,” the” coming to Christ,” and the” in Christ behavior” sections

b. The transition

c. The verification behavior provided

d. The human part of transformation was a process involving time and understanding

e. God’s part of transformation is immediate.

5. How did Paul address the situation?

He patiently used a teaching approach.  He did not condemn before he taught.

6. What part of transformation is immediate?  What part requires time?

God’s part of transformation is immediate upon entering Christ.   The human behavior part of transformation requires time (and understanding).

7. Arrival involves what three things?

a. Subjective human expectations

b. The convert’s past

c. What society said was acceptable

8. Christians should never allow baggage to do what?

They should never allow baggage to justify ungodly behavior.

9. In behavior matters, who is the Christian’s example/model?

Jesus Christ or God through Jesus Christ is the example/model.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 12

Copyright © 2009
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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