When we opened Colossians 3, we learned about the importance of Paul’s command that we “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God,” and to “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,” (Col. 3:1-2).This is basically a summary of an extensive list of do’s which Paul expounds upon further down in chapter 3 and through most of chapter 4. But today, we examine Paul’s don’ts, which stand in glaring opposition to the proper behavior of a professing Christian.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:5-11 ESV
Continuing the thread of ‘death to self and resurrection to Christ’ which he wrote on in chapter 2, Paul says we as believers must put to death what is earthly in us.
Sinful desires do not magically cease when we become saved and are baptized. It’s a lifelong struggle to fight sin (aka: the flesh), so we need to be honest with ourselves and always stay alert. While some people experience very powerful recovery from specific sins after their conversion, most will still have areas that are difficult to put to death. Even the great apostle Paul wrote about his ongoing struggle with the flesh in Romans 7:18-25.
Paul’s use of such severe words here is important. Note he didn’t say, “avoid earthly desires” or “do your best not to give into sin” – he said put them to death. We must have no mercy when it comes to putting down our fleshly lusts. But like zombies, these things often come back to life, so we have to keep on killing our earthly desires as many times as it takes, even if that’s 100x a day. Put them to death!
And what are these earthly desires? Paul leaves no stone unturned as he lists out a variety of things that cause Christians to stumble, be weak and ineffective in their walk, and dishonor God. Look back at Paul’s list… it’s extensive and reveals the true depravity of mankind. But don’t just look at it and think, “well I don’t do that, or that, or that, so I’m not too bad.” We must internalize these things and take the instruction to heart. Consider the teaching of our Lord in Matthew 5:21-48; I encourage you to take a moment to humbly read through that passage while comparing it to Paul’s exhortation here. If we’re honest, we’ see how we’ve committed every one of these things before, if not physically, certainly spiritually.
So, what are we to do? Paul says we are to put on the new self. As a visual aid, think of this like taking off the dirtiest, most stained and stinky clothes, then taking a long hot shower, and putting on brand new clothes fresh out of the dryer. Spiritually speaking, it is the act of intentionally pursuing the things above, seeking Christ and the Father, and being obstinate against sin and earthly desires.
This aligns with Paul’s instructions to the Romans where he said, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Rom. 12:1-2 ESV).
As we do this, our new self is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. This statement reminds me of the creation account where it is written, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,”” (Gen. 1:26). God initially created mankind in His own image, but due to sin we lost an element of this glorious state. Yet through the work of Christ, we are now being renewed or renovatedunto His image again.
Paul closes this paragraph with, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” Using the surrounding verses as context, we can see that Paul is reminding the church of the unity we share in Christ. Our heritage, race, and social status are nothing to be concerned with and certainly nothing to boast about – we are all part of the body of Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in each of us.
Wrapping up for today: as we put to death our earthly desires and put on the new self, we make mental and spiritual room for our new life in Christ – a life surrendered to God, focused on honoring Christ, and being renewed after His image.
Next time, we’ll begin to look at Paul’s extensive list of do’s and how those not only contrast with worldly behavior, but also keep our minds concentrated on good, right, and holy things, which naturally suppresses our sinful desires. It’s all about keeping our thoughts and hearts centered on Christ and bringing Him the glory He so rightly deserves.