Colossians 3:1-4 ESV
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
In order to be raised with Christ we have to first of all
die with him to sin. Then we can be raised with him to walk in newness of life
in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And once we
have died and have been raised with Christ, then we need to seek the things
that are from heaven and not seek or run after the things of this godless
world. Now this is not saying we can’t have possessions or that we can’t enjoy
God’s created works. But it is saying that the things of this world should not
be what we thirst after, what we long for, and what we prefer above all else.
The things we are to seek after are true righteousness,
holiness, honesty, godliness, uprightness, honor, moral purity, faithfulness,
integrity, and the like. And we should seek to know God, not just
intellectually but intimately. And the way we get to know him is to be students
of his word who then obey the commandments under the New Covenant. But we can’t
seek after Christ and his righteousness if we are still craving and going after
the sinful desires of the flesh. The two are opposed to each other. So, we have
to be daily putting sin to death so that we can walk in obedience to our Lord.
Colossians 3:5-10 ESV
“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.”
So, these are the kinds of things we should have put to
death and that daily we should say “No!” to so that we can live
self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon
return (Titus 2:11-14; cf. Ephesians 4:17-32). None of these sins mentioned
here should be part of the Christian’s life. They definitely should not be what
Christians are taking active part in habitually and deliberately, and definitely
not premeditatedly. These should have all been put away from us and now we
should be walking in holiness and righteousness in obedience to our Lord.
Yet, this is exactly where many professing Christians are
living. They are living in slavery to sexual immorality, and to impurity, and
to sinful passion and evil desire. And then they are lying to cover up their evil
and they are pretending that that they love God and that they are in fellowship
with him. But if we love God we will obey him. And if we say we are in
fellowship with him we lie if sin is what we practice. Perfection is not
required of us, but we should no longer be walking in sin. Sin is to no longer be
what we practice. Now righteousness and obedience to our Lord are what we are
to practice.
So, who is it speaking to when this says that on account of
such sins that are listed here that the wrath of God is coming? This is
addressed to professers of faith in Jesus Christ. It is letting them know that
if sin is what they practice, and if righteousness and obedience to the Lord
are not what they practice that they are going to face the wrath of God. They
will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what their lips profess.
For the Christian life is not just about lip service. It is about us humbling
ourselves before God and submitting to his will and purpose for our lives.
Sinful lifestyles are to be in our past, not still in our
present. So we are to put all these sins away from ourselves so that we can
walk in holiness and in righteousness in obedience to our Lord. For if we are
genuinely in Christ, by true faith in him, we should have died to our old lives
of sin and we should have been given new lives in Christ to be lived for his
glory and honor. So, if you are still habitually and deliberately sinning
against the Lord and then lying about it and pretending that you are not
sinning when you are, please repent of your sins and now follow Jesus in
obedience.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom
2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2
Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal
5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col
3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb
3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
A
Believer’s Prayer
An
Original Work / July 31, 2012
With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.
Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.
Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.
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