Put off the old man Col. 3:5-9

Introduction

When we get saved there are some things that have to be put to death. Paul is going to remind the church here about what they have been called to put to death. We are to die to sin and be alive to Christ.

Rom. 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Col.3:3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

John Phillips said this “This is a critical fact. It does not depend whether the old nature feels dead. God says that its dead.”

This week we are going to look at Paul’s reminder to put off the old man.

Put off Idolatry

In verse 5 it starts with the thought of mortifying therefore your members which are upon the earth

The word Mortify means to put to death

Gal 5:24 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Rom 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Your members which are upon the earth is talking about our Adamic nature. Our flesh never misses an opportunity to express itself when we fail to reckon ourselves dead.

The Holy spirit demands that we remember the fact that we died with Christ to deprive the old nature of its efforts to use our living bodies of instruments of its own expression.

Paul brings to remembrance their past

He reminds them of their fornication - sexual relations outside of marriage

He reminds the of their uncleaness - their lewdness

He reminds them of their inordinate affection - impurity, lust, passion

He reminds them of their evil con-cup-isence - their evil desires

He reminded them of their covetousness - greediness

He sums it up with one word - Idolatry

An idol is putting anything before God, he was reminding them that putting the desires of the flesh above their worship of God was in fact idolatry.

This list can be summed up in two categories; Impurity and covetousness. When we see ourselves as we are it should motivate us to like dead to the flesh and alive with Christ

The reason for God’s wrath is the disobedience of the entire human race. God has stayed his wrath continually, but we have some examples of when God poured out his wrath on the Children of disobedience

The world wide flood

Gen. 6:5-8 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 19 - turn

Specific vs. 23-29

Eventually God is going to pour out his wrath on the earth again, not with a flood but with fire.

2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Paul reminds them in verse 7 that this is their past life, and God has saved them from the wrath that is promised to the children of disobedience

Gods part - ye are dead our part- mortify therefore your members

We must respond to what God has done. When God says the old man is dead we must trust and obey him.

Put off the deeds of the old man

isn’t it amazing how we classify sin

We say things like it was only a little lie I didn't murder anyone.

The church here might of put off the idolatry but they hadn't completely died to self

Put off anger

Doesn’t anger make us do some dumb stuff

It makes us do things we shouldn’t

it makes us say things we shouldn’t

It makes us act in ways we shouldn’t

Ill. Moses when he smote the rock after God told him to speak to it.

Put off wrath

When Moses was told by God to speak to the rock and instead smote it, he was under the constant nagging and bickering of the Israelites and he exploded. The flash of temper cost him dearly

Put off Malice

To regard with extreme ill will

This word gives off the context of malignity the desire to injure.

Put off Blasphemy

This would be saying something for the purpose of slander or defaming ones good name.

Put off filthy communication out of your mouth

Foul speaking

This would be dirty jokes or using curse words.

Ill. When peter denied Christ people wouldn’t believe him because of how he spoke, so the Bible says he started cursing and swearing.

Put off lying

Lying is speaking the language of satan as he is the father of lies

Prov 14:5 “A faithful witness will not lie: But a false witness will utter lies.”

Eph 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

paul then sums up this section in one phrase “put off the old man with his deeds”

It’s one thing to put off the old man it’s another to put off the deeds of the old man

someone wrote this “from the fall of Adam and Eve lying has been a practice of the old nature. Such is to be replaced with honesty truthfulness and integrity of character in and among Christian’s.

conclusion

all of us have been called to put off some things when we became a believer, have we really put them off or just suppressed them?