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Scripture Reading
Introduction
We’ve started a new series on the daily, practical Christian life.
The emphasis in this series is the fact that the Gospel transforms the manner in which we live everyday life.
The Gospel is exceedingly powerful, and God’s desire for His children, for us who are those of the kingdom, is to live out our Chrstians daily in accordance with that wonderful power that is at work in us.
There are two important ways that I hope this sermon series impacts us.
Firstly, I want to urge us as Christians to strive with all diligence to grow in righteousness and holiness, and so to have a powerful impact on the world around us.
I long to see us all being so radically transformed by the Gospel that our daily lives are marked by self-sacrificial service, increased holiness, and an increasing delight in Christ.
The second important thing that I do hope comes through this series is a greater delight and appreciation in the power of God at work in us.
We must recognise that as those redeemed by the blood of the lamb, we are not left helpless, but are being radically transformed by the power of God’s Spirit working in us.
There is real hope for change.
There is real hope for growth.
There is real hope for overcoming all kinds of struggles, challenges, opposition… all because of God’s power at work.
This evening, our focus is on verses 5-9 of Colossians 3, where Paul emphasizes the importance of putting sin and the old manner of life to death.
We are called to kill sin!
An essential element of living the daily Christian life is to be always putting the old, sinful manner of life to death.
And this is an active, daily practice that needs to be cultivated within our lives as Christians.
Let us then look to this passage, and hear the call of Christ through Paul.
Firstly, notice with me…
1.
The Call to Death (v.5)
In verse 5 of this passage, Paul writes…
We see that Paul begins verse 5 with another “therefore...”
And so, once again, this flows out of that which precedes.
Just as the "New Life in Christ" flows out of the glorious doctrines outlined in the first two chapters of Colossians, so this putting to death of the old nature flows out of what we looked at last time in this study.
Because our hearts and minds are now set on things above, not on earthly things, we are called to put certain aspects of our old nature to death.
Put to Death
We see, then, that Paul calls us here to action.
He calls believers to “Put to Death, then…”
There is an essential act, action, that is required on the part of the person professing faith in Christ.
This action is to mark the new believer, even as they begin their walk with Christ.
This action is to mark the life of every believer throughout the course of their Christian life.
The act to which we are called is that of putting to death an old manner of life.
John Owen asked the probing question....
“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
― John Owen, The Mortification of Sin
These are sobering words, but they are so true.
Sin is that which kills, that which brings separation between God and man.
Sin is what caused this world to descend into a state of chaos and animosity with God.
In one sense, as Christians, we know the importance of putting sin to death.
The question is... are we doing it?
NOTE: If you read the NASB - Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to....
Now, let us consider further what Paul says about this important matter of putting sin to death.
The first thing we see in terms of this putting to death is that we are to put to death...
Whatever Belongs
"...whatever belongs to your earthly nature."
What is this earthly nature?
It does not refer to your physical body...
Certainly we would never be asked by Paul to kill our literal bodies.
Rather, Paul is emphasizing that whatever remains of the sinful nature, the nature that has not been raised to newness of life in Christ is to be put to death by the Christian.
We must keep in mind that while we live in this world, our sinful nature continues to have an influence over our conduct.
Think about Paul himself, and his words in Romans 7…
Paul himself knew what it was to wrestle against sin, to strive against that which formed part of the old sinful nature.
While it is true that the Christian continues to live with remaining sin, it is not true to say that the Christian is prepared to continue living with that remaining sin.
They are to be about the business of putting to death anything that remains of that sinful nature.
Notice that Paul says in verse 5 of our text that we are to put to death, “Whatever” belongs to our sinful nature.
Paul will go on to list various examples of what he refers to.
However, we need to see that these are merely examples...
They are not exhaustive lists.
Whatever elements of sin remain, we are called as believers to do away with these.
With that in mind, let us consider briefly the various sins that Paul outlines here.
One observation to note before we do that, is that Paul presents here two lists of sins.
The first list really speaks to the internal heart of the person.
In other words, the lusts and passions of the heart of man, that perhaps are not directly visible or known to others.
Certainly they will be evidenced… we’ll see something of that in a moment.
But he’s addressing deep-seated heart issues.
Sexual Immorality
The first sin that he addresses here is sexual immorality.
The reference here is to fornication, which is any illicit conduct outside of marriage.
It refers to those who would engage in intimate relations as unmarried people, but naturally includes those who are married, and then who engage in any extra-marital relations, and so break covenant.
Any kind of intimate relations outside of marriage are out of keeping with the people of God.
We know well that in our day, this very basic teaching is being undermined, even among professing Christians.
But God’s word is very clear on this.
The design of human relations is founded upon the marriage relationship, the union of one man and one woman in marriage, a covenant union.
This covenant union is to be honoured among God’s people, and any desired violation, or temptation along these lines, is to be put to death.
The importance and weight of this is found elsewhere in Scripture...
The world around us continues to push the idea of promiscuity, and all kinds of ungodly sexual conduct, but God’s word for those who are transformed by the power of the Gospel is clear!
Impurity
Paul takes the issue of immorality further, and makes mention of impurity.
Impurity really speaks to the heart.
All fornication / immorality flows out of a heart that is impure.
What Paul is then addressing here is a heart issue that is drawn away to impurity.
Paul addressed this in his letter to the Romans.
This is the state of heart of man that wonders away from God.
This is the state of a person that has abandoned true thoughts of God, and has been given over to their own heart lusts.
And friends, that is something that belongs to the former manner of life.
Next in the list is…
Lust
While usually associated with fornication / immorality, this goes beyond this.
This term is very much linked with the next term…
Evil Desires
Again, this flows out of a heart that is set upon that which is evil.
Evil desires abound within the hearts of man!
The natural man is inclined towards this evil.
The natural man is filled with evil desires, because his desires are contrary to the ways of God.
Now, we must not think of this merely as being limited to the arena of immorality.
Evil desires are those desires of the heart that would lead us to sin against God in any form or manner.
The word used in the original language speaks of “passions.”
This refers to an uncontrolled and habitual lust for the things of the world.
The heart has been described as an idol factory... we sin when we are taken captive by the desires of our heart for the things of this world, rather than allowing our hearts to be taken captive for Christ, and Him alone.
This is what Paul is addressing here.
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