Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire...

Colossians 3:1-17 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Put On the New Self

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

⁵ Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

In yesterday’s text Paul wrote:  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ… If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,  “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”  (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? Today he clarifies that the freedom we have in Christ is freedom from manmade rules and regulations, not freedom to live and do however and whatever we please. He says:  keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth… consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

I find it ironic how those who don’t believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, those who don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God, will often take snippets, from the Bible to try to lecture and reprove believers. They will highlight select verses that they think support their way of thinking, pointing out things like Jesus tendency to fellowship with sinners, to try to argue that Jesus condoned the actions and lifestyles of those sinners. They disregard the inconvenient truth that Jesus Himself said:         “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)      Jesus did not disregard righteousness, condone or tolerate sin, He explains His reason for associating with sinners in Luke 5:30-32.        The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”         Repentance was a key element in Jesus message and ministry here on earth, from the beginning :     Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."  To the woman caught in the act of adultery, whom He did not condemn but said:   “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

Again, Paul says in today’s text: , keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth… consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. He continues saying: “ For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.”     The philosophies of men want to believe and teach that a loving God would not punish people for disobedience. The truth is it is only because of the love of God that we have a way out of the consequences of sin and disobedience.    “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)       A loving God provided a way out, yet He still gives each individual a choice of whether or not to accept His love.

Paul encourages those who have accepted God’s love, Christ’s finished work on the cross, to live differently. He says:  But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,  and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.    Renewed, restored to the image of the One who created us, just as it says in the beginning: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26)

In response to God’s love, having been restored and renewed to the way God created us and intended us to be and to live, may we make this our prayer and declaration:

Having been chosen of God, holy and beloved, I put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with and forgiving others, just as the Lord forgave me.  Beyond all these things I  put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Help me to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart. May I let the word of Christ richly dwell within me, with all wisdom and teaching. Whatever I do in word or deed, I do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.  Thank You.    Amen