COLOSSIANS Lesson 7

Colossians 3:5-11 “Consider as dead”: nekroo – corpse like, stop completely, destroy the strength of the evil desire lurking in the members of the body. Zod. Because we ARE dead in Christ, believers put to death their earthly body to these sins Immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, idolatry.

definitions Immorality: sexual sin, promiscuity of any type Impurity: uncleanness or filth in a natural or physical sense Passion: a strong emotion or craving which is NOT guided by God. “The soul’s diseased condition out of which the various lusts spring” Evil Desire: Desires that are fixed on sensual objects as pleasures, profits and honors Greed: a desire to have more of temporal things that go beyond what God determines externally best

idolatry Idolatry: Image worship, worship of false gods. The vices springing from idolatry and peculiar to it. Col. 3:5 ALL of these amount to idolatry as they are vices springing from it Col. 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience Rom. 8:1 NO condemnation…are you IN Christ?

But now……. Col. 3:7 You ONCE walked in them Col. 3:8 But now, put them aside… Rom. 6:13 Present yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness What about those that claim to be saved, but still practice, as a habit of life, evil???? I Cor. 6:9 Do Not Be Deceived: Unrighteous will NOT inherit the kingdom of God I Cor. 6:11 Such were some of you

Cross references I Cor. 6:9 Do Not Be Deceived Eph. 5:6 Do Not Be Deceived I John 3:7 Do Not Be Deceived Therefore, you CAN be deceived!!!! Gal. 5:19 Deeds of the flesh are obvious Eph. 5:9 The fruit of the Light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth I John 3 The children of God are obvious I John 3 The children of the devil are also obvious

Put aside….. “Put aside”: apekduomai – strip off from oneself, to divest of power or authority Anger: anger as a state of mind, frequently with a view to taking revenge. Desire, with grief. Wrath: an outburst of anger, a vengeful mind Malice: wicked, vicious disposition, spite. Inherent evil which is present, even if not outwardly expressed. Endeavor to do evil

Put aside…… Slander: speech injurious to another’s good name. Switches right from wrong and calls what God disapproves, right which “exchanges the truth of God for a lie.” Rom. 1:25 Abusive Speech: dirty talk, filthy or obscene language. “Vile conversation, shameful words coming out of the mouth implying that the person who has been redeemed by Christ should never utter improper or filthy words which he may have uttered in his life of unbelief.” Zod.

Old self Col. 3:8-9 seem to be “others” focused Col. 3:12-13 seem to be “heart” focused Col. 3:9 WHERE do these evil practices come from? “Old Self”: you have “stripped off” the old self – the sinful, unregenerate self previous to salvation and you have “Put on”: sink into, to put on or assume a new character, qualitatively by the activity of God Himself through His renewing power. Man on his own can only reform, But God renews.

Cross references Rom. 6 and Eph. 4 Contrast the new life in Christ, to the old life of sin. Eph. 4:7 Don’t walk in the futility of the mind Eph. 4:19 Old self gave itself to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness which, equals idolatry Col. 3:5 Rom. 6:7 He who has died is freed from sin Rom. 6:10 The life Christ lives He lives to God

Our new self Col. 3:10 Our new self is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One (Jesus) who created him (new self) “Renewed”: anakainoo – to cause to grow up, to be changed into a new kind of life Rom. 8:29 We are being conformed to the image of God’s Son Col. 3:11 There is NO distinction in this renewal

No distinction ALL believers, Jews, Greeks, Barbarian, Scythians (the wildest barbarians), slave or free There is NO excuse, if you are saved, to continue in sin Paul himself had a past The Colossians had been pagan idolaters BUT NOW: we are chosen of God Col. 3:12

chosen Chosen: “hagios” - set apart from a common – to a sacred use I Cor. 1:31 Christ is the wisdom to boast in I Cor. 1:27, 28 GOD has chosen the foolish, weak, base and despised I Cor. 1:29 By HIS doing, you are in Christ Who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption

Cross references Acts 9:15-16 The Lord chose Paul 2 Thess. 2:13 God chose YOU from the beginning for salvation 2 Tim. 2:10 Paul endured all things for the chosen, even those not yet saved I Pet. 1 & 2 Peter, one of the chosen apostles, wrote to the chosen Rev. 17 The chosen will be with Jesus when He returns

Colossians 3:12-14 Put on a heart of: Compassion: deep emotions of the heart Kindness: grace which pervades the whole nature, mellowing all which would be seen harsh and austere. Humility: have the proper estimate of oneself Gentleness: power, under control Patience: long-tempered Bearing with one another: to hold up or back

Forgiving each other “charizomai”: to graciously remit a person’s sin without any expressed objective: no motive Matt. 6 & 18: IF we forgive others, God forgives us. If not, then we are not forgiven Luke 23:34 Forgive like Jesus forgave Eph. 4:32 Forgive, just as God, in Christ, forgave you

Beyond all put on love Love, the perfect bond of unity. It acts like a girdle that ties all the other virtues together. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart “Rule”: “When love rules in our lives it unites all these spiritual virtues so that there is beauty and harmony, indicating spiritual maturity.” Weirsbe Let His Word richly (abundantly) dwell within you Whatever you do, do all in His name Col. 3:17