1. COLOSSIANS
Lesson 7

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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