Colossians 3:5-6

 

Scripture: kjvColossians 3:5-6
⁵ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

⁶ For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

Observations:

Going to be perfectly honest here. I dont understand this concept of killing myself. The whole book of Colossians is about yielding and surrendering everything to Christ. He does the work, has already done the work. It is finished. We are told 20 times in 6 different ways to let go of our efforts, our abilities, our desires. Everything. Then here Paul tells us to kill ourselves. Put to death our sin. Sounds like he is saying we have to actively work to die to sin and self yet we know we cant do anything. Christ has to do the work....hmmm.*scratches head*. Okay so maybe we allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ? We allow ourselves to go the cross, we say nevertheless? Is that our part? Is that what Paul means/God is trying to teach me? I know He wants me to understand this....Im praying I will, but for now.....this concept it still developing in my mind. This yield/surrender yet kill your own self concept. lol

These are the things Paul tells us to put to death, things that are

• upon the earth... carnal, fleshly, sinful,
• fornication....any kind of sexual sin
• uncleanness....impurity
• inordinate affection :pathos. Rendered in Romans 1:26, "vile affections;" In 1 Thessalonians 4:5, the word is rendered "lust" - which is its meaning here.
• evil concupiscence...Evil desires; licentious passions;
• covetousness which is idolatry...significant that Paul lists all these base sins and includes covetousness with it. We rarely consider how very covetous we are and in how many areas of our lives this is manifest. We tend to think of material goods but it can also apply to others gifts, talents and abilities....anything that God hasnt given to us.

Seems Paul is telling us to deprive the members of our bodies that are sinful. He list mostly sexual sins, perhaps because they are some of the lowest? Maybe because we all have these base tendencies within us so we can all receive this Word? I guess there isnt a person anywhere in any generation who hasnt been touched by these sins in one way or another. Who doesnt struggle with carnality in their homes and families?  If you dont currently struggle with the kinds of carnality listed can you attest to the fact that these sins have damaged your home somehow at sometime? Have your parent fallen prey to this list? Your children? Yourself? Paul knew just where to put his finger when instructing us to purge the sin from ourselves. What an incredibly relevant and needful Word for our day and age.

Application: I know this Word instructs us to mortify/deprive our sinful natures, yet I cant. I have rely solely on Christ to do it for me. Im quite sure that freedom from these base carnal sins is found in complete surrender to Christ. Abiding. Dwelling. Surrender.

Pray:

Im so glad for the P part of my SOAP because Lord, I dont understand how I can kill myself yet that is what this verse seems to say. I pray for understanding. Again I gotta say I dont think I can mortify my members....reconcile these things in my heart and mind Lord. Kill myself, yet Im already dead because Christ said *It is finished*.