Are You Dead to the Things That Kill?
Paul's Admonition to the Colossians Is Needed Again Today
Christians are called to be united in Jesus. It was our Lord’s desire that His people put aside their differences and come together for the advancement of the message of salvation through faith in Him. In His high priestly prayer Jesus asked the Father to unite His disciples as one as He and the Father are One (John 17:11b).
Jesus knew what He would accomplish on Calvary’s Cross. He died so that all those who trust in Him would live. Death brought life.
The Apostle Paul understood the principle and expounded on it to the Colossians. Here is Chapter 3, verses 1 through 17.
1 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 this passage Paul couches his argument in the context of death and life in verses 1-3. He begins by advising them that because they are born-again (raised up with Christ), they are alive spiritually and capable of focusing on their new nature. They are to set their minds on the things attendant to their new nature.
In verses 5-9 he begins to define what characteristics were put to death through their new life in Christ. The Colossians were to consider themselves dead to those behaviors which means that certain behaviors and manners of thinking were no longer to be a part of their life. They were now no longer to be entangled or persuaded by these things. These things were part of the old life but that life has been laid aside.
The new self and its characteristics is the subject of Paul’s admonition beginning in verse 10. Verse 11 destroys competition and ego in the body. Verse 12 tells us that our new nature is capable of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Verse 13 explains how our new heart and the characteristics it obtains plays out in our behavior toward one another in the body of Christ. But of all that Paul wrote, verse 14 is the power behind it. Love creates a perfect bond of unity. This is what the body of Christ is lacking today. U.N.I.T.Y. It seems like such a simple thing, but alas, it is the most difficult thing to achieve.
Why do you think unity is so difficult to not just cultivate but to achieve and maintain? My perspective is that unity is difficult because too many Christians have not died to the things of this world, primarily immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. There is too much allowance given to the things we have been set free from. There is too much concern for our rights, our views, and our desires. The result is that the Father’s desires, Jesus’ admonitions, and the leading of the Holy Spirit are silenced.
The love of Christ for us and His love that dwells in us by the Holy Spirit brings peace. The peace of Yahweh and peace with Yahweh changes lives from the inside out. Are you experiencing the peace of God in your life? The peace that is ours through faith in Jesus is meant to rule in our hearts (verse 15). His peace is a strong bulwark against all the behaviors the enemy of our soul attempts to deceive us into acting out once again. Based on what Paul has written here, there has to be some type of resurrection of what was dead when we were born-again, in order for us to fall into behaviors that kill us, kill His peace, and destroy His love that builds unity. This resurrection is not miraculous, it is merely the act of allowing what was slain to live in us again.
What does Paul say we have in our arsenal to prevent the resurrection of the things that kill us? Notice verse 16 - we have the Word of God dwelling in us. This requires us to participate in the process of the Word becoming ingrained in our minds and hearts. We are to utilize the wisdom of the Word to teach us and to encourage one another. This in turn develops an attitude of gratitude.
Finally, in verse 17 we stand firm on thankfulness toward our Savior, being careful to live in a way that honors Jesus - do all in the name of Jesus. This means that we must be living and acting in ways that we can actually tell others that we are doing things because of our faith in Jesus and for His honor.
Love and the unity it enables honors the Father. The peace that Yahweh offers to all who are reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus is a constant reminder that we have died to the things that once killed us. I pray we will leave those things in the grave where they belong and press on toward His call on our lives