Taking Off The Dead Body

Colossians 3: 5-11
 
(5) Therefore

We just saw yesterday how we have been given a new life that is in Christ and God sees us as already raised and resurrected with Christ according to His plan. 

consider the members of your earthly body as dead to

Since our flesh has been cut off from the life of the Spirit, it is spiritually dead. That means we no longer have to live lifestyles that include: 

immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 

Using our bodies for unrighteous purposes. And putting our first priorities on earthly gain, before God.

(6) For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 

This is why God's wrath will destroy all those who practice these things.

(7) and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 

Paul says these Colossian Christians used to live like this, before they became Christians. 

(8) But now you also put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 

Paul tells them now to stop thinking in destructive ways toward one another, to change these negative attitudes, that pour out of their mouths as cussing. 

(9) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 

If we took off the old self like a coat, then we also would have put down all the fleshly stuff that goes with it. Including even "white lies" that you justify as "not wanting to hurt" the other, but are not truthful. No lie is of the truth (I John 2: 21). 

(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-- 

When we take off the old coat, then we put on the new one, the spiritual life, that is growing and renewing us into a whole new creation, as Christ's body parts. So we're getting more and more like Him as we learn more about how to have His upright character of love and goodness. 

(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. 

In this spiritual life that we are learning how to live, all the fleshly differences that caused divisions will be eliminated. There will be no more nationality or culture or physical differences, because the physical body will be transformed and swallowed up by the spiritual body (I Corinthians 15: 53-54). 

So we are to start learning that all the physical differences don't make any difference any more, and all the physical desires to gratify physical appetites don't have any power over us any more. We are to take care of our bodies while we still need to live in them, but we don't have to run to any excesses in gratifying sinful physical desires, the connection that caused the pull has been severed, the addiction has been broken. 

We are to turn our focus off of the physical, and onto the spiritual realities that we are growing in. God is growing us up to maturity, so that Christ's body will gain the mature stature of the Son of God (Ephesians 4: 13; How the Body Grows Up). 

O my Father, You have thought of everything. Every detail of how You have planned out this whole panoply of creation is working out toward the grand conclusion of all. You are calling us into Your family, You are re-molding us into the image of Your Son, and You will finish everything You started in each of us. 

O Father, teach us how to hear Your voice, how to re-direct our lives into the righteous and pure ways of Your Son. Continue to hold our hand, Father, as we walk in Your footsteps along the narrow path that leads to eternal Light. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!