A note from the desk of our Pastor:

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

Colossians 3:5

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

The Apostle Paul includes a litany of sinful activities in our study verse this week. A preoccupation with the catalog of sinful actions obscures the deeper theological intent of the passage. The focus of our study will be on the Apostle’s instruction to believers rather than on the nature of each particular sin. 

The Apostle begins the verse saying, “mortify therefore” indicating that there is prior information relevant to this verse. The relevant information is contained in verses 1 through 3. The believer has already been instructed that he or she is risen with Christ, should set their affections on things above, and that his or her life is hidden in Christ. The disciples, therefore, must remember that they are dead to sin but alive in Christ.

The contrast occurs between the spiritual and the physical. The child of God being dead to sin spiritually means all sins are forgiven and they do not impact eternal life. However, in this life, the physical draw to sin has not been removed. The call to action of the Apostle is to starve the physical desire to engage in sin. This action is not singular, nor a goal to be accomplished, it is a daily evaluation and choice. One must repeat this effort throughout life; failure today cannot justify abandoning the struggle tomorrow.

The act of starving the physical desire for sin will create a void for the believer. Recognition of the void is vital because the next step to the Apostle’s instruction is to fill that void. This is not easy work for the child of God. Using hate as an example, the believer must do more than merely suppress the impulse; they must actively substitute hateful conduct with deeds of compassion. The goal is to remove things of this world and replace them with things of heaven.

In this and many other verses, the Bible student must decide whether to focus on the specific catalog of sins or the passage’s broader significance. I encourage you to engage in the latter as this is the true purpose of the gospel. 

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah