Colossians 3

Colossians 3:1-25

vs.1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.

The Question is conditional. First, are you risen and alive with Christ, if we are then we must seek Jesus, and the things of Heaven/Eternity.

vs.2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The word affection means the mind and the thoughts. This action of thought involves your will, desires, and conscience. You must first be risen with Christ (a new creature) before your will, desires, and conscience can enter into the Heavenly things. Unless the heart has been regenerated through the new birth, you will not have the desire for the eternal.

vs. 3 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

To be risen with Christ, you must first have been crucified with Him. If we have been through the cross with Him, then our lives are washed in His blood, and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

vs. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory.

If we have been crucified and resurrected with Christ, then He has purchased us. We have become His bride, and He is our husbandman and Lord that we must obey and follow. We long for the day we are united with Him.

vs. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Mortify - to put to death, to make powerless, impotent

Romans 8:13 say's for if you live after the flesh, you shall die; but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.

This is done by the intervention of others. Just as the Jewish leaders intervened (Matt. 26:59) to put to Jesus to death, it is through the Holy Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the Body. There is no greater picture of putting to death the desires of the flesh than Jesus in the garden prior to His crucifixtion. He didn't physically want to die, but through prayer (communion with God), he submitted His will (desires) to God's will and received the power of the Spirit to overcome. Look at Matt. 26:36-46 (vs. 41), Mark 14:32-42 (vs. 38), Luke 22:3-46 (vs. 40,46). His disciples said they would die with Him, but when they needed to mortify their will, they slept instead. As a result, they all fled from Jesus, just like we have done during persecution.

Galations 5:24 say's and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we are Christ's, then we must live and walk in the Spirit (vs. 25). We should produce the fruit spoken of in vs. 22-23.

Verse 5 of Colossians 3 sums up the works or desires of our members (flesh) in one word: IDOLARTRY! We might not build wooden statues to worship, but our idols are the god of self. We are selfish, self serving, and self gratifying. Self must be crucified if we are to be Christ's disciples. We must take up our cross and put self to death. Jesus commanded it. Look at these versus: 1. Matt 10:38-39 2. Matt. 16:24-26 3. Mark 8:34-37 4. Luke 9:23-27 5. Luke 14:26-27 Not only did Jesus command it, but He paved the way by setting the example for us.

Verse 6 For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience 7) In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.

God's wrath is poured out against the disobedient, those who obey their flesh/members and serve self. If we are Christ's, we shouldn't walk in these anymore.

Verse 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

(3709) Anger - (Orge) to desire eagerly or earnestly (violent passion) wrath, anger as a state of mind. (settled habit of the mind) Aristotle says orge is desire with grief.
(2372) Wrath - (Thumos) a violent motion, or passion of the mind - more passionate and more temporary character of anger & wrath (thumos) is an outburst of (orge) anger.
(2549) Malice - (Kakia) wickness, an evil habit of the mind, while poneria (4189) is the act
(988) Blasphemy- (Blasphemia) The very worst type of slander. Wounding ones reputation by evil reports, evil speaking.
(148) Filthy - vile conversation, filthy communication - to be foul mouthed, shameful words coming out of the mouth.

Here Paul tells us to put off (cast off, put away, lay aside) these evil works and deeds. Each of these deal with the heart of man. The heart must be made new through the power of the Holy Spirit. God promises us a new heart.

Verse 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds;

Paul could be warning them to not tell lies here, but I think he is refering to the lies of a false witness for Christ. It seems to me, that in the context of verses 1-9 that he is saying: Don't say your life is hidden with Christ and that you are walking with Jesus if these evil works are present in your life. Don't try to make each other think you are something that you really aren't. Put to death the old man and his deeds and follow Jesus.

Verse 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.

He is finishing vs. 9, saying don't say you are a new man in Christ unless you really are, and that you are being formed in His image as a disciple of Christ.

Verse 11 Where there is neith Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, seythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Denomination, nationality, creeds, nor religion matters. What matters is that we are creatures in Christ. That our hearts have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and that we are living obedient to Christ.

Rest of Chapter 3 to come later......