Colossians chapter two teaches that the Old Law, man-made religion, and abusing or neglecting your body “are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).
Then, what IS valuable for resisting temptation? Colossians 3:1-17 provides plain actions that can aid in our struggles. See if you can find what we should seek, set, and sever, and how we should serve to be holy.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
This section begins with, “If then you were raised with Christ…” If someone is not raised with Christ, the rest of the chapter does not apply, and there is no way to win over evil desire. So, what does it mean to be raised with Christ? Colossians 2:11-12 shows when that happens:
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
When they were baptized, they were raised with Jesus through faith in the work of God.
Have you been raised with Christ? Do you live like it?
Let’s set our minds!
– Van
