The Book of Colossians Pt. 32 Do Not Feed Your Old Man. Seek God.

Seek the kingdom of God first.

Colossians 3:1-4  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

After teaching us about the doctrines of Jesus Christ and exalting our Lord, Paul also confronted some of the false teaching. He reminded us that our antidote to false teaching is knowing the truth and all that we have on Jesus Christ. 

Then, the apostle turned us to learning about our duties toward God. We must choose to seek the kingdom of God first and to set our hearts upon the things of God rather than the things of this world.

Put to death our old man ways.

Colossians 3:5-7   Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6)  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7)  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 

The apostle exhorted the Colossians to mortify their bodies with regard to sin. Sin is a great hindrance to seeking the things which are above. 

Since it is our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things, it is our duty to mortify our members because they naturally incline us to the things of the world. 

The idea is to put them to death. The verb is used metaphorically of depriving a thing of its power, or destroying its strength. 

Use no member of your body to sin against God. To gratify any sensual appetite is to give it the very food and nourishment by which it lives, thrives, and is active. 

The culture we live in is full of unbridled, unchecked sin. We live in this culture and its corrupting influence always presses in on us. 

Fornication is the first sin Paul listed. Fornication is engaging in a sexual relationship while not being married. It can also be a married spouse having an adulterous affair. This is all over the place in our culture and it destroys families, dishonors God and ruins lives. 

Uncleanness refers to having sexual desires that are impure, unwholesome, even vile. 

Inordinate affections refers to passions that are depraved and beast like. 

Evil concupiscence refers to wicked or pernicious cravings for that which God's forbids. 

Covetousness refers to those who seek to be rich at all costs. It means being greedy, unscrupulous and filled with a driving ambition to have more wealth, acquire more property or accumulate more things.

Paul made it clear that these things flow out of idolatry of which many Gentiles at Colosse were saved. He did not want their old depraved habits to resurface and cause them to sin again.

His warning is one that we must heed. We must see our old way of life and the way of life promoted by our depraved culture, as the ways of sin and degradation. 

We must keep our bodies under subjection to God's Spirit and His Word. We must kill off any avenue that feeds our fleshly lust, in order to avoid dishonoring God.

Remember that God saved us out of those old manways. 

Colossians 3:6,7  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7)  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 

Paul reminded the Colossians that the wrath of God sits upon the head of each child of disobedience, those who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Believers enjoy new life in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

It is a reminder of our old life which passed away as God made all things new. We can be enticed by those old man things and this is why many believers find they must make a complete break with their old friends. 

The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit causes things that used to appeal to our flesh, to lose their appeal. God is in the lifelong process of making all things new for all who are in Christ. 

Our old friends will think we are strange because we now follow Christ. They will not understand this change until it happens to them.

1 Peter 4:3,4  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4)  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 

Old friends who do the same sinful things that we used to do are no help to spiritual growth. This was our old way of life filled with lust, drunkenness, and all manner of wicked actions. Because of the new birth, we no longer run in the same circles. 

Those with whom we used to associate in sin, think we are strange because God regenerated us and our lives were radically changed. 

We must reorient our lives.  Music we listen to should be changing from Rock and Roll to Godly music.  Books we pick up should be moral or Godly focused.  So many areas where Satan can successfully tempt us, so let's be discerning with our choices.

Come out from the world and separate yourself to God. 

2 Corinthians 6:16-18  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

This connects with the command to come out from among them and be separate unto the Lord (2 Corinthians 6:17). Paul already taught us about our union with Jesus Christ as living stones who make up His Church. 

We are part of the living temple of God and His holy temple has no fellowship with idols or impurity of any kind. Therefore, how can a professing believer choose to live in sin.

If God dwells in us, then we must separate ourselves from our old way of life, from all the old things and fleshly lusts that drag us down into the mire of sin. We must leave them behind and seek our Lord. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Our Christian duty is made clear and exact by the apostle Paul.

We must diligently work to cut off anything that feeds our flesh or nourishes our old man.

That may mean seeking out new friends, listening to new music, reading the Bible and Christian commentary, forming God honoring habits, because old things passed away. 

Let the words of the Psalmist be our prayer and guide for life. It will serve us well.

Bob

Psalm 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.