“Therefore if you have been raised with Christ to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above the heavenly things, not on things that are on the earth which have only temporal value. 3For you died to this world, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 5:1-3 AMP

The Apostle Paul just finished talking about playing church and if you have died with Christ and the elementary principles of this world, your life should look much different.

“These practices indeed have the appearance [that popularly passes as that] of wisdom in self-made religion and mock humility and severe treatment of the body (asceticism), but are of no value against sinful indulgence [because they do not honor God].” Colossians 4:23 AMP

Now, he begins with the opposite side of Salvation, being raised with Christ! A central principle is that although salvation is a free gift it does cost us something…our sin-filled life. Paul now addresses how the believer should face the battles of conquering the flesh and its desires…”set you mind and keep focused habitually on the things above.” Did you notice at the end in verse 4:28 Paul identified “sinful indulgences” as the source of the battle? The real battle now is to decide which kingdom that we want to live in; the Kingdom of God with life, abundance and protection or the kingdom of darkness with lies, destruction, and death. The Apostle goes right to the heart of the matter in the next verses.

“So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body with its sensual, self-centered instincts immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is a kind of idolatry because it replaces your devotion to God. 6Because of these sinful things the divine wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience those who fail to listen and who routinely and obstinately disregard God’s precepts, 7and in these sinful things you also once walked, when you were habitually living in them without the knowledge of Christ. 8But now rid yourselves completely of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene, abusive, filthy, vulgar language from your mouth. Colossians 3:5-8 AMP

The believer is encouraged to “rid” themselves of all these things. While salvation is about our eternal position sanctification is about our earthly position! Putting to death the things of the flesh is no easy matter. Many of us have learned that it is virtually impossible to do on our own. The good news is that through the shed blood of our Savior the chains of sin can be broken. Notice that verse 7 uses the word habitually to describe the intentions of our heart before the cross. Salvation isn’t a license to sin but rather the ability not too! Paul closes out this section with the following command.

“Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10and have put on the new spiritual self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self” Colossians 3: 9-10 AMP

Let me encourage you to “put on” your new self that is being created to reflect the glory of our Lord and Savior. If you commit to be continually renewed, the fruit of the work of Christ in your life will show full! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken