Colossians 3

Colossians 3

Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set [to seek] your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  NIV 

3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. NKJV

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, NET Bible

3:1 If then, you were raised with the Christ, seek the things above, where the Christ is, seated on the right hand of God, 3:2 mind the things above, not the things on the earth” Literal Standard Version

At the Top

  When we view Christ next to His Father, there is power in prayer. Through Christ there is forgiveness and justification before God. Looking at Jesus is a worthy focus, with God the Father at the right hand of Christ. This truth cannot be overstated in its importance.

  Since Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” and “all of [God’s] fullness dwells in him” (Col 1:15,19) and God the “father of us all, who is over all and through all and in [you] all” (Eph 4:7). When we approach God in humble trusting prayer we can be “strengthened with all power” for “great endurance and patience” (Col 1:11). Thus, we can have “confidence” with boldness and assurance, “we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know [truly, really] know that he hears us—whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14,15).

  Here is God’s unlimited power to help and support is made available to us wandering pilgrims here on earth. “The Lord is with me; he is my helper” (Ps. 118:7). “By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life” (Ps. 42:8).

During the day, God is our reliable helper—one who is with us out of love, not obligation, duty, or required responsibility. When fear or dread overtakes our feelings, we are to look to Christ, who is next to God our Father, for guidance, direction, and their presence.

The Text

  The NIV adds the word “hearts” (3:1) to the text as a specific emphasis. Yet this passage calls us to keep our whole life focused on God and His Son that is the things of above. This is the purpose of portraying Christ at the right hand of God. Jesus has promised us “Whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16).

Since Then, Therefore

  Paul is looking back to his previous section where he declared, “since we were buried with him in baptism” and “through faith…raised with him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). Your habits of sin were cut away from you. God Himself “made you”—remade you, recreated you—to be “alive with Christ” (Col. 2:13).

  This re-creation is not always instant. In some things it is, but often it unfolds gradually. A new love for God springs up within new believers. Sometimes it begins simply with the awareness that you love God, and over time it grows in intensity.

  We believe from within our hearts, and new desires arise to honor God in our lives. We are led to confess certain sins so that we may be forgiven. This is one of the most frequent changes that occur in new believers.

  For spiritual growth, we must stay focused on the things that matter to God—on things above. If our free time is spent for hours on sports and movies, the flame and passion to love God, to love prayer, and to love Scripture will diminish. Spiritually we will make more mistakes, and our judgments may mislead us because we have distanced ourselves from “all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col. 1:9).

(1) Set Our Minds & Life

  The Greek word translated “set” is zéteó, which means to seek, to search for, to desire, to investigate, and to strive after. The NET Bible captures this sense well by translating it as “keep seeking” and “keep thinking.” The NIV provides a softer rendering, such as “set your hearts” or “set your minds.”

  There must be movement—a direction—in our thoughts of faith. Our thinking should be purposeful, like a searchlight in the night focused on God. This focus guides us through the fog and swamp of this world, for “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

  There is an intensity in the word seek—a desire to discover deeper truths, “things hidden since the creation of the world” (Matt. 13:35). This is where we want our minds to inquire: into “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people” (Col. 1:26).

(2) Right Hand of God

  First, it means that Jesus is in full fellowship, with his Father, they are merged in heart and mind. “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in him [His Son]” (Col 1:19). Together they are attentive to human needs that cry out to them. From faith in Jesus, the Son of God, we receive all His Father’s blessings and righteousness. Called the “righteousness of God” (Rom 1:17; 2 Cor 5:21). Since our Savior is next to God the Father, so are we, because we are “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11). So are we, yes we are!

  Second, it shows us that Jesus has finished his work of atonement. His last words as a human being on earth were “It is finished” (Matt 19:30). After God had created the earth in six days, “God had finished the work he had been doing…and rested from all of the work” (Gen 2:2,3). Jesus has finished his work on earth and now is resting beside Our Father. Together they are for us, with us and we are privileged to set our eyes on their movements in our lives.

  “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matt 7:27). With our eyes, hearts and thoughts focused on both our Father and His Son, they will reveal themselves to us. Their revelation enlightens our minds with certainty, peace, and their presence as we pray, softens our hearts.

  Third, as Jesus sits in full harmony with God, it means a lot to us. For in the resurrection, our position, in the life to come, is closely connected to the position of Jesus with His Father.  We will be regarded as “co-heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:17). What this means, we will have to wait and see. \

  If we could draw an illustration. Imagine you are in heaven in “My Father’s House.” You come for a visit. God and his Son are in a conversation in a large room. You join in the conversation, with the perfect right to speak and ask questions. Just as you would if you were in your home because you are family, you are not a visitor. You belong there.

Think Often About Things Above

Be “mindful of the things of God” (Matt 16:23)

  Let’s take Jesus up on his promise: “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33). All other things we have prayed to the Lord about. All other needs we have requested of God, for family, for friends, for health, for life—God will give them to us just because we have our minds on things above. We will find other prayer requests suddenly in our possession.

  When we keep seeking, keep studying, keep your eyes focused upward, keep faith strong, keep ourselves in “the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25) and keep “in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). We demonstrate that we have been raised with Christ. This places us near God through His Son.

  When God answers our prayers, he does it from the inside of us. God changes us, renews us as we seek his face. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV)

  Thus, we can say with announced certainty, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ep 3:20). Where does that power come from? From Christ and his Father, since we have been raised with Christ.

  With such a promise, how can anything in our society gain our full attention—since Christ, our friend, the lover of our souls, re-creates inside us something special for “we are God’s workmanship” (Eph 2:10 EHV), His creation. He plants in us an inclination to be devoted to good deeds that honor God. While, living for God’s will, we can say with the Disciples, we lack nothing. “Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’

  ‘Nothing,’ they answered” (Lk 22:35). While they were on mission, God took care of their families and they also lacked nothing.

  Paul has given us assurance saying, “my God [the Father] will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).

   All your needs. As King David, the ancestor of Jesus has observed over a lifetime. “I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread” (Ps 37:25).

To seek things above is a call to prayer, a request to “our Father in heaven” (Matt 6:9-13).

1. To have a “living hope” (1 Pet 1:3) for God’s kingdom to soon come.

2. For His will to be done on earth, where we live, our homes and our lives, everywhere around us. To seek things above is to daily, hourly ask God how to do His will in whatever God has assigned us.

3. To provide for our physical needs for our family and other believers of God.

4. To forgive our sins, as we request from God a forgiving spirit for everyone else.

5. To “lead us not into temptation.”  God at times will lead us to places that will test our hearts, Paul said, “We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thess 2:4). Jesus saw God as active in every part of our lives. For our growth, He will test our hearts with temptations and difficulties, so that we might know our own weakness better. God knows the entrapments present in our world that would ensnare and deceive us. Thus, we pray that God will enable us to “escape from the trap of the devil” (2 Tim 2:26), which would cause us, great hardship and loss of faith.

  David prayed that God would test him, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:23-24 NKJV). David was very brave to say that prayer, many would prefer peace over conflict. When troubles do come let us say, “He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress; I will never be shaken” (Ps 62:2).

  Thus, we pray today that God will guide us around and safely lead us through temptations, that would cause us to sin and dishonor Him whom we love. When trouble and temptations come, we ask God to lead us safely out. “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me” (Ps 31:3). “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Ps 23 KJV).

(3) Where Christ is Seated

  Well, what if your best friend was the chief of staff to the highest official of your country? As good friends since childhood, you share private phone numbers for texting and emails. So, you are confident that a special project you are working on will be funded because of your connections with your good friends.

  So, think of our connections: Our friend, our Savior is next to the Creator God has said, “with God all things are possible” Matt 19:26). We can pray with absolute certainty, “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!” (Jer 32:17). Keep this as a visual picture in your mind, as you “present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).

  Now, we make our prayer request, not with uncertainty, not with fear of rejection, not with anxiety about whether we are good enough for God to even listen to us. Just remember that our human friend Jesus, has told us, “Come unto me.” He has given us assurance of our Father’s favor. Not because the Father does not love us, but because we have asked with his promise on our lips: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13,14). This is almost too much. Anything. The condition is that we ask in His name. That is in keeping with the life he lived on earth.

  For instance, if we ask God in prayer for wealth, it would not be in keeping with His Son’s life on earth who declared, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matt 8:20).

Prayerful Spiritual Growth, Since We have Set Our Eyes on Things Above

  For Spiritual growth, we need to be prayerful, about getting drawn into social or political movements that are often compelling. They have power from the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2 NKJV). They can turn you upside down. They have the power to excite your mind on social or political issues, which embrace anger, self-righteousness, and critical judgments of all who view the issues differently.

  Before long, we are drawn into social movements that do not honor God or his Son. They may appear good on the surface, but their enthusiasm easily becomes a substitute for things of God. Before long we are engaged in their plannings at the expense of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

  Should Jesus come would “he find you sleeping” (Mk 13:36 NKJV)? We find “the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you’” (Matt 25:10-12 NKJV).

(4) Keep Seeking and Thinking About Things Above

  This expression means to keep seeking God as a progressive action, always a part of our lives. John the Baptist said, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven” (John 3:27). Thus, it is imperative that we understand only what heaven gives us it is lasting and fruitful. When we receive any spiritual gift from above, on our part let us respond, with deeper humility. How can we boast, making us look good, about something that we have been gifted from heaven with?

  To seek things above is for the purpose of being “rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith” in Christ, “and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col 2:7). Always, daily requesting “forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:14) because of the river of grace that flows from God Himself in accompany with our friend Jesus, “the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet 2:25).

  To seek things above is to seek to know “the true message of the gospel” (Col 1:5), to “truly” understand “God’s grace” (Col 1:6) and to be filled up “with the knowledge of His [God’s] will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” ( Col 1:9), so that we can “keep my conscience clear before God and man” (Acts 24:16). To know for ourselves what it means to live daily in “the kingdom of light,” because we have been rescued from darkness and are “brought” into “the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col 1:12,13).

  The Christian life must be refreshed and “renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16) or it will become stagnant with many other thoughts, books, ideas becoming center stage, instead of Scriptures about God and Jesus Christ.

  It is a call to often bathe ourselves in the witness of Jesus in “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:2). Also “the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father” and the testimony of his disciples, since as Jesus said, “for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26,27).

Conclusion

  1st When we focus on the resurrection, in the process Christ “anoints us, sets his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor 1:21,22). We are “Born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Through the Spirit we learn to:

To walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16)

To be guided by the Spirit (John 16:13)

To be taught by the Spirit (John 14:26)

To be made alive in the Spirit (1 Pet 3:18).

 To have fellowship in the Spirit (Phil 2:1)

To be anointed by the Holy One (1 John 2:20)

Through the Spirit we know that we live in Him (1 John 4:13)

  2nd When we focus on the Cross, we find forgiveness of our sins where atonement is completed, full payment for our sins is made by the blood of Christ. Coming alongside the cross we receive justification and reconciliation, which comes to us through faith and by faith alone, without the works of the law.

We…know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,

but by faith in Jesus Christ.

So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that,

we may be justified by faith in Christ,

and not by the works of the law,

because by the works of the law no one will be justified”

Gal 2:16

  3rd When we focus on the life and teachings of Jesus, in connection with the Apostles, we gain wisdom and understanding on how to live a life that pleases God, by “walking in the way of love just as Christ loved us” (Eph 5:1). In the life of Christ and the teaching of his Apostles we learn how to “live a life worthy of our calling…completely humble and gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph 4:1,2).

  This living experience with Christ, Paul says, is “the mystery of God, namely, Christ” (Col 2:2).

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 [Then] when Christ, who is your life, appears [second coming], then you also [you too] will appear [openly manifested, not hidden] with him in glory [share his glory]. NIV

3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. NKJV

  Paul restates the principles from the two sentences above, with renewed emphasis, because they are very important to understand. However, for emphasis to understand these spiritual principles are directly related to being ready for the second coming of Jesus with our resurrection into glory and eternal life.

For You Died—Baptism in Confession and Repentance

  Following confession and repentance, we are “buried with him in baptism” (Col 2:12). The act of repentance symbolically places our sins on the cross. Jesus leaves them buried in His grave, atoned forever through His death and resurrection.

  Following this experience, a conviction comes over the believers; they do not want to live like they lived before. A time when they “were alienated from God and were enemies” in their “minds because of” their “evil behavior” (Col 1:21). This is our condition before our sins were laid in the grave by Christ.

   They want “to put to death the misdeeds of the body,” that they might “live” (Rom 8:13). For “if we died with him, we would also live with him” (2 Tim 2:11). The “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) will testify to them truth from the Scriptures, concerning the truth about themselves. Giving them comfort, deeper repentance and ongoing confession and encouragement with growing insights into the Scriptures.

For you Died—Resurrection Out of the Water into a New Life

  Coming out of the water, they take off their “old self with its practices” (Col 3:9). They want God to bury their evil habits by the grace of Christ, being “united with him in a death like his” (Rom 6:5). This is a death to the love of evil and selfishness, leading into a resurrection to “love one another” (John 13:34), with greater love. Then we are“united with him in a resurrection like His” (Rom 6:5), with the needed power for us to leave our sinful practices and rise to a new life.

  Following baptism, with the resurrection out from under the watery grave, we are raised into a “new life” (Acts 5:20), in Christ Jesus. Now, every day we are privileged to pray, “Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

  We are privileged to ask God, throughout the day, to do His will. We should always assume that we don’t always know His will in the many places and activities we encounter during the day. “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of **His will** through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9). What privilege to pray through the day, for God to lead you in His will. Even if you think you know, realize that although we know what to do, we should learn to ask God for wisdom in all we do.

  Even if we are certain what to do, take time to tell God you want to do His will. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa 55:8,9). Let’s never forget that our thoughts and ideas are not always the plans of God for us.

  Think of the trouble that we could avoid and the additional blessings we could share if we frequently asked God for the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Eph 1:17). To follow and to know we are walking “the way of the Lord” (Acts 15:25). “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore” (Ps 133:3).

For You Died—A Start of a New Movement Inside Us

  Our symbolic death starts a movement away from spiritual darkness, into a deep regret for our sins. At that moment we freely receive “God’s abundant provision of grace” with “the gift of righteousness” and “justification and life” (Rom 5:17,18).
      We accept new commandments for our life. As John has taught his “dear friends” (1 John 2:1). “I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble” (1 John 2:8-10). We cannot tolerate any form of hatred that would despise other believers in Jesus. We ask for more love, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11). “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:4).

  What does the believer want to put to death? Next Paul is going to list ten evil habits of our “earthly nature” (Col 3:5-15), they wish to see put to death. That means that their influence is broken. Our former love of our old ways of acting and thinking, has a spotlight shown on them, for what they really are. What bitter fruits they yield in our lives, and we hate them with a perfect hatred. 

Our Life is Now Hidden with Christ

  What does a hidden life with Christ mean? Hidden—concealed, out of sight, not visible. Instead, your life is glued and fixed on who Christ is in you. Hidden from the outside, nobody can see the glory of Christ flaming inside us, for “the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk 17:21 NKJV), hidden within.

  The similar way “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) was hidden in the youthful Jesus, as he worked, as a day laborer. His humility did not wish to draw attention to himself, even though he could say, “I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me” (John 14:10). Jesus never abused this power that was always available, even when he was dying on the cross.

Jesus’ Divinity Was Hidden as a Youth

  All the power of divinity was available, to Jesus, day by day as he went to work at a carpenter’s shop. Those he came in contact with had no idea he would soon become the “Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7 NKJV) and that soon “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isa 60:3). They had no idea whatsoever that in a few years, with just a few words from his lips, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43) and a dead man will come from the grave alive and well.

  Yet, daily for years as a youth and young man, attended to his assigned tasks of cooking, washing clothes and working as a skilled craftsman alongside his mentors. Living in a large family of four brothers “James, Joseph, Judas and Simon” and “sisters,” that “took offense at him” when he first declared Himself as the Messiah (Mk 6:3), and no doubt told Jesus their brother their feelings. Jesus hid his real identity very well.

Paul’s Trusted Co-worker Was Unnamed

  There is an example of deep humility in the account that Paul relates when he sent Titus to collect an offering for the poor from the Corinthian church. Paul sent along with Titus, a “brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering” (2 Cor 8:18,19).

  Paul does not name this individual; he remains anonymous to us. It is clear that he was well known and highly esteemed, with confidence, among the Gentile churches. Additionally, this highly thought of individual was chosen by the churches, to travel with Paul and his team, when the offerings for the poor were to be delivered to their destination. Paul mentions this anonymous brother again in 2 Corinthians 12:18, without specifying his name.

  It is possible that Paul does not mention him at his own request, wishing to stay out of the limelight and not be first in importance. Maybe he wished to follow the teachings of Jesus, who said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3). It can be said that this anonymous man’s life was hidden with Christ in God. His honor was in the approval of God, not for public acclaim.

In Humility Christ is Hidden In Us

  To the Ephesians Paul wrote, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph 4:2). The Greek word humble is a female noun: It is the opposite of human pride. It is the mindset of having a humble opinion of oneself, a deep sense of one's moral littleness with modesty despite one’s achievements. It is an inside virtue, of choosing to compare ourselves to our Lord, who gave us our gifts, rather than to others, to prevent self-exaltation. We are invited to have the same mindset as Christ, “who humbled himself” (Phil 2:8).

Many Believers are Hidden

  Today, many “lovers of God” (2 Tim 3:4) appear in society as frail, weakened with age, as they walk down the street. Yet hidden in them, is the “brightness of the Lord’s glory” (Ez 10:4), is out of sight. They might even be pushed aside by careless youth, not knowing this old man or woman has an “inheritance…in the kingdom of light…the kingdom of the Son He [God] loves” (Col 1:12,13). There they will “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt 13:43). While the careless crowd pushes this old man or woman to the side, as unimportant.

  Yet in reality Christ is hidden in them. Some day when Christ “appears” at his second coming, “then you also will appear,” be openly manifested as brazenly bright, as is the glory of the Kingdom of God. Then they can’t be hidden any longer. For we will be “with him in glory.” We will openly display a brightness like the sun, from the glory of God and His Son.

  Many, very many believers, worldwide, have their eyes fixed on Christ, seated at the right hand of God. Our “eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge” in the Lord “our dwelling place” (Ps 141:8; 90:1).

Those Who are Hidden in Christ as Sealed as God’s Possessions

   The “redeemed of the Lord” (Isa 62:12), are hidden from general sight, but they are known to all the Angelic host for they are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption [resurrection] of those who are God’s possession” (Eph 1:13,14). This is the very greatest treasure we can possess on earth, “the seal of the living God” (Rev 7:2). Unseen by human eyes, unknown by nearly everyone, their life is hidden with Christ in God.

The Hidden Ones Don’t Wish to Have Honor

  “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). Paul erected no buildings in his honor, he did not name his ministry after himself, such as the Apostle Paul’s Global Ministry, nor did Paul collect money and tithe for his services.

  Consider the chief letters of Paul, Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians; they are almost all about Christ, God His Father and the “Holy Spirit of God” (Eph 4:30), because he was a servant of Christ Jesus. In reading these letters, we would not know much of the personal life of Paul, for he was hidden in Christ.

“And so we know and rely [absolute trust]

 on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love 

lives in God, and God in them [hidden].” 1 John 4:16

For God “lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Tim 6:16)

A Live Hidden with God is: 

Born Again, Born from Above, Born of the Spirit & Born of God

You are raised with Christ (Col 3:1)

For you died with Christ (Col 3:3)

You are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)

You have put to death the earthly nature (Col 3:5)

You have takeoff he old self (man) (Col 3:9)

Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires (Eph 4:22)

You have put on the new self (Col 3:10)

For we know that our old self was crucified with him…

that we should no longer be slaves to sin (Rom 6:6).

Therefore, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;

but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds [evil deeds] of the body,

 you will live” (Rom 8:12,13).

When Christ, Who is Your Life, Appears, then you Also Will Appear with Him in Glory.

  This is beautiful! What a promise! When Christ, through His Spirit, through His teachings, his words and commands, through the teachings of the Apostles—through this means Christ becomes our reason to live, our joy in life, our peace inside, our faith which influences every daily activity. We can live with the certain promise that when Jesus appears at his second coming to earth with power and glory, we WILL BE THERE with Him, forever. The grave is ever so temporary. Our current life is just as temporary compared with life in the Holy City, as children of God.

  So now, just now, with gospel love inside us we start eternal life, “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). In perspective, our time on earth is less than a camera flash. Believe it now, it is true.

What Does My Life Hidden with Christ in God—Mean for Me?

  It removes, subdues the storm inside us of negative thoughts, sometimes called “Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTS). Aside from deficiencies in nutrition, Christ inside brings daily renewable peace and quiet to the mind. “He leads me beside quiet waters” (Ps 23:2). “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” (Mark 1:25).

  One reason is that the mind and heart are always seeking to do the will of God. Every morning and evening and during the day we are in prayer when troubling things happen to us. We “set our minds on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). This gives us support to what is happening to us, around us, is the will of God. Thus, we are enabled to rest in His hands.

  But more, nobody can adequately explain the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). It is just there. Peace just does come to our troubled mind. The Spirit of God will subdue our weird twisted self-condemning, self-destroying, sometimes suicidal thoughts. Yes, and we know this is true.

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord

both now and forevermore.

Ps 131:2,3

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there.

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

Even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

Ps 139:7-10

  Paul restates the principles from the two sentences above, with renewed emphasis. Because they are very important to understand. However, for emphasis to understand these spiritual principles are directly related to being ready for the second coming of Jesus with our resurrection into glory eternal.

 Actions That Will Compromise Our Faith

That Cannot Be Tolerated

Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature [your body]: (1) sexual immorality, (2) impurity, (3) lust, (4) evil desires and (5) greed, which is idolatry. 3:6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming, coming on those who are disobedient. 3:7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  3:8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: (6) anger, (7) rage, (8) malice, (9) slander, and (10) filthy language from your lips. NIV

3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth [your body]: (1) fornication, (2) uncleanness, (3) passion, (4) evil desire, and (5) covetousness, which is idolatry 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience  3:7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: (6) anger, (7) wrath, (8) malice, (9) blasphemy, (10) filthy language out of your mouth. NKJV

The Flow of the Text

  Paul opened up this section with the secret of living at peace with God. It is in setting our minds on “things above,” where the power and presence of God the Father is found. With this real experience of hiding our life with “Christ in God,” we can put to death the temptations that yield to sins, which are found naturally in our physical bodies, our earthly nature (3:1-4).

  There are elements that come “from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come” (Mk 7:21). “Desires that battle within you [us]” (James 4:1). They come from our emotions, our feelings, our thoughts and attitudes. They are engrained inside us.  

  Even after baptism and being “born from above” (John 3:3 NET), they can come to the surface with urges that cause us to snap to attention. Paul is speaking to the Colossians who had “faith in Jesus” and love for “all God’s people.” Who also had “love in the Spirit” (Col 1:3,8). They were not brand-new believers; they had matured as “Epaphras” had reported to Paul.

  Thus, we must never think that our sin nature disappears. It does not dominate, not control, not direct our lives—but it is still present, but subdued and silenced. It is still the source of temptations.  As Jesus wanted his disciples, despite being with Him in person for over three years: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Jesus admits that their hearts are changed, they want to do right. However, their earthy nature is still a source of temptation.

  We are never to believe we are above temptation: “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor 10:12). James warns us of temptations that come from inside us. “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire(s) and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown [carried out in action], gives birth to death” (James 1:14,15).

  Our daily prayer is Lord, “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me” (Ps 119:133).

Put To Death (3:5)

  The Greek word for put to death is nekroó, is an imperative verb, meaning we must act on tendencies naturally found in our “earthly nature” as NIV translates.

  The NKJV says, which are on the earth, which is a literal reading of the text.

  The NAS, AMP and Legacy Standard Bible say, “earthly body.”

  The VOICE translates it “earthly impulses.”

  The Revised Geneva Translation says, “parts of your body which are of the Earth.”  

  The NLT says, “the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.”

  Which stands for elements we are born with, that are part of all our physical bodies, that we have while living on sinful earth. But we will not be part of our bodies after the resurrection.

This is the way Jesus described our human lives, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…” (Matt 7:11). We are evil, we know it. But now we don’t seek it out, we don’t want it, we want holiness and purity.

  Paul is telling the Colossians that this is an imperative action, that they must put to death these things: that is to render them ineffective, to deprive of power, to deaden, to subdue or to be inoperative, by setting “your minds on the things above,” (Col 3:2). By dwelling in the scriptures, in much prayer and seeking after the ministry of the Spirit.

  The expression put to death is an active intensive verb. It is stronger than “Thou shalt not.”  It means we are no longer be controlled by these impulses, from our bodies.

  These are stubborn weaknesses of our inherited nature, so we do not respond well to a mere order to not do something. They boil out from our inbred past generations and personal habits that have become fixed.

  Many have yielded evil traits, inside their hearts, which have led them to anger, murder or revenge on the innocent. Afterwards, they may spend years in jail with regret. Because they yielded to the demanding calls of evil inside their hearts or their heads telling them they must do this evil deed. They are living in a state of demon impurity, but the demon is within them.

  This was the mission of Jesus, and the gospel was “to proclaim freedom to the captives [prisoners]” (Lk 4:18). Jesus “healed their diseases, those troubled by impure spirits were cured” (Lk 6:18). The Apostle John echoes the same truth saying, “You know that He appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him there was no sin” (1 John 3:15). Thank God there is freedom from the sinful urges by looking, by praying, by contemplation of the gospel story as it is related in the New Testament.

  John continues telling us today of the power of one life, Christ Jesus, to change us. He says, “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray,” tell you anything different. “No one who continues to sin has either seen him or know him. The one that does [practice] what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the Devil’s work” (1 John 3:6,8).

  Now the Apostle Paul is laying out a list of ten sins that will not be found in anyone that is looking at Jesus. Not that they are ever removed from the possibility of sinning. But they don’t want to do it. Furthermore, when temptation comes, they hate even the thought of acting out these ten sins. The Spirit of God raises up a wall of resistance and upon prayer will remove even the temptation that at first appealed to our earthly nature.

  John prophesied that the Dragon or Satan will send on the world various impure spirits. “I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, (Rev 16:13). They are called “frogs,” because they are cold blooded and unclean for food. Once they move into our human spirit, we have no power to remove them. Many are “tormented by impure spirits” (Acts 5:16) and take their lives and the lives of others. Only Christ can set them free.

The Best Ways to Put to Death Evil Passions

  The best way to start putting to death these ten evil traits that Paul is soon to write about, is through prayer. Every time a person recognizes an inappropriate thought or action, they should at once confess it. Every moment an unwanted, unsought inappropriate action or thought occurs. Confess it, don’t let time go by. Believe that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just [He wants to] to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

  Thank God for His forgiveness, plead His promises to subdue our sinful nature, or we die. We who write this page know of the sweet victories over our sinful natures. We know that we are always in need of prayer. Always in need of more Scriptures. Pay little attention to Scriptures-less sermons, they are like “springs without water and mists driven by a storm [brings no rain]” (2 Pet 2:17).

  We will always be in need of more forgiveness and more love for God and others. Over time, the sins of the flesh, although present, are not active. They have lost their power to control. For “When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” (Isa 50:19). Count on it, it will happen. The Spirit will fight for us and create a ring of fire or a “pillar of fire” around former bad habits.

  Yet we are never beyond the stage of caution, prayer, and trust in God. We are not to foolishly go into places that offer vivid temptations directed at our human fleshly passions. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" (Alexander Pope, 1711).

  We know of our weaknesses, our tendences to do wrong—were it not for the Spirit of God removing the desire to do them, we would yield to them to our regret.

  But more, the Spirit of God implants mental pictures that counter the vile pictures that once time dominated our lives. God can create in us a clean heart. A heart that loves God and seeks distance from the old works of the flesh. God does this all the time, all over the world.

  For long-term control over our earthly natures, we need to have our “life hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). This is the only power we need, is “Christ in” me, with all his glorious riches (Col 1:27) that is alone able to “circumcision without hands” (Col 2:10-13) our earthly nature. Then the powers of the flesh, our earthly nature, are removed from the dominant center of our lives and placed under the power of Christ and God’s Spirit. They no longer have free rein in our lives, although present, they are toothless and are under discipline of God, our master.

  As John writes “No one who is born of God will continue to [practice] sin, because God’s seed remains [abides, in union] in them. They cannot go on sinning [repeatedly practicing], because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:9).

Rid Yourself (3:8)

  The Greek means “to put off, to lay aside, to remove, to renounce, and take it away.” It implies a deliberate action of discarding something that is inappropriate. The NIV uses a very strong English word, rid yourself, to describe the deliberate effort needed to remove these controlling defiling actions. While the NKJV uses a weaker expression to “put them off.”

A Challenge to Every Believer— It’s Absolutely a Challenge

  Paul did not start his letter, suddenly telling us to cease these very deeply rooted habits in our lives at once. As if one should carry out of the house unwanted trash and never see it again.

  To put to death, requires spiritual training. For many, who come to Christ, having spent years in the world, where some of these habits are part of their nearly every hour of the day. Lust, even with hands off, for many is a normal human experience. Just cursing and swearing are endemic with some nearly every hour of the day.

  Whoever thinks they can put to death, ridding themselves, every time, whenever one of these sins comes to our minds—are very deceived. It is impossible to do it all by ourselves. We read an account from the early Middle Ages when Monks in a monastery would try to quiet their bodies lustful desires, by rolling naked in thornbushes to subdue the flesh. We suppose their urge to find a wife may have disappeared for the moment, but it is certain that it would reappear again. Putting these deeply rooted sinful habits to death, does not mean we should use “harsh treatment of the body” (Col 2:23) as a means of suppressing unwanted habits.

  To put to death starts with a decision to not tolerate the sins listed in this chapter. When a dark thought occurs, or dark feeling arises within us, from our eyes, our earthly nature. They must be given to God at that moment, we are “instant in prayer” (Rom 12:12 KJV). Saying, “Lord, take this away, I don’t want this thought to become an action that is desirable.” Jesus has promised us, “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24).

This is Not Something that We Can do Ourselves

   If left to us we will fail—often. Maybe we could have succeeded if Paul had just told us of one of these ten evil human actions. We might be able to make some effort to restrain ourselves. But all these common human actions are way too much for self-discipline. Because one may not do an evil action but just an accepted thought of adultery or sexual expression in the forbidden zone, as Jesus has taught us, in the Sermon on the Mount, is “adultery” (Matt 5:28).  

  Paul speaks about our addictions with sin, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Rom 7:18).

Job has commented: “Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one!” (Job 14:4 NLT).

“There is no one righteous, not even one,

there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Rom 3:11-12

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

Who can understand it?”

Jer 17:9

It is Something That Has to be Done for Us, We Can’t Do This by Ourselves

  We wish to give a brief description, in two ways of the many ways sin can be put to death. We do not intend to give a complete account, of all the many ways that the Spirit of God and the Son of God, can set us free.

  The starting point is to be “Born again”, “Born of the Spirit” (John 3:8) and “Born of God” (1 John 4:7). Through this means the human demands for self-gratification are turned down. It becomes broken and loses all its power over us. The whole theme of the New Testament teaches us that we can be free in Christ. This is the Gospel.

  The Gospel teaches us how these sins will lose their control over us. Before the had an irresistible power, they inflamed us and push us to the limit. Now, all and everyone one of them, can be put to death, just as Paul tells us. They lose their power, their controlling voice over us.  

It is not a one-time task where all is carried out. Because when temptation occurs, we have the tools to silence them in our lives. Not once and for all, but whenever they seem to rise to the surface, we are at once to pray to God to save us or we will drown. Our sinful flesh is not removed, but subdued, subjected, pushed into silence. Our sinful flesh remains, but it does not reign. We will always need the Spirit in our life. We are “to live by the Spirit” and “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).

  “So, I say” says Paul, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). If we walk away from the Spirit, grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:29-30), the dark deeds of our flesh will come back to life again.

  Study Romans 8: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you”.

The first Way: Spiritual Circumcision

  By faith in Christ, our sinful habits that arise from inside us, called our flesh is “circumcised.” That is cut away, removed from us, by the hand of Christ (Col 2:11). Christ removes, cuts away, something from us that we cannot do ourselves, it is because these habits are part of ourselves.  Only our sleep in death could otherwise silence them from their demand for satisfaction.

What faith in Christ does for us is the best good news for all humanity. God changes us in hundreds of ways. We are re-created, to such an extent, that we become a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17).

  Next time a strong temptation comes from within us, pray for God in Christ to remove these urges. Before you become aware, they will be subdued. Thank God repeatedly. When we are struggling against our fallen habits, such as anger, or some other ingrained habit. Exercise your privilege to come to an all-powerful God. Call on the name of the Lord. Ask Him to remove this habit from your life.

The Second Way: The Law of the Spirit

  “The law of the Spirit of life in [faith] Christ Jesus has set you free from the law [authority] of sin and death” (Rom 8:2 NAS). This represents a new law, a new governing power and influence over our life, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings spiritual life against the authority of sin and death, which are the sins we do that do not lead to eternal life, at all.

   This is the gospel, “the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:8). “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63). Our flesh, our effort to put to death our internal dark demands will always fail. But the Spirit will not fail, these demands are dethroned, and we will know it. We praise God for it.  

  There are so many references to the ministry of the Spirit in the Gospel, that it would take a very large book to even cover the whole of the subject.

Ten Sins that Spring from Our Earthly Nature

  Paul lists ten sins that, unless surrendered to God, will bring “the wrath of God” that is “coming on those who are disobedient” (Col 3:6). For “at the end of the age, the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:49,50).

  Thus, we need to take these sins very seriously. They are an expansion of the Ten Commandments. They are the new Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments Needs to Be Brought to Fulfillment

  The Ten Commandments are inadequate, on their own, they do not fully  express Paul’s list of forbidden behaviors that bring “the wrath of God.” The expressions in the ten commandments are a far weaker description.

  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets…but to fulfill them” (Matt 5:17). The Greek word “fulfill” is pléroó: means to make complete, to fill up,” to increase them and make them perfect. That is what Paul has done on with this 10-point list of sins that bring the “wrath of God.” Jesus did not abolish the Law of the Commandments, but he added to them to make them complete.

  The Sermon of the Mount continues to improve the 8th Commandment, “Thou shall not kill”, by connecting murder with hate (Matt 5:21-26). Jesus improved the 7th Commandment by only forbidding “adultery” Jesus teaches us that “lust” is the same as adultery (Matt 5:27-30). Thus, Jesus carries the Law to a higher plane, then previously stated.

  Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, “The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable” (Isa 42:21). Jesus has made the law much more honorable.  

  “When Jesus had finished [pléroó] saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum” (Lk 7:1). The life and teaching of Jesus added what was necessary to bring the law to completion or finished it.

  Jesus “went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue.” He read from the prophet Isaiah” about the “good news to the poor” and proclaim, “the year of the Lord’s favor,” a time with the Lord will give his people his favor. “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled [pléroó, law fulfill] in your hearing” (Lk 4:16-21).

  The single focus of the Ten Commandments is not complete. We need to add the teaching of Jesus and his Apostles to complete the Law.

(1) Sexual Immorality

  The Greek word is porneía, the root of the English terms "pornography” which originally meant "to sell off" sexual favors. This strikes at the heart of Roman and Greek culture, where by law permitted houses of prostitution flourished by law. Sex was considered a male right, even with the slave women that one owned.

  The term porneía, represents promiscuity of any type, including unfaithfulness, unchastity and fornication. This includes sexual intercourse between two people who are not married to each other. Also, any inappropriate touching or sexual expressions, of anyone other than your spouse.

  As Paul explained to the Thessalonian believers: “For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly” (1 Thess 4:3-6 NET).

  In our culture the sin of sexual immorality condemns the entire pornography industry which produces offers thousands of movies with mature themes. Millions are glued to movie channels and theaters. Daily, they listen to cursing, and watch men or women disrobe, while eating popcorn. They are feeding their flesh, giving it power and strength in their lives. Lust becomes a normal part of thinking. Women and men are viewed from a sexual angle, rather than a child of God or “children of the Most High” (Lk 6:35).

  To the Corinthian believers Paul shares a very serious concern. He warns us to “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” (1 Cor 6:18). Since “our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19), carrying out sexual activity is a sin against the Spirit of God called, “God’s Spirit” (1 Cor 3:16). This is very serious for only those “born of the Spirit” (John 3:6) will be saved.

   In John’s book of Revelation, he symbolically calls the world that “great city, you mighty city of Babylon”, the “great prostitute”. There in that “great city” of Babylon! “The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich”. Of all the sins that bring judgment to the world, sexual immorality leads the list, it brings “impure” and “unclean” spirits into homes, churches, marriages, and society (see Rev 17, 18). Among believers, “among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality” (Eph 5:3). Believers “are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:6). They are to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness” (Eph 5:11).

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (1 John 1:6).

Freedom From its Bondage

  Sexual sins tend to create a bondage that is not easy to break with. However, there is forgiveness for adultery, and freedom from its control over human emotions, passions, thoughts, dreams with daily lust in the mind. For “the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Yes, you will! For God wills it.

Sexual Immorality—Paul’s Long List

  Paul places sexual immorality at the top of his list of ten sins in Colossians 3:5-8.

  Paul places sexual immorality in first place on his list of 6 sins. In Ephesians 5:3-7 which he says, “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality… Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient”.

(1#) sexual immorality [promiscuity], or of any kind of (2#) impurity,

(3#) greed, because these are improper for God’s holy [loved] people.

(4#) obscenity [vulgar, dirty], (5#) foolish talk [without reason] or

(6#) coarse joking [indecent, vile, nasty], which are out of place.

  As John write “Dear children, do not be let astray…The one who does [practices] what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).

  Paul places sexual immorality at the top of a list of 15 sins that he calls “works of the flesh… I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit [no share] the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21).

(1) sexual immorality (2) impurity (3) debauchery (4) idolatry

(5) witchcraft (6) hatred (7) discord (8) jealousy (9) fits of rage

(10) selfish ambition (11) dissensions (12) factions (13) envy

(14) drunkenness (15) orgies (16) and others like it (NIV)

  Also, sexual sins are the head of a very long list of sins in Romans 1:18-31. Sexual sins are in the two short lists of sins that will exclude all from going into the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:8; 22:14,15).

   Perhaps there is a lesson for all believers in Christ Jesus. Sexual sins are at the top of all the list of sins that will separate us from God. As John says, “sins that leads to death” (1 John 5:16). This sin opens us a door that taps the fallen nature of humanity, to endless, powerful, seducing temptations that most don’t ever escape.

  Of all the ten sins that Paul urges us to put off, our first attention must be around “lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). By this we mean, strange flesh” (Jude 1:7 NKJV), that is not our wives or husbands, but another person. 

     If this sinful lust is not under the power and control of God, all the other sins will also be a continual source of temptation. Perhaps a victorious experience that brings us close to God, lies in attention to sexual sins, first of all. [For further study see our commentary on : 1 John 2:15-17, on “lust of the flesh”]

Sexual Immorality—Jesus Speaking to Married Men

  Speaking to men Jesus said, “I tell you [men] that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matt 19:9). In this Jesus is protecting women from men that would abandon them for other wives.

  Although the divorced man may be a member of good standing at church, although he may have good reasons to leave his first wife, other than adultery on her part. This man may have gained a new wife, but lost heaven, especially if unconfessed and unrepented of.

Sexual Immorality—The Ten Commandments

  The Ten Commandments do not address the larger issues of sexual immorality. The seventh commandment simply says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). Which does not address divorce, pornography, lust or fornication.

  The general title of coveting was placed as the last commandment, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex 20:17). When Moses repeated the Ten Commandments 40 years after the event, he changed the wording placing coveting a neighbor’s wife first, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house…” (Deut 5:21).

  Coveting is selfish at heart. It is lustful desire to own and possess something belonging to another, the precursor to stealing and adultery. Yet this comes far short of the longer descriptions in the New Testament and the high standard that Jesus has taught us.

  The highest standard one could imagine, Paul writes to the Corinthian believers. There he relates God’s plan for humanity, from the beginning in Eden: “The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ’The two will become one flesh. But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit” (1 Cor 6:15-17).

  Meaning sexual sins are against the design God implanted in the human body at their creation. Marriage was a pattern, where “the two will become one flesh” (Mk 10:8), where man and woman become one with the Spirit of God. The Spirit is how God lives in. Marriage was designed to show unity, love, fellowship, support, comfort and harmony between two people. All of this reflects God’s desire to have with us, individually. Adultery breaks up this harmony with one’s spouse and with God.

Wisdom from Proverbs

“For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall,

sharp as a double-edged sword.  Her feet go down to death.

Her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life.

Her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.

Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house,

lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,

lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enriches the house of another.

At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and body are spent.

1You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!

I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors.

 And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.”

 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.

 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?

Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.

 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always,

may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?

Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?”

Prov 5

(2) Impurity

  The Greek word is akatharsia: Meaning “Impurity, uncleanness, the New Testament usage centers on inner defilement that expresses itself in outward acts.”

  This expression is different from the previous expression of “sexual immorality,” which is the business of selling images of sex or being involved in physical sexual activity.

Impurity is found in the soul, which daily finds pleasure in “lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes (1 John 2:16), with no sense of wrongdoing or guilt. It has become a normal way of life.

Impurity is found in believers who live in a compromised state, a state of following the Works of their Flesh (Gal 5:19-21). They are not “born of God.” As John says, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin…they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who are the children of God are and who the children of the devil are” (1 John 3:9,10).

Impurity is found in watching, looking at it, dwelling on lustful pictures, just mentally participating. It makes one unclean, or impure, which opens the door for demons or “unclean spirits” (Rev 16:13), to orchestrate their life. Only Christ can make the unclean clean.

Only Christ can make the unclean clean. “A man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him” (Lk 5:12,13).

(3) Lust

  The Greek word is pathos, meaning “inordinate passion with strong feelings.” Like burning lustful desires that need to be gratified. Such lust is not inclined to be gentle but does demand repeated satisfaction.

  John calls sexual sins as “lust of the flesh” at the top of a three-fold list that is not “the will of God” (1 John 2:15-17).

  Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount places lust as adultery, But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:28). One should avoid lust at all costs or “your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matt 5:29).

·        Lust holds an element of wanting something that belongs to someone else.

·        Lust has hidden agendas and motives that are dark and forbidden.

·        Lust carries out its purposes under cover of support of family and the rules of society.

·        Lust is known to strike out with violence when their desires are not fulfilled.

·        Lust is often sexually abusive, and at its worst, murderous.

·        Lust must pretend to love and care about others, but its purposes are for self-interest and not in the best interest of the other.

“I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look lustfully at a young woman.”

Job 31:1

“Do not lust in your heart for her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.”

Prov 6:25

“Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.”

Prov 4:23

(4) Evil desires

  The word evil means wicked and harmful.

  The word desires mean longing, especially for the wrong and forbidden. It carries the idea of having strong impulses, to do something, to retaliate for a perceived wrong. This is demonstrated in road rage, where the impulse is to harm another person who offended you.

   It carries the idea of inner rottenness and eagerness to do harm, to hurt another in whatever way one can get away with it.

  The word evil implies being wicked and harmful to others. In a sense there is an eagerness to do evil if one could. Evil enjoys getting away with doing evil. Doing good does not satisfy the possible enjoyment found in wickedness. As Paul wrote, they “invent ways of doing evil” (Rom 1:30), that is how to do more evil to a greater extent. They say, “Let us do evil that good may result” (Rom 3:8).

  “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends…” (Rom 12:17-18).

Jesus placed evil thoughts as the staging place for all other sins: “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them… What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-15, 20-23).

General advice from Paul to all: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). And “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong [Greek: evil] but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thess 5:15).

General Advice from Peter to all: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing… They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. (1 Pet 3:9, 11).

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet 3:12).

General Advice from John to all: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God” (3 John 11).

(5) Greed, which is Idolatry

  Greed, in Greek means deeds of coveting, greediness, cravings, by implication, fraudulency and extortion. As seen in the well-known practice of pretending to do a service merely to be paid by an individual or a government agency, or holding something desired as hostage for a large sum of money. As Peter says, they have “a heart trained in greed” (2 Pet 2:14).

  It is a desire to gain profit at whatever the cost. This is the basis for robberies, thefts, and corruption. It is a kind of worship of material possessions. One’s identity self-worth and pride are sacrificed as an offering to the gods of this world.

  Greed is identified as idolatry. Not the bowing down to an idol statue, but worshiping “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4 NAS). A desire to possess more and more money, land, and more opportunity for lustful pleasures. For more property than one can manage. While the greedy spend everything on their whims, their wishes, regardless of the needs of others. All for their greedy gain.

Jesus has warned us: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Lk 12:15).

(6) Anger

  This often rests in the heart silently, until we see someone who has wronged us, then it flares up again.

  This could be settled anger or an outburst of sudden destruction.

  This could be threatening anger, causing fear for those around us.

  It could be anger that is used to control others, in the family or workplace.

  Anger has way of introducing new verbs and adjectives into our speech.

  Anger has “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34 KJV). It could be a husband, wife, child, civil or religious leader. Eventually anger will be directed at God, for reasons that grow over time.

  Anger is seldom held alone; it attracts many companions that bring other unwanted evil influences with it. As Jesus said, “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Matt 12:45 NAS).

  Anger grieves the Spirit. Paul lists sins that “grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whom you are sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:29-31). Anger is clustered with “bitterness, rage, quarreling, slander and malice” (Eph 4:31). Anger cannot stand alone; it has many companions that will attach themselves, before long they will all demand expression.

  When anger is not part of daily life, we will be “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving to one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).

  Jesus has given us instruction to “settle matters quickly with your adversary” (Matt 5:25), so that the “sun” will not “go down while you are still angry” (Eph 4:26). Meaning that the longer anger simmers in the heart, that more difficult it becomes to part with it, even if we know it is harmful.\

• Anger steals away goodness from within our souls.

• Anger always leads to less love, patience, faith and hope.

• Anger can be seen in unneeded impatient words that are spoken to someone who may be slow of being unable to meet your demands.

• Anger for a believer in Christ will have a reflexive action. It lessens the desire to do the will of God. It lessens faith and love for God and others. It will nearly always, unless immediately repented of, lead to mistakes in judgment.

• Anger wants to grow in expression. Wants to express itself, does not want to be silent.  

• Anger when heated up to a higher pitch, often leads to rage and slander.

• Anger is quick to self-justify itself as righteous anger. When it is impatient and irritated with another.

(7) Rage

  The Greek word means: to rush along, getting heated up, breathing rapidly, or an outburst of passion and or wrath. Rage is a sudden outburst of strong feelings that are nearly impossible to stop with reason. Because rage is unreasonable. Not even force is able to stop rage, it will continue to burn inside the soul with bitterness.  Over time rage will burn itself out but leave a hollowed out feeling inside the soul.

  If a believer is affected by rage, they are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, “The Spirit is love, joy, and peace” (Gal 5:22). They need much prayer and time of reflection, confession, and bathing themselves in Scriptures.

  It can be helpful, if they have a spiritual friend who is not judgmental, to pray for them. For their deliverance from the evil spirits of rage, which is an outburst of deeply held anger that has been warmed in the heart for many many years. Or has suddenly risen to the surface with passionate unkind words that hurt and break up marriages and friendships.

(8) Malice—

  It is a spiteful disposition. It is hidden, most often covered with fake kindness. It is a desire to injure, to create trouble for another person. It is kind of sore on the soul that feels secretly revengeful to a person who has hurt us in some manner. It wishes them harm and nearly prays for their embarrassment.

  Malice is the most hidden form of anger that will strike back in disrespectfulness in small ways that are intended to hurt the reputation of others. While pretending to be honest and truthful. While secretly promoting oneself over and above another.

  Paul calls it the “leaven of malice” (1 Cor 5:18 KJV), meaning that malice has a way of influencing us so that the “things of God” (1 Cor 2:10) are desired less, and less often.

(9) Slander—

  Slander is blasphemous abusive language. It is speech that is injurious to another’s good name or God’s name. It is a pronouncement of harsh judgement and condemnation. It is an expression of one that does not know God. That can slander all that is good, even angels.

  Slander is often associated with colorful sexual expressions that are base and carnal.

(10) Filthy Language

  Any expression that has to do with body waste. Expressions that are degrading to women and to different races of men. There are many words that make up filthy language that we need not list, for just saying or writing these words are defiling to our conscience.

  Every person walking with God, should know what filthy language is, without having it illustrated.

Wrath of God is Coming

  In Revelation this is pictured as the “cup of his wrath…poured in full strength” (14:10).

Believers that have “risen with Christ” and have experience resurrection power and afterwards been sealed with the “promised Holy Spirit” (Eph 1:12) have gotten victory over the Beast, inside them, and his Image, all such evil habits that are forbidden.

  Every church attending person should take a close look, a closer look, at their lives. To ask, “the Spirit of Truth” (John 16:13) to reveal “if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:24).

  The practice of one or more of these traits run counter purpose of God and the His Spirit for our live. In reality, this means more than how one defines the trinity, the condition of the dead or whether we should worship on Sunday or Saturday—far more important is “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Rom 13:14).

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Pet 3:12

John’s Advice to Overcoming Evil

  “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives [abides] in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:14).

  John using poetic language, addresses these young men twice. First, John commends them for overcoming the evil one, an expression Jesus often used (John 17:15), to refer to the “Devil.”

  Then, John offers affirmations to these young people because the word of God lives or abides in them making them strong believers. They were “born again by the imperishable, living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23). They knew the gospel accounts through study, prayer and being “born of the spirit” (John 3:8).

  To be strong we must be able to discern what is not of God: “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). John uses the word strong only once.

  To be a strong young man means first they have learned to recognize evil and with the word of God abiding in them, a clear reference to the Spirit abiding who is“with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). These young believers were “born again” (John 3:3) or as John calls it “Born of God” (1 John 5:1)

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4,5)

Summary: Both John and Paul, pinpoint the aspects that create strong believers who are able to rid themselves of slavery to the earthly nature. 

  First, they know God for themselves, they are born of God. Christian groups should place considerable stress on the Holy Spirit and what it means, to receive Him and how to be “Born of the Spirit” (John 3:6).

  Second, they are strong in the word of God. These believers are committed to the word of God. Christian groups should train the youth how to study the word, through the gift of the Spirit, which is within them. They should be taught how to look to God, instead of others, to understand what they read. Lastly, with these tools, they will overcome the temptation and be able to stand firm in their faith.

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off [laid aside, stopped] your old self [old man] with its practices [listed above] 3:10 and have put on the new self [new man], which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its [our] Creator. NIV

3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him NKJV

  There is a change in direction in Paul’s letter, from the previous section, which was characterized by deeds of wickedness, that bring the “wrath of God” (Col 3:3-8). Now, to a common practice that cannot be tolerated, in the Christian fellowship, at all. Chiefly hypocrisy.

Lie to Each Other

  John puts it this way. “If we claim to have fellowship with Him [Jesus], and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live the truth” (1 John 1:6). This is religious hypocrisy. As Jesus has said, “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but, on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matt 23:28), as described in the above ten descriptions.

  It was common in Roman and Greek culture to exaggerate and inflate a person’s accomplishments. This cultural custom could naturally carry over into their Christian fellowship. One might claim to be baptized believers in God, yet in business or personal life they do not “put to death…the earthly nature” (Col 3:5). But instead, they boastfully proclaim purity, while not possessing “the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor 5:8).

  They may have become church elders or respected members, while they carry “malice” inside their hearts. Believing Romans may still practice sexual indiscretions with their slaves or in brothels, readily available in Roman Greek culture. All the while they pretended to have piety. The Apostle John says, “I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth” (1 John 2:21).

Religious Hypocrisy Today—A Major Issue

  There is a long list of very visible church leaders that have been caught up in financial fraud, sexual misconduct, and abusive cover-ups. A simple AI search will bring up long list. Sadly, some of those that are deceived lose their faith. Some people want to appear religious, for their advantage. Some may claim to be very religious due to their marriage or their careers.

Lying Has an Evil Source

  Religious leaders in Jesus’ time were “looking for a way to kill” Jesus. In truth, Jesus told them that they were “slaves to sin”. They replied, “Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone”. Then Jesus added a truth that was not flattering to them, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:31-47). Here Jesus shows that the religious leadership was living a lie, while they claimed to be “slaves to no one.”

  Hypocrisy and lying are twins. Those who practice lying to others will eventually, lie to themselves as well. Jesus warned “his disciples, saying: ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’” (Lk 12:1). Yeast spreads and changes everything. Once a course of hypocrisy is undertaken, it is supported by lies and coverup after more lies.

Answer to Hypocrisy

  The answer, they must be renewed. The Greek word for renewed is anakainoó: Which means “To renew, to make new again and to renovate.” In short, it means to be transformed, to be “Born Again” (John 3:3 NIV) or “born from above” (1 John 3:3 NET).

  “To become children of God— children born not of natural descent [from fathers and mothers], nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (1 John 1:12,13). To be born of God is to be born into love, “for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:8). In other words, it is impossible to practice any of the above ten actions (3:5-8) with love for God and others in the heart.

  “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knowns God” (1 John 4:17). Those who love will not lie to one another, about their conduct.

Renewal is a Daily Event

• • To the Corinthians, Paul wrote that “inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16).

  • The AMP Bible says, “our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day”

  • The Contemporary English Version says, “we ourselves are being made stronger each day”

  • The Disciples’ Literal NT says, “our inner person is being renewed day in and day out”.

  • The Good News Translation says, “our spiritual being is renewed day after day”.

  • The J.B. Phillips New Testament says, “every day the inward man receives fresh strength”.

  • The Voice says, “our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day”.

  While on earth we will always need to be renewed. It is a false teaching that to suggest that one day we can arrive at perfection. With no more need for day-by-day spiritual renewal. Jesus taught us to “abide in the vine” (John 15:1-3), which is to be, always connected to the vine. We are dependent every minute on the vine, never independent of the Vine.

  It is our privilege, our glory, our joy to have such a connection with Christ and the Father, that every day, we can experience spiritual renewal. Under this influence, it will become impossible for us to lie to one another, to mislead another for our advantage. To make ourselves great in the eyes of others, so that we are in a position where we can advantage ourselves and live a lie.

  This renewal is from inside a believer; a new presence moves into our lives. When the “apostles” were “arrested” and thrown into “public jail,” at night “an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail.” The Angel who released them told them to go to a public place, “stand in the temple courts” when many people are present, “tell the people all about this new life” (Acts 5:18-20). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom 6:4).

  Being “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8), we are recreated to become “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” (Col 3:12). We are to be “made new in the attitude of your minds” and to put on the new self [new person], created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:23,24).

  The emphasis we need to understand is that the task of the Spirit is nothing less than re-creation. This is what it means to be Born Again.

  We are God’s new creation. As the earth was at first “formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.” This earth started when “Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, ‘Let there be light,” and there was light’” (Gen 1:1-3). So, with all of humanity. Christ calls us and we light up and over time becoming a new being.

.

New Self…Renewed IN KNOWLEDGE

  Greek words for Knowledge include perception, discernment, recognition, and intuition. It means for us to hear and know the leading and voice of the Spirit. As Paul prayed: “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9).

  We know what has been revealed to us from influence of the New Man. We experience firsthand because “our life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). From this source we are renewed in the image of [our] Creator (Col 1:9).

Image of Their Creator

  How does this renewal take place? By knowledge of God. “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to” those who believe in him (Lk 8:10). This “knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).

   Those who are hypocritical, have just merely head knowledge of God. Now, Paul wants them to really spend time getting to know their Creator. To start all over again. To allow God to re-create them into a new creation, where everything is all new in their lives, they have a new self.

  The New Man is made in the image of God, who created a new Person. It is called a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), where God is not making new trees or plants, but new people who are being transformed by the “light of the world” (John 8:12). This is personal knowledge, privileged knowledge for those who have experienced the construction of the new person, the “new creation”, inside them by the Spirit. As John testifies, “you know that He appeared [on earth] so that He might take away our sins. And in him [there] is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

  God is creating a new creation. “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). The first creation was in Eden when God “created mankind in his own image” (Gen 2:27). And celebrated His completed creation on “the seventh day” (Gen 2:1). Every Sabbath seventh day was reminder of another creation to come. In Christ, “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14), a new creation would arrive now called a New Man, renewed in God’s image, just like the first creation. The new physical bodies are promised in the future, for now we are to bear the image of God in spiritual realm.

Colossians 3:11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised [Jewish Christian] or uncircumcised [Gentile Christian], barbarian [foreigner], Scythian [savage, uncivilized], slave or free [person], but Christ is all and is in all. NIV

3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. NKJV

3:11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. NLT

The Flow of the Text: From the Preceding Sentences

Since we have:

·        “Been raised with Christ” (3:1)

·        “Set our minds on things above” (3:2)

·        Our “life is now hidden with Christ in God” (3:3)

·        “Put to death” our “earthly nature” (3:5)

·        “Rid ourselves” of “the life we once lived” (3:6,7)

·        “Put off” our “old self with its practices” (3:9)

·        “Put on the “new self” (3:10)

·        Been “renewed in knowledge” of the things of God (3:10)

·        Been “renewed…in the image of” our “Creator” into a new person, like Christ (3:10)

Therefore: All believers are equal when they are in Christ. Thus, there cannot be any distinction of color, nationality, ethnic origin, male or female. Because Christ dwells in all of us, all at the same time. “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 13:1). No.

Here There Is, There Should Be…No Separation

• If a believer in Christ comes from the savage countries north of Rome.

• If a believer in Christ comes from the Gentile world of Rome, Egypt or Greece.

• If a believer in Christ comes from the devoted follower of the OT demands of circumcision

• If a believer in Christ comes from a foreigner with customs different and strange

• If a believer in Christ comes from the slave class that work in the fields under bondage

• If a believer in Christ comes from a Roman free man or woman.

If all the above have faith in Christ in their heart’s, this one factor disperses all separation between them. Because Christ, the Son of God, like his Father, is always the same, “who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Christ is not divided, as if there is different Christ for all the above groups of people. Jesus is the same for all, the “Savior of the world” (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14). “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:13), no he is not.

The distinction is not based on the things they believe in. The varies ways they worship, maybe some on Sunday, in honor of resurrection, and others of the Jewish faith on Saturday. What matters is not creeds, not the various shades of Biblical understanding, but whether the individual has faith in Christ and they know what it means be declared righteous and just in the sight of God because they have been to the cross.

Christ Is All and Is in All, He is Everything that Matters at All

       Various Other Bible Translations:

• “Christ is all things and, in all people” [Common English Bible].

• “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” [Contemporary English Version].\

•  “Christ [is] everything, and in all” [Darby Translation].

•  “Christ is all that matters, and he is in all of you” [Easy-to-Read Version].

•  “Christ is all that matters. He lives in every believer” [EasyEnglish Bible].

• “Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all” [Living Bible].

•  “Christ is in all believers, and Christ is all that is important” [International Children’s Bible].

•  “Christ is all that matters for Christ lives in them all” [J.B. Phillips].

• “Christ is everything and is in all of them” [New International Reader's Version].

•  “Christ is all, and in all things” [New Matthew Bible].

•  “Christ is everything and he is in all of them” [Worldwide English].

  The same Christ is in all—that is in every believer. All are bound together through their mutual love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1).

  If one should despise a different class of people, then they are really despising Christ himself. This would bring spiritual darkness. If “anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness [perfect darkness] has blinded them” (1 John 2:11).

No Separate Distinction in Male or Female

  Those who have been “renewed in knowledge in the image” of their “Creator” (3:10). Among them there is no separate distinction. Everybody, everywhere, all around the world, all men, all women, all children, all pastors and religious workers—there is absolutely no distinction, such as making men spiritually superior to women.

  One is not superior to another. No one sex has any right, in Christ Jesus, to claim superiority. To claim the right to be pastor or bishop or elder of the church, while excluding another equally qualified of a different gender.

  “So, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26-28).

Why Is There No Distinction?

  Because, the same Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, is in all. He is in all believers, no more in one and less in another. “Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile” (Rom 3:22). No difference between male or female Jews and Gentiles. “Justification and life” are given “for all people” (Rom 5:18). It is wrong to believe that justification and righteousness is given because a person is male or female. Christ is all that matters, and he is in all of you.

In Continuation of the Preceding Sentence

  We are told to not to lie to each other: Because we are all in Christ. Thus, we would be lying to Christ to lie to another in Christ. We are to be honest, sincere with, for such would be carried on in front of Christ.

  We are told to put on the New Self: Which does not place people in separate categories, as one is lesser than another. Some modern Christian faith denies all other faiths as false, even if they are sincere believers in Christ. Just because they have a different style of worship, a few different minor viewpoints on salvation. It is a fact that many denominations have split apart over minor theological issues.

  Christ does not create a new man, one for the Gentile, another for the Jew and a different one for the barbarian. It is Christ in all of them; all they ever need.   

  This concept denies any radical ethnic or cultural customs to separate believers. Sadly, we Christians have a very poor historical record of acceptance other believers due to skin color or dress standards or language. Many who do not accept other nationalities may themselves, even if they are baptized, find themselves outside the city. Because they disenfranchised another believer in Christ of a different race, color, nationality, or religious practice.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with (1) compassion, (2) kindness, (3) humility, (4) gentleness and (5) patience. 3:13 (6) Bear with each other and (7) forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 3:14 And over all these virtues (8) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 3:15 (9) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And (10) be thankful. NIV

3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on (1) tender mercies, (2) kindness, (3) humility, (4) meekness, (5) longsuffering; 3:13 (6) bearing with one another, and (7) forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 3:14 But above all these things put on (8) love, which is the bond of perfection. 3:15 And (9) let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and (10) be thankful. NKJV

Therefore

  Since we all have been “raised with Christ” (3:1).

  Since we have “set our hearts and minds of things above” (3:1)

  Since our life “is now hidden with Christ in God” (3:3).

  Since we have “put to death” our “earthly nature” (3:5).

  Since we have “taken off” the “old self” and “put on the new self” (3:9,10).

  Since we have been “renewed in knowledge” of Christ into “the image of our Creator” (3:10).  Since we are all, all of us, are privileged to have “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27).

  Therefore: Since now we are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved by God. We have a spiritual calling, in Christ, to clothe ourselves, to make it habit to daily put on ten spiritual qualities.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph 5:8-10).

  John has written to his dear children, “All who have this hope in him [of seeing Christ when we appears], purify themselves, just as he is pure…We know that anyone born of God does not sin: the one who is born of God keep his safe, and evil one cannot harm them” (1 John 3:3; 5:18).

Now, Paul has given to us ten habits that characterized Christ living in us, not the evil desires that we once had. These are the thing that please God.

God’s chosen people dearly loved, clothe yourselves with:

(1) compassion, (2) kindness, (3) humility,

(4) gentleness and (5) patience.

(6) Bear with each other and
(7) forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues:

(8) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

(9) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace.

And (10) be thankful.

Col 3:12-14

Clothe Yourselves--Our Wardrobe

  The idea is to make these spiritual values fit into your life, as we would choose clothes that are fitting for us.  As we would wear a shirt, a pair of pants or a dress that becomes part of our image.

It would be better if we were less demanding of the outward current society’s style of dress and more concerned with the inward clothes we wear. As Peter has instructed both and men women, “Our beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Pet 3:3,4).

  We all start our morning by choosing the clothes to wear for the day. Now we should always remember as we dress ourselves appropriate for the day. We are to also clothe ourselves with these ten traits. Starting the day with prayer, putting on the above virtues, as God’s dearly loved children. Soon this will be “the way of life you have learned…taught in Him in accordance with the truth as it is in Jesus” (Eph 4:20,21).

  This is a description of the New Self that has been Renewed in the Image of our Creator (Col 3:9,10). This is a description of a renewed, a re-created believe in Christ acts like. This is their character. There no other place, in the whole of Scriptures, that list these ten qualities of character all in one place.  

Practical Application

  The normal experience of those who belong to Him, John says, “we have set our hearts at rest in his presence” (1 John 3:19). We feel at ease and quiet throughout the day in our souls. We know about the peace of God.

  If we have unnecessarily been impatient with someone. We will know it by the loss of peace. We will know something is not right, immediately, after the event or the next morning.

Walking with God, carrying around “the peace of God” (Phil 4:7), “keeping in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25) and having “faith” in the “atonement” on the cross (Rom 3:25). Claiming “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9). We will want to, we will need to, we will care about the above ten virtues, as much as we care about our lives.

Chosen

  The Greek word for chosen is eklektos means, “chosen and elect.” God has chosen us, especially as a deeply personal choice, out his personal preference and intention. To the Ephesians Paul wrote, “For [God] chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, in love” (Eph 1:4). “In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2).

  It is not possible for us to choose him before creation. We did not use our free will’s to choose him first, since it was God’s act and “grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Tim 1:9), that we today are believers. This was not a casual choice on the part of God, it was purposeful and methodical, he chose us. He loved us and wanted us. This was God’s initiative or none of us would make it alive out of this evil world. This happens “because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).

  When God made the world, he also prepared a kingdom, such as described as the New Jerusalem. Jesus has told us of the welcome given to the redeemed from earth, “‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matt 25:34).

  Take this in for a moment, when God created the earth, he had prepared, a place for the fallen from earth, to come and live next to Him. This was not an afterthought on the part of God but deliberate and planned. When God calls us and chooses us, he also calls us to have a dwelling place next to Him.  While on earth we are by faith brought into the dwelling place, but in heaven we will be privileged to actually live, work, eat in the very home of God the Father. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev 21:3). God is not thinking of just your pleasure of being in the eternal dwelling place in the house of God. No. God is thinking of his pleasure of having you around Him! Yes believe it! This is why God chose you.

How Do Scriptures Use This Greek Word (eklektos), as God’s Chosen People

• “For many are invited, but few are chosen (eklektos)” (Matt 22:14)

• “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (eklektos).” (Matt 24:24)

• “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect (eklektos) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matt 24:31)

• “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen (eklektos)? It is God who justifies.” (Rom 8:33)

• “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect (eklektos) and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness” (Titus 1:1)

•  “But you are a chosen (eklektos) people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Pet 2:9)

•  “He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen (eklektos) and faithful followers.” (Rev 17:14)

  Through the years of Christian theology there has been much discussion about the elect or chosen by God. We do not want to wade into this discussion that is deeply embedded into theological teachings of many Christian denominations.

  It is better to just simply say that when believers have experienced faith, as John says, “he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself” (1 John 5:9 NKJV). They know, without question, that Jesus came from God. They have this knowledge because they are chosen.

When a believer has been “Born of God and knows God” and knows that “love comes from God” and they have learned to “love one another” (1 (John 4:7), they have been chosen.

  They know they are chosen by God. They know it by the Spirit that God gives, they know it from inside because they love God, they love others and wish to be pure and true as God is. They are God’s elect, because they show themselves to be so by their good fruits in their lives. Although they may never know they have been chosen by God, yet they love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and hands. They confess their sins and seek to be holy as He is holy. They shun evil, don’t trust their “earthly natures” (Col 3:5), they seek to “put to death” and “rid themselves” of evil deeds (Col 3:5-8).

  Their “work” is “produced by faith,” their “labor prompted by love” and their “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 1:3).

  The chosen trust in God for “righteousness that comes by faith” (Rom 4:13). The chosen know they are only “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24).

The Ten Virtues

Practiced by God’s Chosen Loved People

(1) The Practice of Compassion

  It is a deep feeling about someone’s difficulty or misfortune. Which, if possible, will look to ease the distress of a troubled individual. Without considering its inconvenience or hardship.

This same word is used by God toward us: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion [mercies KJV] and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3).

(2) The Practice of Kindness

• It is seen in everyday action.

• It is seen in our good thoughts about others.

• It cares with gentleness and patience for others.

  This word is used by God showing kindness to us: “In the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).

(3) The Practice of Humility

  It is a quality of having a humble opinion of oneself. It is an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to high standards that God has called us into. “Who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:6).

  The humble will never feel or believe they have all the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the character of God. Humility will always leave room for love and more growth in the knowledge of God.  “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Rom 11:33).

  The proud have a high opinion of their achievements. While the humble know they stand in need of more grace, are aware of their own failures, and their great need for more room to grow.

  The humble know that “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5). The proud believe the opposite, since God has so blessed them, they have every reason to be proud. They can’t imagine that in their pride they can lose the favor of God. They don’t know that “God opposes the proud but [instead] gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

  “For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also [I live] with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit [deeply humble], to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa 57:15)

(4) The Practice of Gentleness

  Is a picture of a large muscle-bound man, picking up a small, abandoned kitten in the gutter of a street. Adapting his strength to the level of holding very cold and frightened kitten close to his chest with his muscled arms. Giving it warmth, security, comfort and support.

Gentleness is seen in careful attention to the needs of those who are weaker, more vulnerable or helpless. Help is given by being careful and very cautious so as not to injure or frighten the one being helped.

  Those who receive gentle help always appreciate it. They feel safe and will often trust a gentle stranger, sensing that goodness is reason why they are kind, patient and sensitive to their needs.

Gentleness is:

• Seen in a quiet demeanor that has reserve strength when needed.

• Seen in polite language, without cursing or using abusive words.

• Seen when lifting up a person with a safe speed that preserves dignity.

• Seen in peace loving ways.

• Perceived in the eyes of kindness.

• Often bundled with love and warm care.

• Cares much and is troubled by rude behavior.

• Favors the weak, the vulnerable, and the helpless.

  The Gentle are more often in the background, rather than the foreground.

  “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Phil 4:5). The Lord is near to the Gentle. While the rude, insensitive or abusive are far from God’s blessings and presence.

(5) Practice of Patience

• Combined with kindness, these two are a true friends.

• Willing to take the long way, requiring a longer time than needed, without complaining.

• Patience will not push ahead, when they can easily do so, but instead they will wait for the slower to catch up.

• The Patience will always keep in mind God’s patience with them. They will “remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient” (2 Pet 3:15 ICB).

• The patient will not humiliate a slow learner.

(6) The Practice of Bearing with each other

  The Greek word for “bear with” is anechó: Means “to endure, to bear with, to tolerate, to hold up, to show toleration or to carry them.” Making allowances for their slowness to understand and to perform a required task. To consider their age, their sex, their background, the parentage and their level of education.

Bearing with others:

• Over things we cannot change, such as their physical limitations.

•  As we encourage them to learn new skills or further their education.

• That are taking the first steps into faith and are weak and easily deceived.

• That have been divorced and are unfortunate in love.

·        That often disappoints us, due to their personal flaws.

·        That are unkind to us in their demeanor.

·        That require of us much patience.

·        That are under our social class.

·        When repeated forgiveness is needed from us.

·        When we just can’t understand why they do what they do.

·        Those who have acted foolishly, bringing on unnecessary trouble.

Bearing with the

·        Aged and infirm,.

·        The mistakes of the youth.

·        The Pastor whose sermons are not inspiring and disappointing to us.

·        Bearing with our partner in marriage, in disappointment. Remembering that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

(7) The Practice of Forgiving Others as You Have Been Forgiven

Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983) tells of being sent to Ravensbrück in WWII. There she lost her sister, telling her before she died from severe abuse, to have no hate. Corrie was released by mistake, the day before she was to be killed. After the war is over, she conducted meetings in Berlin on forgiveness. One time a man from the audience whom she recognized was one of the cruel guards, extended his hand asking her to forgive him. As she told it, it seemed impossible to do so, considering the recent memory of his personal hatred and abuse, but by the grace of God, she stretched out her hand in forgiveness.

God is calling you, right now where you sit, don’t let a feeling of animosity and hatred rest in your heart for one more second. By faith confess it all to God. God wants you to hear the words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matt 25:34). There you “will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt 13:42). Be there or be nowhere.

(8) The Practice of Putting on LOVE, Without It, Nothing Else Matters at All

Without love compassion is just for the job at hand.

Without love kindness is short lived.

Without love humility is displayed to receive praise for one’s own humility.

Without love gentleness is just for show, to impress another.

Without love patience is just self-serving or done with impatience.

Without love to bear with another is to put them under obligation.

Do everything in love.

1 Cor 16:14.

Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Pet 1:8

The Absolute Truth

Dear friends, let us love one another, 

for love comes from God.

Everyone [all] who loves has been born of God 

and knows God [personally]. 1 John 4:7 

The Opposite of the Truth

Whoever does not love does not know God [at all],

because God is love. 1 John 4:8 NIV

(9a) Let the peace of Christ rule your heats.

(9b) All believers are members of one body, in Christ. Therefore, we all are called to be at peace with each other.

There is a twin call to peace. First, there is very real peace that comes from faith in Christ. From Christ dwelling in our “hearts through faith.” And “being rooted and established in love” (Eph 3:17). “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:2).

The second call to peace is a natural consequence from our faith and love in Christ. This is the “light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:6). If we are committed to the gospel, we will be committed to Christ and God the Father and as a sure response we will be at peace with those who are at peace with Christ also. If not, we will lose our peace with

Christ, over time.

In Christ we are called to create a “bond of peace” with other believers.

There is only “one Spirit” for all of us.

There is “one hope,” that is the same hope for all of us.

There is “one body”, that is in “the Gospel of Christ” (Rom 15:19) for all of us.

There is “one Lord”, the only name that we all are saved in.

There is “one faith”, same faith for everyone, all over the world, all at the same time.

There is “one baptism”, that is the means of burying our sins, same for all of us.

There is “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all”.

There is one “grace” given to each believer individually, all the same grace.

       Eph 4:3-7

(10) The Practice of Being thankful

The Greek word carries the idea of gratefulness, for what spiritual, physical, material or blessing and benefits you have received in life. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Ps 103:2 NKJV).

“Pray without ceasing, [and] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:17,18 NKJV). And don’t complain. Don’t find fault with others. Don’t compare yourself with others leading you to further complaints. Such as “Lord why wasn’t I given the gift of playing the piano like someone else”. Or “Lord why wasn’t I given the opportunity to have more money, nicer home, newer cars or honor like someone else? Lord, why was I given that position that I believed I could do a better job? Paul’s model was “I always pray with joy” (Phil 1:4), not with complaints.

If anyone could complain it was Paul. He recounts “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones” (2 Cor 11:24,25). Yet he did not complain. Even while in prison as he is writing this letter to the Colossians, he tells us to be thankful.

Paul recounts: “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:7-9). So, Paul stopped praying about it, rejoicing that true strength comes from weakness.

Remember, it is God’s will that be thankful for everything we do have, for all the opportunities that are given to us. With no complaints. Instead “By prayer and petition [heart-felt request], with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7).

·        “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col 1:6,7)

·        “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Col 3:15)

·        “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col 4:2).

Having Thanksgiving

·        “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Ps 95:2)

·        “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Ps 100:4)

·        “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).

Give Thanks

·        “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Ps 106:1)

·        “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” (Ps 107:8.15,21)

·        “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation” (Ps 118:21)

·        “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18).

Thanks Be to God

·        “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:25).

·        “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:27).

·        But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor 2:14).

·        “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Cor 9:15).

·        “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:19,20).

·        “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).

·        “Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Col 1:12)

·        Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17)

How To Practice Thankfulness?

First: Thank God for revealing Himself to you personally. For his love that you know is in your heart. For every spiritual blessing. For understanding of Scriptures. For wisdom and guidance God has given to you. For forgiveness of sins. Thank God for Hope of eternal life and all that your imagination pictures it.

Second: Be thankful to God for spouse, your children, your friends, your food, and your animals. Your home, your clothes and your health (whatever part you can). For being alive today.

Third: In prayer be thankful for everything good in your life. No matter how small. Name them all, at different times throughout the day. Such as for a good night of rest.

Fourth: Be thankful for safe travel mercies. Be thankful for the sun, the moon, the springtime and the white snow.

Let thankfulness be part of every prayer. Soon you will have more to be more thankful, as God give you opportunity to do good to others. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb 13:16).

To be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).