Dying To Have Life

Colossians 3:5 " Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,which is idolatry".(read 3:5-11)

Here this is a violent passage of scripture, a passage that attacks many people right where they are living.In this third chapter of Colossians, we see the violent demands of the believer's new life in Christ. It tells us to put to death the sins that enslaves the body and it's members. The word " mortify" means to put to death or act as though the body is dead. The believer is to take the various parts of his body and put them to death in so far as sin is concerned. How does one do this you ask? He considers his body to be hid in the death of Christ. He lives as though his body is dead with Christ. And remember a dead man cannot sin; a dead man can do nothing. Therefore, the believer is dead to sin, as he lives through Christ.

The point is this: it is an act of the mind or spirit. A person wants to live for God; therefore, he looks at his body and at sin. The only way he can possibly conquer sin is to treat his body as dead to sin or to consider sin as dead to his body. The person has to live as though his body has no part in sin, and sin has no part in his body. But note, this life is possible only in Christ. Christ alone, through the Holy Spirit, can work within the human heart and give it the energy and power to conquer sin permanently and eternally. Some men can discipline themselves to overcome some sin, but not all sin,and not all the time. This can only be done through Christ. There is an enormous difference between human discipline and godly control, and that difference is Jesus Christ. Not only are we told to put to death the sins that enslave the body, but we are also instructed to strip off the sins that enslave the emotions and the tongues(vs.8-11). Contrary to what we want to believe save people don't just act or speak any old kind of way. A Christian is Christ like in action as well as conversation.

What sins are to be mortified or put to death? The Bible is very specific, for there are some very specific sins which tend to enslave the human body. In fact, note the term "children of disobedience". These particular sins are not only terrible acts of disobedience to God, they are sins that can enslave the human body so much that they make a believer,  a child of disobedience. How many people are professing Christ here on the social network, yet are living in fornication, worshiping Idols, or using foul language. Some even boast about ungodly acts which they are proud of them, these are children of disobedience.Rather we like it or not there is a demand put on all who profess this new life in Christ. We must put to death the old man if we want to live in the new man which is in Christ Jesus.