Colossians 3:5-11
5 “Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.”
Therefore: Because Christ is our life and we are enveloped in Him (Colossians 3:3-4), we are to live righteously in our lives. We no longer belong to sin. We have been purchased by God and are therefore set apart for godly living. Whereas we used to live according to sexual immorality and the ways of the world, now we have been infused with the spiritual DNA of God (see also 2 Peter 1:3-4). Therefore, we are to not use our freedom to express sin.
Sons of disobedience: God’s wrath comes upon unbelievers, not believers. The whole point of the Gospel is that Jesus saved us from God’s wrath. Christians are not judged by God. Therefore, we are to not engage in the ways of the world. We are not to lie to one another or sin because we have laid aside the old self and are no longer sons of disobedience. Our old selves were crucified with Christ, and we have been raised as righteous new creations. There is a reason why the phrase “die to self” is non-existent in the Bible: Believers have already died and are to live according to this reality.
True knowledge: God is renewing our minds according to our new identity. This new identity is a true knowledge of Christ’s finished work and our identity in light of this work. Therefore, we are not the sum-total of our external appearance or cultural heritage.
