Colossians 3:5-11 Destructive Desires

1. Colossians 3:5-11Destructive Desires

2. WITNESS TO OTHERS FAMILY & WORK CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ETHICAL CHANGE SETTING HEART ON THINGS ABOVE UNDERSTANDING GOSPEL 3:10 “the new self, which is being renewed…”

3. Colossians 3:5-11 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

4. Colossians 3:5-11 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

5. Colossians 3:5-11 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

6. Colossians 3:5-11 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

7. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” • Ephesians 4:22-24 x Colossians 3:5-11 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

8. What does it mean to ‘put off’ the old self and ‘put on’ the new?? “Put On” Consider alive Set your mind on Spirit Faith “Put Off” Put to death Consider as dead Lay aside the old flesh Repentance

9. Putting on:ACTING on what is ALREADY true “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus… present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of goodness to God.” Romans 6:11-13

10. Putting off: Consider old nature’s DESIRES to be DECEITFUL “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

11. “A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought. It can be family and children, or career and making money, or achievement and critical acclaim, or saving “face” and social standing. It can be a romantic relationship, peer approval, competence and skill, secure and comfortable circumstances, your beauty or your brains, a great political or social cause, your morality and virtue, or even success in Christian ministry.

12. “When your meaning in life is to fix someone else’s life, we call it “co-dependency” but it is really idolatry. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship with something, but perhaps the best one is worship.” (Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods, xix)

13. sexual immorality impurity lustful pleasures idolatry sorcery hostility quarreling jealousy outbursts of anger selfish ambition dissension division envy drunkenness wild parties other sins like these.” Putting off: Consider old nature’s DESIRES to be DECEITFUL “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: Galatians 5:19-21

14. Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

15. Put off the old “Greed” = pleonexia chronic discontent; self-centered financial plans Put on the new “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” 1 Timothy 6:6 Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

16. Put off the old “anger” = orge settled attitude of anger; resentment “Wrath” = thumos (“smoke” or “steam”); fits of rage; Out of control “malice” = kakia wishing evil to another Put on the new “Be angry and do not sin,” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26 Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

17. Put off the old “slander” = blasphemia injurious characterizations, stories, or descriptions; implies falsehood Put on the new “Pursue peace with all men.” Hebrews 12:14 Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

18. Put off the old “abusive speech” = aischrologia putting another down through demeaning & foul statements Put on the new “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

19. Put off the old “abusive speech” = aischrologia putting another down through demeaning & foul statements Put on the new “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…”

20. “Christ says… Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book IV, chapter 8) Putting off: Putting to death destructive desires through DENIAL 3:6-7 “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”

21. C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, pp. 99-106 “I saw coming towards us a ghost who carried something on his shoulder... What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. ‘Shut up, I tell you!’ he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile. Then he turned and started to limp westward, [where the lizard was directing him to go]. “Off so soon?” said a voice.

22. “Yes. I’m off,” said the Ghost. “Thanks for all your hospitality. But it’s no good, you see. I told this little lizard that he’d have to be quiet if he came – which he insisted on doing. Of course his stuff won’t do here. I realize that. But he won’t stop. I’ll just have to go home.” “Would you like me to make him quiet?” said the flaming spirit. “Of course I would,” said the Ghost. “Then I will kill him,” said the angel taking a step forward… “You didn’t say anything about killing him at first! I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.”

23. “It’s the only way,” said the angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard. “Shall I kill it?” “Well, that’s a further question. I’m quite open to consider it, but it’s a new point, isn’t it? I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it because up here – well, it’s so embarrassing.” “May I kill it?”… “Get back! You’re burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You’d kill me if you did.” “I never said it wouldn’t hurt you. I said it wouldn’t kill you…”

24. “If you wanted to help me, why didn’t you kill the blasted thing without asking me – before I knew? It would be all over now if you had.” “I cannot kill it against your will. It is impossible. Have I your permission?” The Angel’s hands were almost closed on the lizard, but not quite. Then the Lizard began chattering to the Ghost so loud that even I could hear what it was saying. “Be careful,” it said. “He can do what he says. He can kill me. One fatal word from you and he will! Then you’ll be without me for ever and ever. It’s not natural. How could you live? You’d only be a sort of ghost, not a real man as you are now.

25. “He doesn’t understand. He’s only a cold, bloodless abstract thing. It may be natural for him, but it isn’t for us. Yes, yes. I know there are no real pleasures now, only dreams. But aren’t they better than nothing? And I’ll be so good. I admit I’ve sometimes gone too far in the past, but I promise I won’t do it again. I’ll give you nothing but really nice dreams – all sweet and fresh and almost innocent…” “Have I your permission?” said the Angel to the Ghost… “Damn and blast you! Go on can’t you? Get it over. Do what you like,” bellowed the Ghost: but ended, whimpering, “God help me. God help me.”

26. “Next moment the Ghost gave a scream of agony such as I never heard on Earth. The Burning one closed his crimson grip on the reptile: twisted it, while it bit and writhed, and then flung it, broken backed, on the turf. For a moment I could make out nothing distinctly. Then I saw… unmistakably solid but growing every moment solider, the upper arm and the shoulder of a man. Then, brighter still and stronger, the legs and hands. The neck and golden head materialized while I watched, and if my attention had not wavered I should have seen the actual completion of a man – an immense man not much smaller than the angel…

27. The new-made man turned and clapped the new horse’s neck. It nosed his bright body. Horse and master breathed each into the other’s nostrils. The man turned from it, flung himself at the feet of the burning one and embraced them. When he rose I thought his face shone with tears… In joyous haste the young man leaped upon the horse’s back. They were off before I well knew what was happening. “What is a lizard compared with a stallion?” said the angel. “Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering , whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.”

28. Walking in Faith Put On Put Off Put On Put Off Put On Put Off Put On Put Off