Colossians 3:8-9 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds….
Since we have
been given new life in Christ, there should be some noticeable changes in the
way we live. Our new life in Christ is spiritual, but we are still housed in
bodies of flesh that are cursed with a sin nature. Because of that fact, Paul tells the
Colossian believers that they must take specific action to quit doing or refrain
from certain actions.
- Anger = violent passion, abhorrence,
vengeance; Webster adds: “A strong
passion or emotion of displeasure or antagonism, excited by a real or
supposed injury or insult to one’s self or others, or by the intent to do
such injury.”
- Wrath = passion (as if breathing hard):—fierceness;
from a root that includes “to immolate (slaughter for any
purpose):—kill.” Webster adds: “violent anger, vehement exasperation,
rage, fury.”
- Malice = badness, depravity, evil,
wickedness; Webster adds: “a spirit
delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure
another.”
- Blasphemy = vilification (especially against
God), evil speaking; Webster adds:
“speaking evil of God; also, the act of claiming the attributes or
prerogatives of deity.”
- Filthy communication/speaking = vile
conversation; Webster adds: “nasty;
dirty; polluted; foul; impure; obscene.”
- Lying = to utter an untruth or attempt to
deceive by falsehood.
All of these
actions are wicked and evil, and their definitions broadened my
understanding. I was surprised to see
that wrath included “killing.” It’s very disconcerting to note that malice includes “delighting” in harming
someone else or “delighting” in their misfortune. I understand the proliferation of evil and
wickedness in general, it’s just hard for me to understand how men/women can
take pleasure in such actions against another human being. The whole mentality behind the popularity of
the “entertainment” displayed at the Roman Colosseum is beyond me. For that matter, much of so called
“entertainment” today is filled with violent and malicious actions of men
toward other men.
As new
creations in Christ, we are to reckon ourselves dead to the old man of the
flesh and its wicked actions.
Colossians 3:10-11 And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
We were
created in the image of God, and through salvation we begin the process of
being sanctified—of being restored to the perfection with which we were first
created. That process is brought about
through becoming more and more knowledgeable about God and His truth. The Greek for knowledge is a reference to “recognition and full
discernment.” In other words, it’s not
just becoming aware of facts; it’s understanding who we are in the image of our
Creator by understanding Who He Is. Paul
states it clearly in his letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
As I read
through verse 11, I was reminded that men weren’t separated into nations until
after the flood. Mankind was created in
fellowship with the Creator. Once we
decided to rebel against the Creator, man became more and more self-serving
until “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). So God sent the flood and gave man a new
start. It didn’t take long before a
leader emerged to lead the community of men in rebellion against the Lord, so
He decided to step in and create divisions in mankind by giving them different
languages that resulted in the different nations.
The true
church is essentially a picture of what God intended for mankind to begin
with. It’s a fellowship of believers
with the common bond of love for their Lord in which all are on equal footing
and there is no respecter of persons. We
are united in Christ; there should be no division in the family of God. Obviously, it’s a sad statement on the
spiritual condition of the “church” today that we have become so divided. That is why our testimony doesn’t have the
effect for change that it should in our world today. The Lord was very clear that our love for one
another is the dominant characteristic that would identify us as His before the
world.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye
are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
(to be
continued…)
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