Put to death the sins that lurk within you

Colossians 3:5-9 (NLT)

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.  You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.  Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

The King James version as well as the New International Version and other literal translations of the original Greek words of Colossians 3:5 use the words “members of your earthly body” that should be “dead to sin”.  However, I like the more modern, if somewhat paraphrased, New Living Translation wording that declares “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking with you.”   Sin most definitely lurks in our lives.  To lurk means to lie in wait, to ambush, to move silently and furtively.  God-fearing people do not intentionally want to sin, but sin happens because it lurks in our lives.  As Peter wrote in I Peter 5:8: “be of sober spirit, be on the alert because your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”.  The word “prowl” is like the word “lurking”.  The devil, the father of murders and lies and the great deceiver, waits for the right opportunity to catch you at a weak moment and devour you with sin.  The most God-fearing/obedient Christians are always vulnerable to these satanic attacks.   

What are those sins that lurk within you?  Paul lists several---sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry, anger, rage, bad behavior (malice—hurting others), slander, dirty language and lying to others.  You might start your day with the intention not to do any of these sinful things, but by the end of the day, you may have done what the devil knows is your weakest link. 

Whatever sins lurk within you, these verses are declaring that you must put them to death because you are a new creation in Christ.  The first four verses of Colossians 3 associate the Christian with Christ and if you truly are reborn in Him and His Holy Spirit alive and active in you, you will have no desire and no part of the sins that existed in your life before your salvation experience.  To put sin to death simply means to eliminate such sin from your life and to avoid all situations that you know would tempt you to commit those sins again. 

A greedy person is an idolater, worshipping things of this world.  I cannot help but think of pro athletes, Wall Street finance people, and even company CEOs and presidents who make enormous amounts of money, far beyond what the average person earns and then make a spectacle of themselves in wanting/demanding even more.  Our legal system is plagued by greedy and shameless lawyers.  I also think of oil companies and other producers of products and services who will gouge the public any chance they get.  However, all this being said, each of us needs to be on guard against a natural human tendency to be greedy and self-serving.  Indeed, all these sins are part of the old and wicked human nature and must be removed from the life of a Christ-follower.

Note Paul’s warning, albeit 2,000 years ago, that the anger (“orge” = wrath) of God is coming to punish what original translations describe as “children of disobedience”.  God hates sin and sin must be punished.  God provided the sacrificial death of Jesus to be a substitute for His wrath against sin (II Corinthians 5:21).  Jesus received punishment so that sinful man will not be punished as long as man willingly accepts what Jesus did.  This is the good news—the gospel---of salvation.  Jesus reconciled sinful man with holy God, but sinful man must take the initiative to recognize his sinful nature, ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus as his Savior.  Otherwise the anger of God remains upon the person who does not believe in what Jesus did.  It is always a personal choice. 

What is your reaction to all this?  Paul is writing to Christians; are you a Christian?  Even as a reborn Christian, there still might be old sinful habits that must you still get rid of?  You know what they are.  Use these verses as conviction to put them to death.  Ask the Lord to help you get rid of them.  Now is the time.