09 Christ, Not Carnal Living

While Colossians chapter 3 is a departure from the believer’s need to avoid the dangers of legalism, but it instead provides the warning for the child of God to avoid carnality.

1 Dealing with the Old Nature

Paul begins by showing that Christians are to live differently than they did before the gave their lives to Christ:

Colossians 3:1-4

In the previous chapter, Paul had shown that the believer’s baptism is a clear identification with how we were once spiritually dead, but then raised to life spiritually, when we accepted Christ as Savior:

Colossians 2:12

Paul begins chapter three referencing the believer’s position in Christ upon and through salvation:

Colossians 3:1a

Since the believer has new life in Christ, their focus should be set upon heavenly things, where Christ is.

Paul used the word <zēteite> which while we see translated as “seek” literally means both to “set” and to “strive earnestly for”.

Therefore, believers must understand, and live in a manner that shows we’re a new creation in Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17

Paul shows how the believer has overcome spiritual death, because Jesus defeated man’s great enemies of death and the grave.

And because the believer has overcome that which may destroy us spiritually, then our minds should be set upon that which is spiritual:

Colossians 3:2

Basically, Paul is concluding that the believer’s life should model that of the Lord “after” His resurrection. Meaning it should model His victorious living, having overcome this world, with the knowledge of spending an eternity in heaven.

While Jesus of course is God, the believer also has the power of God within them, in the person of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we have the power to live as an overcomer:

Romans 8:37

Since the believer has “died” to the things of this world, our lives are now “hidden” in Christ.

The word we have translated as “hidden” literally speaks of having “security and satisfaction”. Presenting the understanding, that everything we need may be found in Christ.

Therefore, the child of God shouldn’t be seeking ultimate satisfaction from those things found in this life, since one day we will experience complete and lasting satisfaction in heaven with Christ:

Colossians 3:4

That verse also speaks doctrinally, showing how believers will return to earth with Christ, when He returns at His Second coming, which points to Paul’s endorsement of a pre-tribulation rapture.

Once the rapture of the church takes place, the earth will be plunged into the period of the outpouring of God’s wrath upon unbelieving mankind. This is the seven-year period known as the Great Tribulation. According to Scripture, the Tribulation will conclude with the Second Coming of Jesus, as He will return to earth (with the church returning from heaven with Him) and He will first end the Tribulation, and then establish a thousand-year reign upon the earth, known as the millennium.

Believers will have a part in Christ’s millennial reign, which again shows the great future in store for the church, and that our security and satisfaction is indeed found only in Him.

2 Rendering as Dead

Paul then returned to the idea that the believer had at one time been spiritually dead, but now is raised with Christ. The result is that our flesh must be rendered (considered) as being dead:

Colossians 3:5-7

The Greek tense points to this as being a clear and decisive action.

Even though the believer is given a new nature when we are born again, we still reside in bodies of flesh and blood, which means the old nature remains.

While the old nature is still active and alive, it no longer rules the believer, who through the power of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, may now determine to render or “recognize” the old nature as dead.

The phrase we see as “put to death” is the Greek verb <nekrosate> which literally means “to make dead” once again showing a deliberate and strong action.

Next, Paul began to list things of the old nature, which the believer is to render as dead:

• He begins with “fornication” which may be loosely rendered as sexual immorality outside of marriage.

The Greek word is <porneia> from which comes our word pornography. Therefore, we see that Paul is speaking about more than committing the sexual act outside of marriage.

• The next issue he addressed is “uncleanness” which is even broader in scope than fornication, as it speaks of “the misuse of sex”.

This would include performing improper sexual practices, both inside and outside of marriage. This would include practices which are unnatural, and that which would lead to someone having an improper view of the purpose of sexual activity. Therefore, uncleanness points to the sexual lifestyle of the individual.

• Paul then addressed “passion” which comes from the Greek word <pathos> which refers to having an uncontrollable passion for improper sexual activity.

After the listing of sexual sins, Paul then addressed improper desires of a non-sexual nature:

• First, he spoke of “evil desires” which is literally rendered as “illicit craving”. This points to desiring something (or someone) which belongs to someone else.

The idea of an illicit craving points to the individual willing to go to any length to satisfy their desire.

• The next sin, which is closely connected, is that of “covetousness”. A covetous attitude is an unrelenting desire, again for something or someone which would be improper for us to have, since it belongs to someone else.
• Paul concluded by categorizing each of these things as being “idolatry”.

He did so, because idolatry may be defined as worshipping (or placing first in our lives) anything other than God.

In verse 6, Paul showed that God’s wrath with be poured out upon the disobedient world because of each of those things.

In verse 7, reiterates that such behavior was part of our old nature, but now must be rendered as dead.