Colossians 3:5-9

The following is a Bible study originally posted on our Bible Study Group.

We've been talking a lot about nutrition in our house this week. We're
making our every-few-week 2 and 1/2 hour trek to a Super Wal-Mart tomorrow,
so we've been busy making 6 weeks' worth of menus and shopping lists. It's
rather commonplace around our house by now to make such a big shopping trip,
but this time is different. We really want to stop eating junk food and
start eating nutritious food. It's a bit of a challenge!

I was describing to my friend what things we've chosen NOT to eat. By the
time I had listed everything, she said, "If I ate like that, I'd starve!"

That's often how I feel when I read today's verses (plus next week's) in
Colossians. Let's read them together:

"Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of
disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another,
since you have put off the old man with his deeds..." (Colossians 3:5-9).

The sins listed are all the things we are to "put off." Thankfully God is
gracious enough to tell us what to "put on" (we'll study these in two
weeks). Like going on a diet, it's really difficult to stop all the sinful
habits we've acquired. However, God expects us to take an active part in
ridding our lives of these filthy habits.

Notice the action verbs: put to death, put off all these, do not, put off
the old man. A few weeks ago we discussed how we are totally inadequate to
change ourselves -- we are dead. Today's verses seem like they contradict
those truths, because it looks like God is expecting us to DO something
about these sins. Just keep in mind that you will only succeed with God's
power. Remember how we change? By our daily confession of our sins, He'll
be "faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Before I made my shopping lists and menus for the next 6 weeks, I first
cleaned out the fridge, freezer, and pantry. We threw the junk food away
and scrubbed the shelves clean in preparation for the new food. May I
suggest that you take some time alone this weekend, just you and God and
your Bible? With a pen in hand, list the "junk habits" that are present in
your life. (Ask the Holy Spirit to make them obvious to you, and He will!)
Confess them to the Lord. Take as much time as you need to clean every
corner of your heart.

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