Mortify Your Members Colossians 3:5

As Paul the apostle continued to encourage the Colossian church members to set their affection on things above and “not on things on the earth”, he told them that they were “dead” to the worldly things, and their lives were “hid with Christ in God”. Because of this, when Christ appears, they would also “appear with him in glory”. In chapter three and verse five of his letter, Paul told the Colossians more ways they to live as they “mortify” their “members” where we read:

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

The verse begins, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;” Paul employed the word “Mortify” which means “to make dead, to put to death, slay or deny the strength of”, and then added “therefore” which is a conclusion word that tells us to refer to what was just written. Because they were to “appear” with Christ “in glory”, they were now to “mortify” or put to death their “members which are upon the earth” which refers to “their earthly bodies” or their inclination to use their bodies for earthly “criminal” ways.

The verse goes on to say, “ fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” To further his point of mortification of their bodies, Paul named six ways their bodies could be used which are “criminal”, earthly or “against the law of God. First was “fornication” which is the Greek word “porneia” from which we get the English word “pornography”, and it means “illicit sexual intercourse, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, close relatives, or with a divorced man or woman. Next was “uncleanness” which is “the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living, and of impure motives”. Paul next listed “inordinate affection” which means “whatever befalls one, whether it be sad or joyous, a calamity, mishap, evil, affliction, a feeling which the mind suffers, an affliction of the mind, emotion, passion, passionate deed, depraved passion, or vile passions”. He next added, “evil concupiscence” or “a bad nature, feeling or action toward desire, craving, longing for what is forbidden” It is basically “lust”, and the Colossians were to “mortify” this sort of desire. Finally Paul added “covetousness” which is “greedy desire to have more or avarice”. Paul concluded his list by stating “which is idolatry” or “the worship of false gods or of the formal sacrificial feats held in honor of false gods”.

As we think about this list of “earthly” and temporary ways written by Paul, let us note that these are ways of living that are to be “put to death” or mortified. The implication is that they are alive and an action needs to be taken against them. Because the Colossians and Christians everywhere should be in expectancy of the Lord Jesus' return, earthly and ungodly ways must be “denied, put to death, and forsaken”. Paul noted that this list of earthly desires when followed were “idolatry”, and each of them become as an “idol” whenever they are followed. Those who practice these “earthly things” as are though they are worshiping false “gods”, and if the passions are strong enough in any of these areas, they actually become as “idols” to which honor and worship is given. Let us meditate and examine our own lives in light of the appearing of the Lord Jesus, and should we find any of these errant ways in our members, let us mortify them that no other god will reign within us other than the Creator God of the Universe.

Next time Paul tells the Colossians how God's wrath comes upon those who do such things, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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