Killing Sin
[Colossians 3:5-11]
In his classic book, “The mortification of sin,” the puritan preacher John Owens wrote, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” How many of you are intensely aware of the fierce battle against sin waging in your life? If you’re not waging war against the destructive power of sin, it could be that you are a casualty of sin. Apart from receiving Christ by faith as Lord and savior, the bible says that we are dead in sin (Ephesian 2:1). But to be alive in Christ is to be empowered by the Spirit to kill sin in your life so that you might live to the glory of Christ.
How do we kill sin in our lives?
1. Contemplate the gift of salvation
To overcome sin in our lives we must contemplate the gift of salvation. In verse 5, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to put sin to death. He writes, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Notice that Paul adds the word "therefore" after his exhortation to put sin to death. The word therefore refers back to the previous passage (vs. 1-4). This passage shows us that the exhortation to put sin to death is possible because of the gift of our salvation, because of who we are and what we possess in Christ.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Putting sin to death is only possible because of who we are and what we possess in Christ. These precious gifts of our salvation are something we must seek and set our minds on continuously.
The phrase set your mind is in the present imperative, which means that we must make repeated decisions to focus our thoughts on the things that are true of us in Christ. We must do so repeatedly so that our view of the world and ourselves is completely fashioned by these truths. As Paul writes in verse 4, if we’re saved, we died with Christ and have been raised with Him. Therefore we must see ourselves as not belonging to this world, but so completely identified with Him that He is our very life.
The more we seek and set our minds on the things of Christ, the more His power, promises, and presence will shape our identity, which is the key to a holy life! This is how we mortify, or put sin to death in our lives. We must first seek and set our minds on the things of Christ so that we can slay the sin in our lives.
2. Consider the gravity of sin
Now with the understanding that the power to put sin to death lies in knowing who we are in Christ, Paul lists some sins that we are to put to death for our good, the good of others, and the glory of Christ. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
First on Paul lists of sins to kill is sexual immorality. These two words are translated from the Greek word “porneia,” which speaks of all sexual activity outside of marriage. This includes sex between unmarried partners, adultery, and homosexuality. The second word that Paul uses is impurity. This word is similar to “porneia,” but it also includes impurity of thought as well as behavior. It’s important to emphasize here that because all these sins begin in the mind, we must avoid any form of media that will feed sinful desires. The third and fourth words, “passion,” and “evil desires,” are also very similar. “Perhaps the difference between the two terms is that passion is the physical and evil desire the mental side of the same vice.” -John Macarthur
This underscores once again the need to set our minds on things above and not on the filth of the world in order to put these sins to death. If we don’t first put sin to death in our thoughts, our minds will fuel sinful passions, which will enslave and consume us. The final word in Paul’s list is “covetousness,” (greed), which he connects with idolatry. A covetous person is bent on self-gratification even at the expense of others. Greed is idolatry because a person given to greed worships himself, not God. As we will see in a moment, overcoming sin has everything to do with what we worship. What you worship will shape your life.
After outlining some specific sins that Christians are to put to death, Paul concludes this first of two lists by pointing out another motivating factor for putting sin to death: “On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them…” (Colossians 3:6-7). When exhorting believers to overcome sin in their lives, he uses the strongest terms, namely to kill. He does so because he understands the gravity of sin. He understands first of all, that on account of sin, God is going to pour out His wrath upon this world. He soberly comprehends that everyone who dies in sin without coming to saving faith, will be eternally separated from God in hell. Concerning the coming judgment on unbelievers Paul writes, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
You might be asking, if I’m saved, and I’m not under the wrath of God, why should the coming wrath be a motivating factor for me to put sin to death? Because, as Christians, we’ve been saved to be salt and light in the world, not to contribute to the darkness that incurs the wrath of God. In addition, if you know the saving grace of Christ, surely you should not want to engage in the sin that Jesus died for to satisfy the just demands of a holy God on your behalf. And let’s not forget that although as children of God we are not under the wrath of God, we are subject to the discipline of God our Father (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Moreover, the destructive and defiling nature of sin itself should motivate us to put sin to death. God’s commands are not restrictions to our happiness, but expressions of His goodness and love. Another reason that Paul gives for putting sin to death involves our old life before coming to Christ. Referring to the sin we are to put to death, he writes: “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them…” (Colossians 3:7). Sometimes we become lax in our fight against sin and begin to compromise because we forget about the mess we were in that led us to cry out to God to save us. I appreciate what Charles Spurgeon wrote about this:
“Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice’s den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler–be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again!”
Christians that fall back into grave sins, like sexual immorality, don’t typically wake up one morning with the thought, I’m going to commit adultery today. They lose site of the gravity of sin. They make little compromises along the way that lead to big disasters.
After reminding believers of the gravity of sin, as a motivating factor to put sin to death, Paul goes on to a second list of sins. “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:8-9). It’s important to note that the first lists of sins have to do with personal sins and this second list relates to relational sins. But just like the first lists of sins, these relational sins have their root in our inner lives.
When we don’t seek the grace of God to deal with the hurt in our hearts, that hurt can turn to anger, resentment, and bitterness (Ephesians 4:31-31). Bitterness will cause our hearts to seethe with anger, wrath, and malice. Malice is a desire in the heart to inflict pain and hurt on the object of your anger and wrath. That desire to inflict hurt and pain is often unleashed with our tongues that we use to slander, speak obscenities, and lie to one another. These relational sins that Paul lists are directly opposed to the virtues of kindness and forgiveness that are to characterize our lives as Christians.
3. Cherish the glories of our savior
After exhorting believers to put away the sins of our old life that will ruin us and our relationships, Paul writes: “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:10-11).
The reason believers can put to death the sins of our old self is because of our new identity in Christ, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. That knowledge that renews our minds and transforms our lives is glorious knowledge. It’s knowledge of Christ that leads all believers, no matter their background, to say in worship that Christ is all and in all. In other words, Jesus is everything to all who knows His indwelling presence and are growing in His glorious grace and knowledge. Jesus is our life. “You can get to know Jesus better, but you can never know anything better than Jesus” -Adrian Rogers. The superior delight found in Christ is what enables us to put sinful desires to death.
Where does a Christian go to be renewed in the glorious knowledge of Christ that produces superior delight? Remember, to slay sin, we must seek and set our minds on things above where Christ is. How do we seek and set our minds on things above? We immerse ourselves in the Word of God (Col. 3:16). We need to know the word of God, but more than that, we must know the God of the word in the person of Christ. We need to get into God’s word in such a way that God’s word gets into us. Jesus becomes your all when you give your all to Him in worship, as you are renewed in the knowledge of Jesus through His word.
Poem: “Two natures beat within my breast. The one is fowl, the other bless. The one I love, the other I hate. The one I feed, will dominate.”
How do you kill sin in your life? You starve it. You don’t make provision for the flesh. You avoid and flee from people, places, and positions that will feed sinful desires. But more than that, you feed your inner man by getting into God’s word. And when you do, contemplate the gift of salvation, consider the gravity of sin, and most of all, cherish the glories of Jesus as you seek His face in worship day by day.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
In his classic book, “The mortification of sin,” the puritan preacher John Owens wrote, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” How many of you are intensely aware of the fierce battle against sin waging in your life? If you’re not waging war against the destructive power of sin, it could be that you are a casualty of sin. Apart from receiving Christ by faith as Lord and savior, the bible says that we are dead in sin (Ephesian 2:1). But to be alive in Christ is to be empowered by the Spirit to kill sin in your life so that you might live to the glory of Christ.
How do we kill sin in our lives?
1. Contemplate the gift of salvation
To overcome sin in our lives we must contemplate the gift of salvation. In verse 5, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to put sin to death. He writes, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Notice that Paul adds the word "therefore" after his exhortation to put sin to death. The word therefore refers back to the previous passage (vs. 1-4). This passage shows us that the exhortation to put sin to death is possible because of the gift of our salvation, because of who we are and what we possess in Christ.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Putting sin to death is only possible because of who we are and what we possess in Christ. These precious gifts of our salvation are something we must seek and set our minds on continuously.
The phrase set your mind is in the present imperative, which means that we must make repeated decisions to focus our thoughts on the things that are true of us in Christ. We must do so repeatedly so that our view of the world and ourselves is completely fashioned by these truths. As Paul writes in verse 4, if we’re saved, we died with Christ and have been raised with Him. Therefore we must see ourselves as not belonging to this world, but so completely identified with Him that He is our very life.
The more we seek and set our minds on the things of Christ, the more His power, promises, and presence will shape our identity, which is the key to a holy life! This is how we mortify, or put sin to death in our lives. We must first seek and set our minds on the things of Christ so that we can slay the sin in our lives.
2. Consider the gravity of sin
Now with the understanding that the power to put sin to death lies in knowing who we are in Christ, Paul lists some sins that we are to put to death for our good, the good of others, and the glory of Christ. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
First on Paul lists of sins to kill is sexual immorality. These two words are translated from the Greek word “porneia,” which speaks of all sexual activity outside of marriage. This includes sex between unmarried partners, adultery, and homosexuality. The second word that Paul uses is impurity. This word is similar to “porneia,” but it also includes impurity of thought as well as behavior. It’s important to emphasize here that because all these sins begin in the mind, we must avoid any form of media that will feed sinful desires. The third and fourth words, “passion,” and “evil desires,” are also very similar. “Perhaps the difference between the two terms is that passion is the physical and evil desire the mental side of the same vice.” -John Macarthur
This underscores once again the need to set our minds on things above and not on the filth of the world in order to put these sins to death. If we don’t first put sin to death in our thoughts, our minds will fuel sinful passions, which will enslave and consume us. The final word in Paul’s list is “covetousness,” (greed), which he connects with idolatry. A covetous person is bent on self-gratification even at the expense of others. Greed is idolatry because a person given to greed worships himself, not God. As we will see in a moment, overcoming sin has everything to do with what we worship. What you worship will shape your life.
After outlining some specific sins that Christians are to put to death, Paul concludes this first of two lists by pointing out another motivating factor for putting sin to death: “On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them…” (Colossians 3:6-7). When exhorting believers to overcome sin in their lives, he uses the strongest terms, namely to kill. He does so because he understands the gravity of sin. He understands first of all, that on account of sin, God is going to pour out His wrath upon this world. He soberly comprehends that everyone who dies in sin without coming to saving faith, will be eternally separated from God in hell. Concerning the coming judgment on unbelievers Paul writes, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
You might be asking, if I’m saved, and I’m not under the wrath of God, why should the coming wrath be a motivating factor for me to put sin to death? Because, as Christians, we’ve been saved to be salt and light in the world, not to contribute to the darkness that incurs the wrath of God. In addition, if you know the saving grace of Christ, surely you should not want to engage in the sin that Jesus died for to satisfy the just demands of a holy God on your behalf. And let’s not forget that although as children of God we are not under the wrath of God, we are subject to the discipline of God our Father (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Moreover, the destructive and defiling nature of sin itself should motivate us to put sin to death. God’s commands are not restrictions to our happiness, but expressions of His goodness and love. Another reason that Paul gives for putting sin to death involves our old life before coming to Christ. Referring to the sin we are to put to death, he writes: “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them…” (Colossians 3:7). Sometimes we become lax in our fight against sin and begin to compromise because we forget about the mess we were in that led us to cry out to God to save us. I appreciate what Charles Spurgeon wrote about this:
“Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice’s den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler–be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again!”
Christians that fall back into grave sins, like sexual immorality, don’t typically wake up one morning with the thought, I’m going to commit adultery today. They lose site of the gravity of sin. They make little compromises along the way that lead to big disasters.
After reminding believers of the gravity of sin, as a motivating factor to put sin to death, Paul goes on to a second list of sins. “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:8-9). It’s important to note that the first lists of sins have to do with personal sins and this second list relates to relational sins. But just like the first lists of sins, these relational sins have their root in our inner lives.
When we don’t seek the grace of God to deal with the hurt in our hearts, that hurt can turn to anger, resentment, and bitterness (Ephesians 4:31-31). Bitterness will cause our hearts to seethe with anger, wrath, and malice. Malice is a desire in the heart to inflict pain and hurt on the object of your anger and wrath. That desire to inflict hurt and pain is often unleashed with our tongues that we use to slander, speak obscenities, and lie to one another. These relational sins that Paul lists are directly opposed to the virtues of kindness and forgiveness that are to characterize our lives as Christians.
3. Cherish the glories of our savior
After exhorting believers to put away the sins of our old life that will ruin us and our relationships, Paul writes: “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:10-11).
The reason believers can put to death the sins of our old self is because of our new identity in Christ, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. That knowledge that renews our minds and transforms our lives is glorious knowledge. It’s knowledge of Christ that leads all believers, no matter their background, to say in worship that Christ is all and in all. In other words, Jesus is everything to all who knows His indwelling presence and are growing in His glorious grace and knowledge. Jesus is our life. “You can get to know Jesus better, but you can never know anything better than Jesus” -Adrian Rogers. The superior delight found in Christ is what enables us to put sinful desires to death.
Where does a Christian go to be renewed in the glorious knowledge of Christ that produces superior delight? Remember, to slay sin, we must seek and set our minds on things above where Christ is. How do we seek and set our minds on things above? We immerse ourselves in the Word of God (Col. 3:16). We need to know the word of God, but more than that, we must know the God of the word in the person of Christ. We need to get into God’s word in such a way that God’s word gets into us. Jesus becomes your all when you give your all to Him in worship, as you are renewed in the knowledge of Jesus through His word.
Poem: “Two natures beat within my breast. The one is fowl, the other bless. The one I love, the other I hate. The one I feed, will dominate.”
How do you kill sin in your life? You starve it. You don’t make provision for the flesh. You avoid and flee from people, places, and positions that will feed sinful desires. But more than that, you feed your inner man by getting into God’s word. And when you do, contemplate the gift of salvation, consider the gravity of sin, and most of all, cherish the glories of Jesus as you seek His face in worship day by day.
In your service,
Pastor Marco