Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 27

Paul Reminds the Colossian Believers to Crucify their Flesh

Colossians 3:5-6 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: KJV

In the first four verses, we find the Apostle Paul reminding these believers in Colosse of what they and we have in our union with our Lord, Master, And Savior Jesus Christ. Now having done so, Paul is now reminding these believers and we believers today that we now have a responsibility to our Lord Jesus Christ and we have work that we must do in order that we would show him our love to Him and for Him not merely saying to Him 'I love You' but manifesting that love to Him by way of obedience, as He (Christ) Himself declared with these words recorded for us by the Apostle John would occur, "If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands." (John 14:15) (Amplified Bible) and also He went on to say this as well, "The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe {and} obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear {and} heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me." (John 14:21-24 (Amplified Bible).

So then with the sounding of these words in the Apostle Paul's ear he writes this to these Colossian believers and to we belivers today, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:" (Colossians 3:5) (KJV). The English word 'mortify' Paul uses at the very beginning of this verse (used here and only two other places in the New Testament) is translated by the Greek word nekroo which means in this case (figuratively) to subdue, that is, to put down by force or authority; make subordinate, dependent, or subservient; to conquer, to chasten, or to crucify. The English word 'members' is translated by the Greek word melos meaning a limb or part of the body. In other words, Paul places the responsibility upon every individual believer to cooperate with God the Holy Spirit that our members or limbs which were always used (before we encountered Christ and the Gospel) to gratify our fleshly appetites, that is, our corrupt nature we were born with that always and only wants to be pleased by that which is sin and evil, but because we now have a 'new nature' that does not want to be gratified ever with sin and evil, then we are the responsible party as to which tiger or lion we will obey and the one we feed the most is the one that will be the strongest as the Apostle Paul said to the believers in Rome with these words, "For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever." (Romans 8:13) (Amplified Bible). We choose and are not ever forced by our Lord Jesus Christ into obedience.

The list of sins Paul declares here is just a sample, for there are certainly many more, but he wanted to lay out for these Colossian believers most likely the sins that plagued many of them before Christ and the Gospel. The first one 'fornication' is translated by the Greek word porneia (which is where we get our English word pornography) meaning harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication. The second word 'uncleaness' is translated by the Greek word akatharsia meaning impurity (the quality), physically or morally: - uncleanness. The third word or English phrase 'inordinate affection' is translated by one Greek word pathos meaning properly suffering (“pathos”), that is, (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence): - (inordinate) affection, lust. The fourth word 'concupiscence' is translated by the Greek word epithumia meaning a longing (especially for what is forbidden): - concupiscence, desire, lust (after). The fifth word 'covetousness' is translated by the Greek word pleonexia meaning (by implication) fraudulency, extortion: - covetous (-ness) practices, greediness. The sixth word 'idolatry' is translated by the Greek word eidololatreia meaning worship or to worship something.

In other words, all of these sins listed are what come out of our corrupt natures naturally without any deterrent or hinderance as Paul said to the believers in Rome with these words, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death." (Romans 6:20-21) (Amplified Bible) and also these words to the same believers in Rome, "But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh]." (Romans 7:23) (Amplified Bible).

However, now we believers have an 'Obstructor' God the Holy Spirit, but only when we do not grieve Him and cause Him to be silent, but instead when we yield to His gentle promptings within our spirit, then and only then can we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God as Paul again declared to the Roman believers with these words, "Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin {and} your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings {and} be subject to its lusts {and} evil passions. Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer {and} yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy]." (Romans 6:11-14) (Amplified Bible).

The children of disobedience are those who have resisted, rebuffed, or out and out rejected the Gospel of Grace or the Gospel of Christ and in so doing they remain 'in their sins' as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said with these words to many of the Jews who did just that, "He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He [Whom I claim to be--if you do not adhere to, trust in, and rely on Me], you will die in your sins." (John 8:23-24) (Amplified Bible).

"The Gnostic philosophy or belief system back when the Apostle Paul wrote this letter (it is still prevelant today, just under new names) was the extreme of license on the plea that the soul is not affected by the deeds of the body, but we know from the Word of God that this is not true because of these words written by the Apostle Peter, 'Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers {and} exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul.' (1 Peter 2:11) (Amplified Bible)." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

"The Apostle exhorts the Colossians to the mortification of sin, the great hindrance to seeking the things which are above. Since it is our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things, it is our duty to mortify our members which are upon the earth, and which naturally incline us to the things of the world: 'Mortify them, that is, subdue the vicious habits of mind which prevailed in your Gentile state. Kill them, suppress them, as you do weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them, or as you kill an enemy who fights against you and wounds you.'" Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…