New Life Sins – a series to step on all of our toes
Lately, I have been reading the book of Colossians and really studying what it means to make Christ the head of my being. What I mean is that as a Christian it can be hard to really take seriously this New Life which we have been given. We know that: “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) We have heard that we are “buried with Christ” similar to baptism – going from the old dead body to a new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). However, if you are like me, it can be hard to truly grasp this concept. We make other things our priority and the truth that we are created to be new fades away.
Colossians has a way of convicting me of this. For you see, the entire book is written by Paul to prove to a church that Christ is all they need. There is no other “hidden knowledge” they have to earn – Christ is enough. The first two chapters focus on this aspect – rules don’t get us to God. Neither do some type of hidden teachings not found in the Bible. Instead, Christ is all we need – He brings us to a complete new life. This can be convicting and humbling – knowing I bring nothing to the table to somehow barter my salvation – but instead Christ gave this gift freely. However, I don’t feel it is quite as convicting as Colossians 3. For you see, it is at this chapter that the book shifts from theology to practice. In fact the chapter starts by letting you know it is about to get real: “So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1)
It goes on to tell us in Colossians 3:5 to put to death the sins of our past – “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5) These are the sins that we forfeit when we come to Christ – indeed all are a form of idolatry that try to put something else in the place of Christ. Convicting, but still not quite where I want to focus today. What is really astounding as that close to two thousand years ago Paul went on to name sins that Christians two centuries later continue to deal with. He basically states – “Alright, so you put to death the sins mentioned in verse 5 – now put away these other sins that you like to ignore.” Verse 7-8 reads: “you once walked in these things (the sins mentioned in verse 5) when you were living in them. But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth”
These are what I like to call the “New Life Sins” – the ones we as Christians justify as not real sins. These are the sins that we all perform and usually don’t feel the need to repent of. These are the sins that have been convicting me as I study Colossians. Thus, I want to start a series looking at each sin mentioned in Colossians 3:8 – looking at how I personally justify this sin and why it is still wrong. I hope you will join me in this journey as we try to let Christ and the Bible step on our toes – making us realize that to truly grow in our relationship with Christ – we have to let him purge these evils from our life. I pray you will join me in this journey – and I pray God brings about changes in our life to stop justifying sin but instead live in the New Life He has purchased for us through the blood of the cross.
