The entire chapter of Colossians 3 speaks to me in a great way. There have been a myriad of times I've been reading my bible and felt admonished, encouraged, educated, mostly all of the above. However, this chapter hit me in a spot in my soul that held pride in being a decent person.
3 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 [a]Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
The beginning is easy to handle, however, when I read it this morning, I was in a mindset that lent me to a deeper understanding. I felt convicted by just the verse "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." In the "Nelson's Compact Series" concordance, he explains that the prominent Jews were instructing the Colossians to focus on the temporal or worldly, earthly things. Paul instructs them otherwise, to focus on the things above - things of God.
It struck me that the passage says we have died and our life is hidden within God. Not meaning that we have actually died, but our wants, our desires, our needs, and things about us that contradict the will of God have died when we entered his kingdom and we are living inside his love and grace.
5 Therefore [b]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [c]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [d]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come [e]upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living [f]in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 [g]Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old [h]self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being [i]renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [j]barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
Now, we see. We are to be dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed/idolatry. Most of that list sat well with me. I may have identified a little, but not at an alarming level. All except one...PASSION?
I'm very passionate about music, writing, and photography. I love those things. So I did some research and did some thinking and found that the word passion here means a level of such that rises above your passion for God. Which, to me, is another form of idolatry. The passage later states to do everything as if you're doing it for the Lord and to do our best which, to me, encourages passion in the way we use the word today.
When I delve into the scriptures, there are other verses like the one later in this passage that say that we should do whatever we do to the glory of God. However, most of the verses that I can find that encourage passion refer to a passion for the Gospel or for the sake of Christ. When talking about a Christian life, likening it to a race, in 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul says:
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
In reference to a life for Christ, we are encouraged to give our best effort. So, I dig deeper. In a word study, I find that the word used as “passion” here, is translated in some translations as “lust.” The word, “Pathos” is defined in Strong's Greek 380 as “Suffering, emotion, depraved passion, lust.”
When thinking of the verse in terms of lust, it makes sense and fits with other teachings of Christ and, later, the Apostles against burning with lust. There is even likening lusting for someone to committing adultery with them in the heart. However, I also look at this in terms of “depraved passion.”
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “depraved” as "morally corrupt and wicked." It seems to go further than simply lusting after someone in the sense that we think - a simple “Oh if I could get her into bed.” It is also a warning against a passion or lust for wickedness and depravity.
The next list hit me hard, "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech." My first reaction was, honestly, a curse word. I'm angry all the time. I lose my temper sometimes and many times I fester and let it take over my mind until I explode and someone catches an earful that was meant for someone else.
This struck me a little bit. Anger is an emotion that enters without my permission, but I can manage it's activity. It's a God-given emotion just like love or fear. Elsewhere in the Bible, it seems that anger is treated as a normal emotion to control. In James 1, anger isn’t spoken of as a sin in itself.
In verse 19-20:
19 [u]This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
I find it informative that the verse says to be slow to anger, not even to not get angry at all, but to be patient. It goes on to specify the “anger of man.” To me, this means that there is righteous anger as Jesus showed when he tipped the gambling tables and shops that were set up in the temple of his father. Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us to be angry and do not sin, don't let the anger fester and give the devil a foothold into your life that may cause a response - a response like wrath.
Wrath, to me, seems to be angry outbursts, vengeance, assault, things of that nature. It seems, from my research, to be the point when the anger has been allowed to boil to overflow. In searching for mentions of wrath, I came across a passage that I had forgotten about over the years.
In Galatians 5:19-20, there is a list of “deeds of the flesh,” another list of things to stay away from or change once we put on the spirit.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: [i]immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [j]factions,
All of these traits are concerning, but one in particular shows me what wrath may mean, “outbursts of anger.” Other translations say “fits of rage.” I see this as one of the definitions of “wrath” here.
Malice was a big one for me. I have malice in my heart for many people who have wronged me. I've tried not to, but it's hard. I reference a verse that I mentioned earlier - Ephesians 4:26:
26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
I apply this verse to myself when thinking about malice and anger as one is dependent on the other. It is okay to be angry, but not acceptable to lash out or hold grudges. The Bible teaches that a stipulation for our own forgiveness is our willingness to forgive others. Following The Lord's Prayer as recorded in Matthew 6:14-15,
"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."
There are other locations, including this chapter, where the thought of "forgiving as we are forgiven" is dictated. To add to that, there shall be no limit to our forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21-22
"Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"
Now, I don't think this means to be a doormat. There are examples throughout the Old Testament of God's people standing up and fighting for what was right. Jesus himself turned the gambling tables over in the temple and kicked out the peddlers with great authority. In Luke 17:3-4 , we are commanded to rebuke those that offend.
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him."
There are commands for us to teach and assist others. The great commission tells us to go out into the world and teach. There are verses about us being the "light of the world" or the "salt of the earth." We are, in other places, instructed to live at peace with all men. It seems here that standing up for yourself and for justice is needed.
Abusive speech. I have been known to curse people out and call people names. I've been known to be harsh and crass with people when they slighted me in the slightest for as long as I deem necessary. Though I have worked on this trait, It's hard for me to get past it. My anger gets the best of me or, on the flip side, I let fester and eat at me until it drives me crazy.
So, what are we, as followers of Christ, to do instead of these things? Further in Colossians 3:12,
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."
Compassion and kindness are commanded frequently in the New Testament. There are two Greek words I found in my study that could be the word that was translated to mean "compassion." Both of them were of the nature of "pity," "mercy," "forgiveness." This further reiterates that we are not only to forgive because we were forgiven, it's simply supposed to be part of our personality. Most of this passage follows the same line except for two directives: humility and love."
Humility. Jesus spoke in Luke 14:11, when telling a parable:
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The Bible speaks frequently about how God feels about humility and pride. The Old Testament is littered with instructions on the topic.
Micah 6:8
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
These are just a few. The first is a verse that I find truly powerful. The use of "mortal" gives me the same feeling as when my father called me "Boy" in his angry voice. I shrink back at the authority. His command here can sum up our entire walk with him. "Act justly" -- how we will do this is told to us. "Love mercy" -- constantly forgive and have compassion. And "Walk humbly."
The other word in Colossians 3:12 that interested me was "love." We are told it all the time in church. We sing a song called "Jesus Loves the Little Children." And we repeat the verses that tell us that "God is love." This is a trait crucial to our walk with God. One passage that shows the importance of love is found in
1 Corinthians 13-1-3.
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing."
We can do great things and accomplish great things, even things that serve others in a great way, and still gain nothing without having love. In another passage, the Bible tells us that God weighs and judges the heart when he speaks of Christians who worship with their mouths and not their hearts. "Their hearts are far from me," it reads. Our intentions, values, and morals matter more so than our actions. The meaning behind our actions is paramount.
The next passage, Colossians 3:15-17, gives instruction on how we are to be with our faith.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
We are to be thankful and encourage each other through teachings. We’re to sing with gratitude in our hearts while we worship. And, finally, in all we do, we are to do it in the name, and to the glory of, God. This is mentioned elsewhere in the bible as well.
1 Corinthians 10:31
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
There are a few other locations in the Bible that carry the same context and meaning. I went through a self-help book and one of the tenets was to “always do your best.” It presented the idea that doing my best on one day could be less effective than me doing my best on another. If measured by any kind of metric, one day could be greater than the other. Yet, I would have done my best on both days. My “best” will vary from day to day. Some days, I’m up. Some days, I’m down. These differences can dictate what my best actually amounts to. However, I must always put out the most effort I am capable of.
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