Passage: Colossians 3:5-11

The Big Idea

Paul gives a list of sins that simply cannot coexist with the resurrection life of Jesus. They aren’t who you are anymore. You’ve taken off the old self and put on the new, and in this new life Christ is all and in all. So take off the old jersey and throw it away.

A Quick Recap

The only way to kill the self-life is to live daily in the resurrection life of Jesus. His life does the killing. He takes away the old life’s power and gives a better, new life springing up from inside. As we agree with Him, trust Him and turn to Him, we naturally turn away from the old flesh.

Now we’ll look at the specific list of things that can’t coexist with His resurrection life.

Let me be clear: you’ll see some of these things in your life. (Unless you’re way holier than me.) That doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian. It does show how much we still need Jesus, today. We need Him to forgive us. We need Him to help us live in humility and faith so we can walk in His newness of life.

When we choose these things over the life of Jesus, we won’t be happy. There’ll be a dissonance, like a frequency we were never meant to hear. We won’t experience the peace and life God intends for us until we let go of the self-life and trust Him and His gift of grace.

So it’s helpful to have a list of what doesn’t fit our new life. Let’s look at the kill list.

The Text (Colossians 3:5-11)

Paul says to put to death what belongs to our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming on the sons of disobedience. We once walked in these things too, when we lived in them. But now we’re to put them all away: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. Don’t lie to each other, since we’ve taken off the old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. In this new life there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free. Christ is all, and in all.

The Frame Around the List

Before we look at the sins themselves, look at what surrounds them.

God’s wrath is coming (Colossians 3:6)

We reject these things because God hates them.

“Wow, harsh. I thought God was a God of love?”

He is. And because He’s love, He has to stand against everything that’s wrong and threatens His loving plan.

“But I don’t see Him doing anything about all the evil people do.”

Just wait. He’s patient. He’s giving people time to repent (2 Peter 3:9). But it will all be dealt with. He’s keeping receipts.

Why wrath? Because these things keep wrecking His world, distorting His vision, trashing His good plan and hurting His beloved people. That’s what makes Him angry.

He calls those who live this way the “sons of disobedience.” That’s the opposite of everything we’ve learned so far: that we are sons and daughters of God.

Sons of disobedience always want to rebel. They never want to do God’s will, because their spiritual father has become Satan (John 8:44), who took that place when Adam chose to follow him instead of God.

Sons of God love their Father, know His love, and freely choose to do His will. He has planted His will in our hearts, and it grows there.

Off with the old, on with the new (Colossians 3:9-11)

Now that we’re God’s children, we put off the old and put on the new. We take off the old self that opposed God’s will and put on the new self, born to serve God and do His will.

Imagine getting a new jersey for your new favorite team. That’s what it means to be a new creation with a new identity (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old sinful life has passed away. The new life is completely different, from a completely different source. Jesus has renewed our knowledge. He’s changed the way we think.

Your ethnicity or religious background doesn’t matter (Greek or Jew).
Your religious performance doesn’t matter (circumcised or not).
Your past identity makes no difference (barbarian, Scythian, slave or free).

None of it matters, because Christ is all and in all. Remember the sap flowing through the tree: it brings new life, and the old leaves fall off and die.

Our identity and life are always and only Jesus. He saves us and now fills us. He forgives us and now shapes us to His will. All our old ways of defining life, success and identity come off, and we simply put on Jesus.

What jersey are you wearing? Jesus. So represent. Don’t act like a fan of the other team when you’re on Team Jesus.

The Kill List

This is a list of things that oppose who God is, what God loves and what Jesus cares about. So it’s also a list of things that oppose who you really are as God’s child. It describes the sons of disobedience. Not you.

Sexual immorality. Any sexual activity outside of what God designed to bless us with. A faithful, loving marriage is the home where sexuality belongs. Why does it oppose God? Because even though it’s a good gift, it deeply wounds people when it’s misused. That’s why God placed it inside a loving, committed marriage.

Impurity. Mixing our lives with things that don’t belong. Would you eat a batch of cookies with just a tiny bit of something gross mixed in? Why does it oppose God? He’s pure, and He wants purity for our lives.

Lustful passion. Why does it oppose God? He is love. He never has a selfish motive. He’s a giver, not a taker.

Evil desire. Wanting anything unholy. Why does it oppose God? He’s holy. His will is always good, never evil.

Greed, which is idolatry. Wanting what others have. Why does it oppose God? He gives. He doesn’t need anything to be satisfied. He’s the source of life and satisfaction. Greed puts something else in His place.

Anger. Why does it oppose God? God does get angry, but never for the selfish reasons we usually do. Selfish anger is what Paul means here.

Rage. Losing your temper. Why does it oppose God? He’s patient, kind and gentle. He doesn’t explode.

Malice. Ill will toward others. Why does it oppose God? God wants the good of everyone He has made, and He’ll go to any length to make peace and show love.

Slander. Tearing others down with your words. Why does it oppose God? When God speaks, it’s with words of love. Just look at Jesus.

Filthy language. Abusive, shameful speech. Why does it oppose God? He uses words to bring life, not to tear it down.

Lying. Why does it oppose God? He never lies. He is truth itself. He isn’t afraid of the truth or of consequences like we are. If we only knew how loved and forgiven we are, we wouldn’t feel the need to lie.

That’s the kill list.

Change Your Jersey

These things aren’t your identity. Your identity is your relationship with Jesus. But maybe you’ve been wearing the wrong jersey for the team you’re actually on.

Kill these. Take off the old jersey and throw it in the trash. Live your new, resurrection life.

And next, Paul shows us exactly what that new life looks like.

Grace Takeaway

You don’t kill these sins to become God’s child. You kill them because you already are. The old self is not who you are anymore. Christ is all and in all, so take off what doesn’t fit and wear His name proudly.

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