Occupation ? Executioner !

Chris reads our reading which is taken from the Eph ch 5 ver 1 - 20. Colin returns to the pulpit today and continues in our series in Colossians.

Occupation? Executioner!

(Sins that incur God’s wrath)

Colossians 3: 5-6 (synopsis)

The apostle Paul speaks a lot about death in his writings. In fact, he tells us either that we are dead in sin or that we must be dead to sin. Here, he tells us to put certain sins to death. John Owen, the 17th century puritan writer put it like this: “Kill a sin, or part of a sin, every day.”

1. We need to realise what we are. As St. Augustine put it, “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

2. The reality of what we’ve become. The opening chapters of Colossians remind us of what we’ve become. We’ve been forgiven and reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. But we’re still faced with the reality of sin. What are we to do?

3. What needs to be dealt with. Paul tells us that we should not let ourselves be controlled by our bodies! Sin operates via our bodies. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 5:29-30 and Mark 9:43-47. Paul gives us the list of what needs to be dealt with:

* Immorality. The Greek word “porneia” is the word from which we get our word pornographic. It refers to any sexual relationship outside the context of marriage.

* Impurity. What causes immoral behaviour? Impurity does. It is far wider and subtler than physical immorality because it involves our imagination and our speech.

* Lust. This goes further still and becomes an obsession, a longing for that which is sinful.

· Greed. It may seem strange to see this listed with the other things, but greed is essentially the core ingredient of lust and immorality.

4. The wrath of God – “the wrath of God is coming”

Scripture declares that God’s wrath is his judicial reaction to evil. Paul, spells it out in Romans 1:18-32.

Paul also indicates that God’s wrath is redemptive in its intention. God hates the sin, not the sinner as Paul reminds the Colossians in the next verse, “you used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” (Col 3:7).

All is not finished – for God can, and will intervene in our lives if we commit them to him.

Suggestions.

1. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and cultivate a passion for Him.

2. We need to confess that we need help. We cannot fight these battles alone and so we need to cultivate relationships where we can be honest about our struggles.

3. We need to understand the real nature of our new life in Christ.

4. We need to be alert to the warning signs and recognize when our thoughts are starting to wander.

5. We need to praise God for the progress already made for it is down to him.

As normal his power point is attached for you to follow.