Epistle to the Colossians

There is so much wise instruction to Christians in this book. I love it. It's encouraging to me that others also struggle with the “old man” like I do. It's also encouraging to me that Paul says it's possible to “put off the old man.” That's what I try to do every day, to put of the old and put on the new, to become better at the things that drag me down.

During this most recent reading of this book (I visit it often), Colossians 3:8-9 stood out to me.

“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

How many of us get angry at times? What about that filthy language that I read in Christian fiction books? And lying... don't get me started on how bad this can be out there, among Christians. It's crucial that we learn to stop doing these things, especially when we take Colossians 1:21-23 into consideration.

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Did you catch that word “if”? “If indeed you continue in the faith” is the key phrase in that verse, to me. Faith without action is dead. Our actions prove who we serve, God or Satan. So, looking at the above verses about filthy language and anger and lying to one another, who would those things prove we are serving?

Let us be very careful in how we choose to behave toward one another. Let us lay down our anger, malice, wrath, filthy language, lying, and blasphemy. Let us choose kindness, longsuffering, tender mercies, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness (Colossians 3:12-13).