As we continue our studies through the Epistle to the Colossians, we have arrived at a major feature of Paul’s Prison letters. Some have called it his ‘sin list,’ or ‘list of vices,’ that we find in Colossians 3:5-9 and Ephesians 5:3-11. In these passages, the Apostle lays out the sins that once characterized believers before they encountered the life-transforming grace and power of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. These verses, in all their awful bluntness, show us what we once were, what we once were enslaved by, and the terrible trajectory of our lives apart from God’s mercy. It is precisely these ‘sin lists’ that form the dark background upon which our new life in Christ shines with heavenly brilliance. In both passages, Paul makes it abundantly clear that these sins attract the holy wrath of God, and are not to be a part of our new existence as disciples of our Lord.

However, our transformation from what we were to what we shall finally be in Christ is not yet complete. We do face temptations that travel along these sinful pathways and involve our bodies as well as our souls. We are in the process of being sanctified by the Spirit of God. But in this long process, which fully depends upon divine grace and power, we do have duties and responsibilities. In Colossians 3, these duties are two-fold: There are sins to “put to death,” or to “put off” (3:5-9). And there are virtues to “put on” (3:12-17).

On Sunday, we will consider what must be “put off” as we examine Colossians 3:5-9. And we will also try to understand what putting these sins away really means and involves. We will consider how we “put them to death,” and how we get rid of them so that the new life we have been granted in our Savior may be seen.

Let’s pray for the Lord to open our eyes and our hearts to His Truth, and for His Spirit to bless us as we come together to worship our Great Lord and King!