COLOSSIANS 3:5

“Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Did you know the Romans had a punishment where they would tie a corpse to a condemned man? No one was allowed to remove it. They were tied facing each other, limb to limb, face to face. To make it worse, they continued to feed the living person until the rotting flesh of the corpse totally corrupted the living person and both turn black. Horrible.

Paul says to “treat the parts of your earthly body as dead.” Stop carrying that stuff around. The things he names (sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed) are like that rotting flesh of that corpse. If they are not cut away, they will rot your body and your spirit.

APPLICATION

What are you carrying around? What are you still shackled to? Can you smell that rottenness? Don’t you want to cut it loose? You can! You don’t have to live that way. Jesus set you free from the curse of sin. We have power over sin. We do not have to yield to it. I hear people say, “Well, I just can’t help myself.” That’s a lie from the pit of hell. We choose sin over righteousness because it’s easier.

I want to ask you to take a moment and examine your life. Cut away that thing that is hindering your spiritual growth. It may not seem as vile as the things Paul named, but anything that hinders your walk with Jesus should be examined closely and put away.

The Greek states this more emphatically. It says to “put to death” these things. It’s written as a command that is to be done once, not repeatedly. In other words, drop it and never pick it up again. Can you do that? Jesus can give you the power. You just have to ask Him. Die to this stuff today and walk in victory.

Lord, I know I have no excuse for dragging that old, dead corpse with me. Cut it away right now.