Put Some Things To Death!
October 1, 2026
Put Some Things To Death!
Some things inflict harm on me or on the people about whom I care.
Some things inflict harm on God’s creation or on the community in which I live.
Some things inflict harm on my relationship with Jesus or on God’s dream for me.
In order to live the abundant life Jesus promised (cf. John 10:10), there are some things we need to put to death (I am not talking about people!!).
+There are things that cause separation in my relationship with Jesus, in my relationships with other people, and in my relationship with my self that need to die.
+There are things that distract me from God’s dream for my life or derail me in chasing hard after a deeper love for Jesus that need to die.
+There are things that cause me deep heart-ache or take my eyes off of Jesus’ love for me that need to die.
In Colossians 3:5-8 the Apostle Paul writes; “Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly…” The things that inflict harm or cause pain or produce separation are to be killed. The things that lead to sexual promiscuity or sexual impurity or sexual lust are to be destroyed. The things that come out of our mouth that are mean or dirty or hateful or cruel or wicked or filled with anger are to be exterminated.
Paul says I am to put to death whatever is causing something godly in me to be wrecked or diminished or extinguished. Sometimes putting to death that which is sinful or dark or evil is difficult. Those things can easily and frequently grab our imagination, tickle our fancy, or tempt us down a path away from Christ.
Paul offers the Christians in first century Colossae some examples of the “earthly” things that lead to destruction in the life of a Christ-follower.
In Colossians 3:5-8 the Apostle Paul writes; “Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.”
Paul calls our pursuit of any of these earthly things disobedience to the Lord (cf. Colossians 3:6). Our Heavenly Father is tolerant of our engaging in earthly things. In Colossians 3:6 Paul reminds the Christians in Colossae there will be consequences; “On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.”
Paul offers a warning as well as an action plan for those who are pursuing that which is earthly. He says we are to “put to death…whatever in you is earthly.” In The Message paraphrase of the verse, Eugene Peterson writes; “And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death…”
We are to aggressively attack and destroy whatever in us is earthly, sinful, or wicked. We are to take seriously and act quickly to destroy whatever in us is dark, depraved, or dishonoring to Christ.
We can ask the Holy Spirit to work in us to eliminate whatever in us is ruining our relationships with other people or Jesus or wrecking my assurance I am a child of God or inflicting great harm (physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual) on myself or other people.
Paul tells us to remove all the toxins we have let seep into our heart. Paul tells us to destroy all the poison we have allowed to fill our minds. Paul tells us to kill all the impurities that we have let slip into our soul.
We start with prayer when we ask the Holy Spirit to help us see what is earthly in us. We read the Bible and memorize a few verses upon which we can lean when the battle to put to death the earthly things is met with a big challenge or my failure. We ask a friend to pray for us and to hold us accountable to killing off the earthly things in us.
When we do, we will find our heart filling with delight in the Lord as we see the earthly things in us destroyed and Jesus’ forgiveness restore our life to one that honors the Lord.
Take Delight In The Lord!
Doug
