Dealing with sin in your Christian life

Colossians 3:1-25
Intro:

 How is you Christian life today?

 If you access your life in accordance to the word of GOD (Bible), are you truly a Christian?
 Do you truly have salvation in your life?
 How we deal with sin is very important in our Christian life.
 If we neglect it, that shows how we disregard our Christianity, our savior Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Or maybe you
truly was not a true Christian after all.
1 Thessalonians 4:2-4
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For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
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For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
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That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
In today’s message, we will expose the Colossians 3 (which discusses about sin in our Christian life)
And how we must deal with sin or a self-assessment to you if you really are a Christian.

I. Expected life of a true Christian – v.1-3

1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
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Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
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For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
A. You are expected to change your (affection/goals/desires/PASSION) from worldly to heavenly (GODLY).
Ephesians 4:22-24
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That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
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And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
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And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
- What is former conversation the old man mean? Old sinful desires, Worn-out, useless (in the sight of GOD),
and unconverted sinful nature corrupted by deceit.
- If you put on the new man (if u truly accepted JESUS as your personal Saviour and repented from your sins
(true repentance means change of mind/view/beliefs)
- If you truly accepted JESUS then you put away your sinful views, beliefs and view of sin.
- What you previously thought is ok is no longer ok for you.
- You no longer align with the World view
B. V.3 – being dead means separate (sanctified)
2 timothy 2:20-21
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But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to
honour, and some to dishonour.
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If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's
use, and prepared unto every good work.
- This was addressed to Timothy by Paul who considers him as a son in the Lord.
- In v.20 Paul talks about vessels some made of wood, earth (clay), gold & silver.
- Vessel is a hollow container, especially one used to hold liquid, such as a bowl or cask.
- Gold & silver vessels – used for decorations/ for art, etc….
- Wood/Clay – used for dishounorable uses. (trashcan)
- Paul wants to emphasize in v.21 if you purge (remove) yourself from these. What is these?
The THESE is v.21 refers to SIN in your life. So to be sanctified means to (remove/separate/get-rid) yourself from
anything that will make your vessel (your body/yourself/your soul) a vessel unto dishonor.
- GOD will not use a vessel that is to dishounor.
- So if you want GOD to use you be SANCTIFIED.
- So what is expected of us Christians? Be Sanctified, have true repentance (total change of mind)
II. What does “mortify your members truly means for Christians”?
Col 3:5-11
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Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
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For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
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In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
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But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
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Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
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And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
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Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but
Christ is all, and in all.
 What does mortify mean? - cause (someone) to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated. - subdue (the
body or its needs and desires) by self-denial or discipline.
Put to death (to separate from oneself)
 So in line with that definition, what does mortify your members mean?
 What is “your member”? Parts of you (body parts, your unconscious mind, etc.)
 So to mortify your members is simply to put away/remove/get-rid of the parts of yourself that is involved with
sin.
 Because sin is innate in us being Human (eph4:22) “the Old man”
 So what must we do? Separate our self with our self (the old man)
 It is hard to get/understand this part, so we will break it down. What part of us must we be separate? V. 5
1. Fornications
2. Uncleanness
3. Inordinate affections – evil desires
4. Evil concupiscence – strong lustful desires
5. Covetousness which is idolatry – greed, insatiable desire to gain more. No contentment.
“Why is it considered idolatry? Because you prioritize that (becomes your idol) over GOD.”
- This is the part of us that causes us to sin. Our old sinful nature which is still innate in us even now. So
anytime it can activate unless you put it off.
 V.6 if we do not (put-off/put-to-death/kill/separate) this part of us, then expect the wrath of GOD. If you truly
are a Christian then this should be a warning for us.
 If we don’t do this then we are disobeying GOD, and the result will be GOD’s WRATH.
 Wrath – “extreme anger” and who GOD is angry HE will DESTROY.
 V. 7 – goes to show that it was normal for people to do evil if not converted by JESUS. Its man’s true
nature/innate in all of us since the fall of man.
 V.8 additional innate parts of us that we should put off:
1. Anger – attitude problem inside your heart
2. Wrath – Sudden outburst of sinful anger Eph 4:31
3. Malice – General moral evil
4. Blasphemy – to Slander (GOD), profane talk (disrespect to GOD)
5. Filthy communications – BAD words, Chis-miss, etc...
Put-off in this verse is the same as V.5 (Put to death/separate ourselves)
Eph 4:31
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
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And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you.
 V.9 what does this mean about lying one to another? Means we are living a false Christian life.
 V.9 but we should put off the old man.
 V.10 But put on the new man in CHRIST – renewed in knowledge in the image of HIM that created him?
Who? JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR and GOD.
 How do we renew our knowledge? Where can you get knowledge? THE BIBLE
 Renewed means new quality of life/ starting over again in life and with the capacity to grow like a baby. (not
in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense.)
 In v.11 shows that it doesn’t matter who you are, what race you are, where you came from? Christ is all and
in all.
Greek – non Jew (US)
Jew – Jewish people (Abraham’s direct descendant through Isaac)
Barbarians & Scythians – Nomadic warlike people that invaded other places during the 7 th century B.C.
Slave – people in bondage (doesn’t have free will to do anything)
Free – people who have freedom
“All can be saved”
III. What must we do as the elect of GOD?
- Elect means “chosen”. Predestination, means we are chosen since the beginning of time.
- Reality of this shows the all-powerfulness of our GOD (as GOD is not bound by time)
V. 12-17
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Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering;
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Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave
you, so also do ye.
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And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
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And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
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Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
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And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father
by him.

 V.14 everything without love (love of GOD) is useless. Do all things with the love of GOD.
 V.16 Let the BIBLE dwell in you in application, it means we must study the word of GOD more. And
knowledge is lacking without wisdom (application). Apply it in your life, including your worship.
 V. 17 Do everything in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Always remember that in everything you do
it to please GOD.

IV. Additional instructions to every CHRISTIANS

V.18-25
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Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
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Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
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Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
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Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
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Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in
singleness of heart, fearing God;
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And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
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Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
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But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.