Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:5 says, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  Paul called on the people at Colosse to be mortified by sinful actions, such as fornication,  uncleanness,  inordinate affection, concupiscence, which is strong sexual desire, and covetousness, which were idolatry.  These things were putting earthly desires ahead of God's will, and therefore became idols to a person.  We need to not only avoid these things today, but to be mortified at even the thought of doing them.  Verse six adds, For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  Paul said these things brought on the wrath of God, because those who did them were disobedient children.  We cannot downplay how much God hates these things today and attempt to excuse or justify them.  Verse seven continues, In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.  Paul then told the Christians at Colosse that they had at one time also walked and lived in these things themselves, but that they no longer were to do so.  We cannot change our past actions, but we can certainly change our current and future ones by the power of the Holy Spirit if we are followers of Christ.  Verse eight states, But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Paul then called on the believers at Colosse to put off, or to quit doing several things, including being angry and wanting wrath or malice to come on others, being guilty of blasphemy, which is attributing what God does to someone or something else, and filthy communication coming out of their mouth.  We can easily allow these things back into our life if we aren't careful.  Too often if someone does harm to us, we start to wish that God would punish them or if something good happens, we give credit to our own abilities or to good fortune instead of to God.  Verse nine adds, Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  Paul told them that they were not to lie to one another, since they had put off the old man, or their sinful nature.  As followers of Christ today, we are to be truthful in all that we say and do.  We are no longer to be guided by our old sinful nature.  Verse ten adds, And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:  Paul said that the Christians at Colosse had put on the new man.  They had been born again and were now to live in a renewed knowledge of what it meant to be created in God's image.  As believers today, we are born again, and once more are to live knowing that we are created in God's image and are to live by His guidance.  Verse eleven concludes, Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.  Paul told them that there was no longer any separation of people by race for those who believed in Jesus Christ.  All were the same by their faith in Jesus Christ.  We are still guilty too often as Christians of making distinctions about people based on race todsy I believe.