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Earthly Nature

B

Bradley D

Guest
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5).

How does one put that earthly nature to death?
 
Bradley D said:
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5).

How does one put that earthly nature to death?
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By and through obedience to God's word. Easier said than done as Paul pointed out so clearly. We can try to capture each thought and correct them when they are not aligned with God's will, yet it's quite difficult, for me personally. Contentedness is important, to stop wanting more or better, materially speaking.
 
patrick jane said:
By and through obedience to God's word. Easier said than done as Paul pointed out so clearly. We can try to capture each thought and correct them when they are not aligned with God's will, yet it's quite difficult, for me personally. Contentedness is important, to stop wanting more or better, materially speaking.
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It is those thoughts that try or come to mind I don't like. I push them aside and pray. But, I was wondering about putting them to death. I read commentaries, but they do not seem to give a good illustration on putting them to death. Perhaps we still have the evil imaginations of the heart then have to deal with them.
 
Bradley D said:
It is those thoughts that try or come to mind I don't like. I push them aside and pray. But, I was wondering about putting them to death. I read commentaries, but they do not seem to give a good illustration on putting them to death. Perhaps we still have the evil imaginations of the heart then have to deal with them.
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Yeah, we know scripture says none are righteous, no not one. Yet, in the Old Testament there were righteous people, imputed I suppose. Then there's this scripture: Genesis 6:5 KJV - And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
 
patrick jane said:
Yeah, we know scripture says none are righteous, no not one. Yet, in the Old Testament there were righteous people, imputed I suppose. Then there's this scripture: Genesis 6:5 KJV - And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
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I'm thinkin' righteousness in the OT was not bowing the knee to false gods. (post flood) :)
It is interesting that God waited on some of the nations to fill up their iniquity before annihilating them.
Since Christ's resurrection does God wait on us to fill up our iniquity before he crucifies us with Christ and recreates us with the new birth?
How many times, like he did Israel, does he punish us and we still won't accept Christ's righteousness instead of our own?
Is the rebirth the rising from the ashes of His final stroke upon us?
 
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Bradley D said:
I believe it does apply today. So putting the evil imagination to death may be dealing with it once it comes from the heart to the mind.
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Only one thing puts it to death.
That is bringing that thought down to the obedience of Jesus.
Not down to our own ability to obey Jesus or God.
 
Greetings Bradley D,
Bradley D said:
How does one put that earthly nature to death?
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Two passages that may help, but with both of these there does not seem to be an instantaneous outcome, or a fatal blow, but a gradual transformation:

Romans 12:1–2 (KJV): 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 4:17–32 (KJV): 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

I remember many years ago one of our youth leaders expounding and illustrating the above examples. He called these replacement therapy or sublimation, where a bad habit is partly restrained at first, but also gradually replaced. One that I remember well is how he illustrated verse 28, describing a petty thief who would use his hand to steal an object. The antidote was to use the same hands to work, and learn to work in order to give to others, rather than stealing. Anger needs to be resolved before sunset, possibly at first by meditation or reflection on the incident verse 26. Replace bad words and ideas with positive expressions and good encouragement to others verse 29

And the real motive power for all of this is the love and forgiveness that we have received through Jesus verse 32.

Kind regards
Trevor
 
TrevorL said:
Greetings Bradley D,

Two passages that may help, but with both of these there does not seem to be an instantaneous outcome, or a fatal blow, but a gradual transformation:

Romans 12:1–2 (KJV): 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 4:17–32 (KJV): 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

I remember many years ago one of our youth leaders expounding and illustrating the above examples. He called these replacement therapy or sublimation, where a bad habit is partly restrained at first, but also gradually replaced. One that I remember well is how he illustrated verse 28, describing a petty thief who would use his hand to steal an object. The antidote was to use the same hands to work, and learn to work in order to give to others, rather than stealing. Anger needs to be resolved before sunset, possibly at first by meditation or reflection on the incident verse 26. Replace bad words and ideas with positive expressions and good encouragement to others verse 29

And the real motive power for all of this is the love and forgiveness that we have received through Jesus verse 32.

Kind regards
Trevor
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Good post @TrevorL and I heard a sermon from a black lady preacher from L.A. as she said think of "replacing" your Inventory. Like a sale Everything Must Go !!! We need to replace our bad thoughts, bad habits and temptations with NEW inventory, pleasing to God. She really gave a great sermon and it brought tears to my eyes while she was preaching.
 
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