“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you also once walked when you lived in them.” Colossians 3:5-7.
Verse 5 above was covered here on 4-14-20 and has been added for continuity. Colossians 3:6-8 will be studied in this post.
The wrath of God has a twofold fulfilling, the wrath that falls upon the godless even now.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:18-21.
The lie of evolution is a good example of suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. The natural world around us shows a complexity which defies evolution. Yet men not only, believe in this mockery of God, but they teach it as fact to innocent children.
They will be without excuse when they stand before a wrathful God on Judgment Day.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’…” Romans 2:4-6.
But the wrath of God falls upon men upon this earth even today. The vain philosophies of men who try to rid the world of God have caused untold misery, hundreds of millions killed in wars, famines, hunger, starvation, and disease.
Yes diseases some of which defy description such as, AIDS, or Ebola, drug resistant venereal diseases (STDs) and the latest, Coronavirus.
Wherever men neither ask for nor want God’s help it is not given except to those individuals who call upon Him.
Yes, God does judge the world today. Men who think that they are getting away with things because they are successful in some sinful activity are in for a rude awakening.
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:23-24.
“You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 32:19.
Next we have the second way in which the wrath of God is coming.
“Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience…” Colossians 3:6.
This event is still in the future when it will be visited full force on those who enter the tribulation period. While there will not be any Christians who will enter the tribulation period; many others will get saved during it, so God gives them a message.
Toward the end of this seven year tribulation period God will destroy the city of Babylon which will have been rebuilt by that time. This destruction will happen in a period of minutes, or seconds, how many is unknown. As a warning God tells His children the following.
“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” Revelation 18:4.
The warning gives two reasons for coming out of Babylon. The first one says “lest you share in her sins”, meaning that by living there the tribulation saints might also partake of the sinful practices that will be going on in that evil city.
The second reason for leaving Babylon will be so that they will not become “collateral damage”, meaning that the good would be killed along with the bad in the city’s total destruction.
Abraham’s nephew Lot who decided to live in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis chapters 13 and 18-19) is a good example of God’s warning in Revelation 18:4 above.
“…and [God] turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)…” 2 Peter 2:6-8.
Christians today will not enter the tribulation period described in Revelation (last book in the Bible) because they will have been raptured (removed) from the earth. The warning, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” is to Christians also and is lifesaving advice.
“…how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come [tribulation period].” 1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10.
This does not mean that we cannot fall under the wrath which is coming upon the sons of disobedience today because we refused to distance ourselves from those who practice sinful things or from going to sinful places to indulge ourselves.
We can just as easily be shot alongside people who practice sin, we can just as easily catch the diseases that worldly people contract and pass around among themselves. We can just as easily be deceived and trapped by sin again, as they are.
We must always remember that these are things in which we “also once walked when you [we] lived in them” Colossians 3:7b. But now we are a new creature in Christ Jesus.
“But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, out of your mouth.” Colossians 3:8.
In Colossians 3:5 we are told to put to death fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness; things which could perhaps be described as fleshly passions.
In verse 8 above we are told to, put off, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language, things which might be described as acquired habits, and certainly vile ones as we are about to see.
The dictionary defines anger as, a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong.
The Greek signifies anger as the strongest of all passions. It is a settled or abiding condition of the mind, often with a view to revenge. It is an active emotion.
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32.
“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook a transgression.” Proverbs 19:11.
“He who is slow to wrath [anger in this case] has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.” Proverbs 14:29.
“Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” Proverbs 22:24-25.
“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27.
The dictionary defines wrath as, a strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation; ire.
The Greek indicates a more agitated condition of the feelings than anger. An outburst of wrath coming from inward indignation; often it quickly flares then subsides.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20.
Malice in the Greek is defined as badness in quality, the vicious character generally. A malicious person is one of ill will who has a desire to injure.
When I think of a malicious person I always think of people who invent viruses to infect computers. There is no purpose for this other than to injure an unknown innocent party.
The injury and the billions of dollars wasted to repair or combat these viruses must be a source of real amusement to them. But their sin will return upon their own heads.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7.
“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10.
“You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 32:19.
People like malicious folks receive back according to their ways, according to the corruption in their hearts. They also receive back according to the fruit of their doings, the things they actually do.
We do not always recognize these things because the retribution corrupt people receive back may not be the tit for tat we look for, rather it can be the unexpected.
An evil person for instance, because of their corrupt mind might become a companion to someone of like mind. Whether it is a man, woman or spouse they might cruelly break their heart and empty their bank account when leaving.
If it is a best friend, said friend might eventually turn on him/her, stab them in the back, beat, rob, or murder them, all in the most malicious way. There are myriad scenarios, but you get the point.
There are many folks, male or female who live according to this person’s ways, and do the same as his actions, the fruit of his doings.
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31.
Blasphemy, oddly enough it does not mean blasphemy against God in this instance.
Blasphemy here is railing or reviling, but not just that, it is slander, detraction, and speech injurious to another’s good name. It is derogatory speech against man not against God.
The other kind of blasphemy that is against God is something the Christian should know better than to utter.
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9.
Finally we have filthy language, it is what it is, the utterance of an uncontrolled tongue; foul or filthy speaking; low and obscene speech.
New Christians will often spew out a line of filthy language in the workplace or at a party, because they may be with a group of very profane people where they still feel relaxed.
Anyone who knows that they are a Christian will make note of such profanities and perhaps even throw it back in their face when they are talking about the Lord.
Christians new or old must always keep a guard on their lips, especially in public until they can put off; break this habit that we have learned over a lifetime.
It need not be added that obscene remarks to the opposite sex or filthy jokes are never to be engaged in.
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.
Colossians 3:6-8 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 2-8-14, updated on 4-17-20.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.