Lesson 9 - Putting Off the Old Nature

We could rightly attach the first part of Colossians 3.1 to the beginning of 3.5. "Since you have been raised with Christ, put to death therefore what is earthly in you." Or, we could tie this back to the end of verse 4. Since we will appear with Him in glory, put to death therefore what is earthly in you. The new life that is to come is to be reflected in the present through our behavior. McKnight calls 3.5-17 the “gospel-shaped life.” 3.5-11 contains eleven things we are to put off: sins of fleshly desire and sins of disunity. These things are to be no longer tolerated. They are to be killed. It reflects a resolution to decisively put these things away and bring our flesh under subjection to the will of King Jesus.