Put to death

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,  - Colossians 3.5-6

So, because we are dead there is something that needs to happen. If we are indeed dead our actions should match up with our deadness. We are in Christ. We don’t have to do this alone. But there are some things we need to be actually doing. There are some things that bring the wrath of God on the world, so we have no business being involved with them.

Put to death these things. Slay these things. Mortify these things:

Fornication

Uncleanness

Passion

Evil desires

Covetousness (which is idolatry)

Those things are sound really bad, but the last one doesn’t really seem to fit.

Every Christian knows that fornication is sin. We all know that unclean living is wrong. Being driven by passions is not right, and evil desires are, well, evil.

But covetousness? Just wanting more stuff is in the same list as those things?

When you think about it though it makes perfect sense. All of these are based on earthly desires and fulfilling the flesh. They are the opposite of setting affection on 'things above.' Covetousness is called idolatry because it puts something between us and God. It means that things take the place of God's will in our lives. It means that something else is our god.

Covetousness means that we think we know better than God about what we need. It means we are not satisfied with what our God provides for us.

All of the attitudes lead to actions. If we slay the attitudes we get rid of the accompanying acts.

If we are truly risen with Christ we will kill off the attitudes. With Christ on our lives these attitudes no longer fit.

Will we continue to allow them to dwell? Or will we kill them off?