open your Bible with me to the book of Colossians, to Paul's epistle to the Colossians. I was reminded that in just a little over two months, Terry and I will be celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary. and uh... twenty one years this may seven and i and i remember back in uh... nineteen eighty three may seventh nineteen eighty three when we stood at an altar and there are with dick cross the air pastor officiating uh... we made some files uh... we said some ideas And we were, the two became one that day. And scripture teaches that during a marriage, the two blend into a mysterious one, and everything that one has belongs to the other, and everything that Terry had became mine, and everything I had became hers. And so we had joint everything from that point on. We would have a joint bills. My bills would be her bills. Her bills would be my bills. My checkbook would be her checkbook. Her checkbook would be my checkbook. We didn't have separate checkbooks. We had one from that point on. The same would be true for our house. Her house is my house. My house is her house. My car is her car. Her car is my car. We share the food, the property, even our talents. We pool together. We wear the same last name. She was happy to get rid of the name Bachelor because people used to make fun of her, Bachelor to the Rapture. but she became a Sawyer. We share the same last name. We share the same burdens, the same joys, the same victories. My point is, is that when you become married, everything that belongs to the other now is possessed by you and vice versa. The same is true in the spiritual realm. The day you said I do to Jesus Christ, He took what you had, your sin, and removed it. And then He gave you what He had, which is His righteousness. And He gave you and credited to you His holiness, His perfection has been put into your spiritual bank account. And so now we stand married to Jesus. and everything that he has is ours. That's why the Bible calls us joint heirs with Jesus Christ. It is a mysterious union that Paul talks about. As a matter of fact, he says in Ephesians, the fifth chapter, he says there, for we are members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones. He says, this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Somehow we become totally one with Jesus, not a blending of natures in the sense that we don't take on deity, we don't take on divinity. He is still God, we are still people, but we are married to him and we share in all that he has to share with us as his bride. This is a wonderful union, a mysterious union, a spiritual union, a living union. And here in Colossians chapter three, there are several times that God uses the phrase with Christ. Notice if you will, Colossians three verse one. If ye then be risen with Christ, notice down there in verse three, for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. Notice verse four, when Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall you appear with him in glory. Everything is with him. We've been risen with him. We are dead with him. He says in chapter two, verse 20, we are hid with him. He says in verse three here, and then we will appear with him one day in verse four. And so it is a blessing to be joined to the one who has everything. you know, on my way back from India. I had the opportunity to stop by England. I was on my way back, so I had a day to tour England. And I went over to Buckingham Palace and said hi to the Queen of England. No, I'm just kidding. Didn't get a chance to see her. But if you're related to a king or a queen, that is really nothing compared to being related to the King of kings and Lord of lords, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. We have everything in Him. In Colossians chapter 2, the scripture says in verse 9, for in Him, that's in Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Jesus dwells all of deity. All of the fullness of God dwells in Christ. Jesus is God. That could be said of no other person. This could be said not of the Virgin Mary. This is not said of any saint. This is not said of any person who's ever lived, but in him, Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And he says in verse 10, and ye are complete in him. And so I'm complete in him, which means I'm lacking nothing in Christ. He's got all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily. And if I'm joined to him, I'm complete. I'm not missing anything. I don't have to go search for something that I'm still lacking as a Christian. Over in India, you're aware they have 33 million gods and goddesses. Imaginations of men's minds. idols, things that are nothing. People worship these things. They give their lives for these dead idols which are really demons. But do you know, my friends, we ought to be so thankful as Christians that we belong to the One who in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And in Him we are lacking nothing. We are complete in Him. As the Bible says in chapter 2 and verse 12, we've been buried with him in baptism, that is spirit baptism. We've been co-resurrected with him. He says at the end of verse 12, and then we've been co-quickened or made alive in him. And you being dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. And so in Jesus, I have everything. And in Christ, we are complete. Boy, that ought to get us excited. I'm married to Jesus. I'm the bride of Christ. I'm one with Him. I'm united with Him. Now, that has some very practical ramifications. Being one with Jesus ought to change our life. If we would really dwell on our relationship with God, it should have a great impact on how we live the Christian life. And that's why we come to chapter 3 and he says in verse 1, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience, in the which you also walked sometime when you lived in them, past tense. We used to be that way. If you study Paul's epistles, you'll find he often breaks them up into two sections, two major sections. The first half being our salvation, how we have come to know Christ, what our relationship is with Jesus. Then the second half of Paul's epistles are often practical. They tell us how to live the Christian life in light of what we have in Christ. You find that in Romans. Chapters 1 through 11 are doctrinal. Chapters 12 to 16 are duty-oriented. Chapters 1 through 11 in Romans tell us all that we have in Christ. And then chapters 12 to 16 tell us how to live in light of what we have in Christ. You'll find the same is true in Ephesians. Chapters 1 through 3 of Ephesians are doctrinal, theological. They're chapters talking about our relationship with the Lord. And then in chapters 4 to 6, he gets practical, telling us how to walk, how to live our life in light of all that God has done for us. Well, in Colossians 3, we come to the practical section of this book where God shows us how to live the Christian life. Now, remembering that I'm one with Jesus, inseparably united to Him, forever one with Him, that should change my life. A lot of people say, well, I'm a Christian, but you have to wonder. There's no change. There's no difference. There's no uniqueness of lifestyle. They're not salt. They're not light. They blend in with the world. There's nothing distinctive about them. But do you know, as a Christian, my friends, we ought to be different. Our relationship with the Lord ought to impact how we live. And I believe if we have faith It will impact our life. In other words, if we have faith to see who we are in Him, and then we live according to who we are in Him, we'll live a different life. You see, people live according to who they identify with. People live according to who they identify with. There are people who identify with rap stars. So they act like them, talk like them, sing like them, rap like them. People who identify with them act like they do. There are others who might identify with a sports hero or with a movie star or somebody might identify with somebody in their school, a professor that they idolize and they want to model and emulate him. But do you know, my friends, we don't identify with fallen creatures. We identify with Jesus Christ. We are to look to Him, see who we are in Him, and then live according to who we really are. I believe a lot of Christians are living lives of mistaken identity. They're living as if they were not a child of God. Living as if they were not related to Jesus Christ. Paul in Romans chapter 6 really shows us this tremendous principle. And that is, if we would realize that I've been baptized into Christ, into His death, burial, and resurrection, that I've been joined to Him, then I can reckon myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Christ, because that's who I really am. Who I am is not who I am in terms of this world, but who I am is really who I am in terms of eternity and Jesus Christ. The real you is the you that will exist forever. That's the real you. The real you is your exalted position in Christ. That is you. If only we could get a grasp of that, it would change how we live our life. If we would see who I am in Him and then live according to who I really am. I don't have to live like the world. I don't have to live a defeated life, a life of sin, a life of defeat. I can have a life of victory if I would recognize who I am in Christ. and then let that shape my thinking, my acting, my lifestyle. And so remembering your oneness with Christ will change you. It'll change everything about you. First, it'll change your priorities. Remembering that you are one with Christ ought to change your priorities in this present life. Notice he says in verse 1, if ye then be risen with Christ, Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. You see, my oneness with the risen Savior is the greatest incentive to live a different lifestyle. He says, you've been risen with him. Now, that's an amazing thought, isn't it? Risen with Christ. Now, He died 2,000 years ago. He raised from the dead. He ascended 40 days later. He's alive But you know what the Bible says? You also have been risen with Him. You say, how is that possible? Remember I said that everything He has done is credited to you? So His death for sin becomes your death in relationship to sin. His resurrection becomes your resurrection. By virtue of the fact that you're married to Him, everything that He has is yours. You're joint heirs with Him. That's the beautiful thing about being married to Jesus. Everything He has is mine. Everything I have is His. Only what I had was sin, and He took it away. But everything He has belongs to me, including His resurrection. And the Scripture says that I've been risen with Him. Therefore, I ought to seek those things which are above. I ought to zealously live for those things that are heavenly, those things that are spiritual, those things that are eternal. You see, to seek the things which are above means to center your life on that which is ascended, to live for that which is eternal. So often, God's people live just like the world. We focus our life on things below. We live for the stuff of the earth. We invest our life into that which is nothing. But the scripture teaches our number one priorities in life ought to be God-centered. everything from our love for the greatest of all commandments is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. I'm to love Him first, but then I'm to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Right? Matthew 6, 33. I'm to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I'm to lay up for myself treasure in heaven. not treasure on earth. And he says here, if you have been risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The fact that he's sitting tells me two things. Number one, he's alive. He's not in a grave. That's what sets Christ apart from every other prophet, every other so-called Messiah or guru is that they die and stay dead. He is alive. He is seated in heaven. The fact that He is seated there tells me He is living. But it also tells me that His work is complete. The fact that the high priest of the Old Testament could never sit, there was never a chair in the tabernacle or temple. They would have all kinds of furniture, but there was not a chair, because the priest was always busy, always offering sacrifice, always offering incense, always offering bread on the altar, always slaying an animal and igniting it as a sacrifice to God. They're always working. never see it sitting. But the Bible says when Jesus Christ died, he said, 10 to less die. It is finished, paid in full work, accomplished mission, complete. And therefore Jesus is now sitting because he is our high priest and the work of the sacrificial system is over. It is done because of Jesus. So the work's accomplished. And He's at the right hand of the Father, which is the place of power, the place of authority, where the Father is. He's at the right hand of the Father because He is the all-powerful One of the universe. And so the point is this. If you're one with Jesus, if you share His life, then you should live for Him and seek to please Him. What's important to us ought to be what's important to Him. uh... we ought to live this life as if we're sojourners uh... so so many of us live as if we're permanent residents here when i was in india i lived in light of the fact that i was coming back here And when you go away and you're going over there to minister, you're in a different culture, you're eating different food, you're sleeping in different beds, it's a totally different environment. You're breathing smoky air constantly from the moment you land until the moment you leave India, you're breathing smoke. It's a totally different, atmosphere different people different everything but you know what i know in your patients possessing your souls i'm gonna leave here eventually uh... but i'll tell you what i when i'm there i'm also ministry uh... let me preach let me teach because I know I'm going to be leaving here soon. And so I'm a temporary resident, a temporary visa. I'm there for a short time. I'm not there forever. I'm knowing I'm coming back to America, God willing. Well, do you know, my friends, it's the same way with the Christian. We're temporary on earth. This is not our final resting place. We're only here for a brief moment in light of eternity. It's a very short time. Therefore, we don't have time to waste. We have to live for God. We have to lay up treasure in heaven. We have to seek things which are above, not things on the earth, because we are sojourners here. We're campers. We're just pitching tent for a while, but our permanent residency is with the Lord. And therefore we ought to seek those things which are above. We ought to set our affection, which speaks of our setting our thoughts and our mind and our heart on things that are above. to set our affection on things above will really show that we ought to be thinking about things that are eternal. We ought to be longing for things that are eternal. We ought to be living for things that are above. I believe, as one man said, the sure safeguard against sinking things below is to not set your mind upon them. But to set our thoughts on things above doesn't mean that we withdraw from this world. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. We don't withdraw from the world and all the activities of the world and do nothing but sit around in a monastery and contemplate eternity. God is not calling upon us to do that. He's not saying, go move somewhere away from society and just sit around all day and just think about eternity. No, we have to, we have a job to do here. There are people out here to reach. There's a community to influence. There are people that need you to let your light shine in front of them so that they can see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. We've got a purpose here. And so as we live for those things which are above, it doesn't mean that we become detached from the society. It means we live different than the society. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. There's to be a difference. The Christian is to see everything in light of and against the backdrop of eternity. He no longer should live as if this world was all that mattered. He'll see this world against the backdrop of a larger world of eternity and live in light of that greater picture. But do you know, we don't have that picture in our heads because we don't read our Bibles. We don't think eternal thoughts. We have a limited view of God, a limited view of life. We have a perspective, a worldview that is somewhat dwarfed due to the fact that we don't pay attention when we come to church, we don't read our Bibles, we are not serious about God, we don't think about theology, we don't think about the Lord, and as a result, we live lives that are not much different than the rest of the world. But my friends, we need to set our affection on things above. You know what people talk about reveals what they think about or where their affection is. What do you spend most of your time talking about? That reveals your affection. What you spend most of your time or places going reveals where your affection is. What you spend your time doing reveals your affection. What are some things upon the earth? Well, he mentions them in verse 5. Things such as fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence or evil desires, covetousness. He says these are earthly things. And he's saying, you're not to live that way. You're not to focus on things on the earth, but rather you're to seek the things of God. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4.18, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. We ought to have the attitude of what's important to Jesus is important to me. What's important to him is important to me. What matters to him matters to me. I want my heart to beat with his. I want his focus to be my focus. When your attention is on things above, you'll have time for God. When your attention is fixed on things above, you'll have time to read his word. You'll have time to do his work. You'll have time to seek his face in prayer. You'll have time to assemble with his people in church. See, if we would really put the Lord first, and he ought to be, I believe it'll change our priorities in the present. And the Bible gives us a good reason. Notice he goes on to say in verse three, for you are dead. and your life is hid with Christ in God, you are dead. What does that mean? That means I am dead to that which Christ is dead to. I'm dead in relationship to the Old Testament law. I'm dead in relationship to sin. I'm dead in relationship to the world system. As he says in the previous chapter in Colossians 2.20, wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world are you subject to ordinances? He says you're dead with Christ, dead in relationship to sin and the world. The believer has died in relationship to sin. 2 Corinthians 5.14, for the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. You know, this is a concept that we don't think about too much. I'm dead with Christ. I'm crucified with Christ. But yet it is a key concept because this is the key to victory over sin. You see, the old devil comes up to you and he says, you're a loser. You're a victim. You're gonna give in. You're gonna be defeated. And then he'll dangle the sin, the temptation in front of us. And God's people often give in because they don't realize, I don't have to give in. I'm dead in relationship to that. I don't have to give in to that old slave master. They used to boss me around. They used to demand allegiance. that used to tell me do this and I would do it, go there and I would go there. I don't have to give in to that authority because I'm dead in relationship to sin. Sin doesn't have any right to boss me around. It doesn't have any right to tell me what to do. I'm dead in relationship to that. A story is told of two sisters that used to enjoy attending dances and wild parties. But then they were converted. They became saved by the grace of God. They found new life in Christ. They received an invitation to a party, another one of those wild dancing, drinking parties. And they sent their RSVP in these words, quote, we regret that we cannot attend because we recently died. I wonder what the people thought of that. We can't attend because we died. How did they die? They died in relationship to their old party and lifestyle. They said, that's not us anymore. We don't do that anymore. We died to self-ambition. We died to selfishness. We died to living for what we want. And now we're living for what he wants. You know, my friends, this is a tremendous truth that if we would grab onto it, that I've been risen with Christ. Now picture yourself, picture yourself risen with him in heaven. Picture yourself with him throughout eternity. Picture the beautiful place of heaven. picture his spotless purity, picture ministering to him. Can you picture yourself up there in glory, seeing the glory of God? Can you imagine yourself just enjoying the beauty like nothing this earth has to offer and where there's no sin? Can you picture yourself there? He says, if you've been risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Live in light of who you will be and who you really are. Live that way. Live like a resurrected child of God. Live like somebody who's dead in relationship to sin. Remember that. I don't have to give in. I've died in relationship with that by virtue of my marriage to Jesus. Remembering our oneness with Christ will change our priorities in the present. And then secondly, it will change my outlook for the future. Remembering my oneness with Christ will change my outlook for the future. Notice he says in verse three, your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall he also appear with him in glory. What a verse, my life is hid with Christ. Hidden implies both concealment and safety. It implies when something is hidden, it implies invisibility and at the same time security. The believer is not yet visibly glorified. In that sense, there's a concealment, but we are secure and we are safe in Christ. The word hid is used in contrast to the word appear in verse four. When something is hidden, it's not appearing. And when something's appearing, it's not hidden. Well, my life right now is hid with Christ, but one day the glory is gonna appear. One day when Jesus comes back at the second coming, we will be resurrected and we will have incorruptible, eternal glorified bodies that will be manifested. But according to the apostle Paul, we've already been glorified, Romans 8.30. But it's a glory that has not yet been revealed. One day it's gonna be revealed. I love that verse, when Christ who is our life shall appear. You know what that tells me? He not only gives life, He is my life. We cannot think of eternal life as merely coming from Him, but coming with Him. You see, if you think of eternal life as something detached from the son, you have the wrong concept of the gift of God. God doesn't just dispense out eternal life apart from himself. You get eternal life if you get the son. You get Jesus, you get life. You don't have him, you don't have life. Some say, well, I've got salvation. Here's a question. Do you have Jesus? If you have Jesus, you've got salvation. But apart from Him, God has no life to give. Apart from Him, there is no salvation. Christ doesn't merely give life. He is our life. And when you trust Him, He comes to dwell in you and He shares His life with you. He is our eternal life. To have Him is to have life. To be united to Him is to be fused to the source and essence of life. Jesus, it's said of Him, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men, John 1.4. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life, John 11.25. He said in John 14.6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He doesn't just give life, He is life. He's the creator of life. He gave the universe its existence, and He gave us our salvation. But then He says, when He shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. When is that appearance? When will that take place, that appearance? at the 2nd coming. Yeah. At the 2nd coming, when He will be manifested. They will look on Me whom they have pierced. By the way, when Jesus comes again, He will appear. It's not some invisible thing. There's no such thing as an invisible rapture. It's nowhere in the Bible. The words that are used to describe the rapture are also used to describe His return. And we know His return is one that is visible. And when Jesus comes again, He will be appearing. He will be making Himself manifest. And God's people will be raptured. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. We will be taken off of this earth and brought up into His presence. And then He will pour out His judgment upon the earth. but we will appear with Him in glory." What a great day that'll be, that resurrection day. Job's been looking forward to that. Now, Job's in heaven in spirit, but Job's body is still in the grave. but the old prophet Job had a faith whereby he knew that one day in his flesh, he would see God. He says in Job 14, 14, if a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee. Thou wilt have desire to the work of thy hands. Job is just waiting for the call of Jesus. For the hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live. John 5, verse 25. What a great day that'll be when the roll is called up yonder. And then in chapter 19, Job said this. Listen to this. For I know that my Redeemer liveth. and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Job says, though my insides consume away, I know that in my flesh I will see God. What a great day that's gonna be. Hey, that ought to get us excited because I'm married to Christ. His resurrection means my resurrection. And my life is secure in Him. It is hidden in Christ. And when He appears, then I will also appear with Him in glory. My oneness with Christ not only changes my priorities in the present, but it changes my outlook for the future. I've got a positive outlook. Every believer does. That's why you can go to work tomorrow with a smile on your face. That is why people wonder, what's up with you? Everybody here is grumpy and you come in with a smile. It's because I belong to the King. He's given me another day. I have a relationship with God. My sins are forgiven. Oh, happy day, as we sang today. And the Lord has given us a lot to smile about. We don't have to go through life, doom and gloom. grumpy, and that's a terrible testimony. But we ought to have the joy of the Lord, which is our strength, the Bible says. The joy of the Lord is our strength. And so, we have to fix our attention on things above and then realize one day, I'm going to be with Him in glory. And then, remembering our oneness with Christ also changes our morality in this world. Notice verse 5, mortify therefore. What does the word therefore mean? Well, whenever you see therefore, you've gotta back up and see what the therefore is there for. Well, in light of verses one through four, in light of the fact that we've been risen with Christ, our life is hid with Christ, one day we're gonna appear with Christ, in light of that, he says, mortify or put to death your members which are upon the earth. And then he mentioned sins that we need to put to death. Mortify is a word. You hear in that word the word mortician. A mortician, of course, is somebody that deals with dead bodies. To mortify means to put to death. And he says that this is a decisive act. It's a decision to once and for all execute or do away with certain sins that at one time were very much alive in our life. And he says, put them to death. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Members refers to your parts, the members of the body which are used to carry out the desires of the mind. According to the Jewish rabbis, the number of commandments and restraints of man's evil impulse found in the law equaled the number of body parts that men had. They came up with the number 248. And, well, I'm not basing anything on that, but I am saying this, that God is telling us, put to death some very specific sins that used to be a big part of our life. He's not calling for physical dismemberment here when He says, put these things to death. He's not calling for cutting off of body parts that might otherwise lead to sin. Of course, Jesus taught us in Matthew 5, 29 and 30 that if your right eye offends you, pluck it out. It's better to enter into life with one eye than to be cast into hell with two. If your right hand offends you, cut it off. It's better to go into life having one hand than to go into hellfire with two. You see, in other words, Jesus is saying, anything that will keep you from coming to salvation, you'd be better off getting rid of it. than to enter into hell having all of your members. Now, here and even there, Jesus was not literally calling upon you to practice dismemberment when he says to mortify certain parts or certain aspects of your old life. What he's saying is that we need to put to death fornication in our life, put to death uncleanness in our life, put to death inordinate affection and so on. These sins, he's saying, we need to put them to death, such as fornication. You know, how many times should a Christian commit fornication? None. The Bible says, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. God says it shouldn't be named among us one time. He says put fornication to death. It's a broad term, fornication. It includes every type of sexual perversion, every type of illicit sexual behavior. It's used specifically in the New Testament to refer to premarital sex. It would be also used of prostitution. It would also apply to pornography. It's interesting, it's the Greek word pornea that's translated here fornication. In other words, he says, put all forms of sexual immorality to death, which means, in practical terms, have a funeral today for your pornographic habits. Say, from now on, I am never gonna look at pornography again. I am done with it. I'm setting it to rest. I'm putting it in the casket. I'm not gonna be enslaved by pornography anymore. God is telling the Christian here, in light of the fact that you're risen with Christ, in light of the fact that your life is hid with Christ, in light of the fact that one day you're gonna arise and be in His presence, He says, live in light of that now and put fornication to death, which means no more pornography, no more looking at that stuff, no more pornographic videos, television or anything like that because my friend that is not of God. God tells us in Leviticus 18 that you're not to look on the nakedness of anybody. You're not to look on the nakedness of anybody outside of your wife one day when you get married, man. But outside of that, fornication is not for the believer. It is of the world. And God says, mortify it. Put it to death. every type of sexual perversion. He also mentions uncleanness, which means impurity, filthiness. It's the opposite of being clean and pure. The word is used to describe demons. They're called unclean spirits. Sexual sin is a sin that makes us feel dirty, stained and unclean. Jesus says it defiles a person, Matthew 15. He says, put away uncleanness, mortify that which is impure. We are to be pure in mind and body. And the reason is, is because our father is pure. Be holy for I am holy. Moral impurity is something that we have to put to death. And that would mean we've got to control what we watch on the TV set. There's a lot of stuff that's not clean. There's a lot of stuff that comes across the TV that doesn't fit the category of cleanness. In all uncleanness, the Bible says you need to put it to death. And then he mentions inordinate affection, which refers to a passionate lust. It refers to a painful passion. Interesting word. It's a passion that is outside of God's order and design, a restless and driving passion. The word is the word pathos, which means to suffer. It refers to an extreme, impure passion, an out of control, immoral passion, a wrong passion that is so strong that it causes anguish and a lethal obsession. Some people are so obsessed with something that it leads to bizarre and dangerous behavior. We say it's a fatal attraction. That's what he's saying. Mortify all fatal attractions. Mortify those passions, those evil, extreme desires that are outside of the will of God. And then he mentions evil concupiscence, which means bad lust. It's a word that means bad desires. Now, desires are not wrong. We all have desires. But desires are wrong when they are outside of the will of God or outside of the parameters that God has established. Selfish desires, worldly, fleshly, ungodly desires, the Bible says, put them to death. And then he mentions covetousness, which is a desire to have more. It is a desire to have that which is not yours. It's a violation of which commandment? The tenth, which says, You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or maidservant, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. It refers to an insatiable selfishness. and unsatisfied desire to have something more. It's a greed and he calls it idolatry. The reason is when a person is covetous, he's wanting something that is empty, it's hollow, it's shallow, it's void. And covetousness is a sin that is on par with idolatry. This afternoon, I'll show you a few pictures of some of the idols that I saw in India. They have temples built to these idols. And inside of the temples, it's usually empty. Sometimes you'll have a person sitting in there and receiving offerings or whatever. But an idol is nothing. It is empty. And he said, the same as idolatry. You say, I don't worship idols. I don't bow to images. But if you're covetous, according to God, you're an idolater. Because you are living for something other than the true and living God. Whatever you live for outside of God becomes your idol. So, all of these sins in verse 5, they have something in common. Can you figure out what they all have in common? Fornication, uncleanness, inordered affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness. They have one thing in common. Did you see what it is? I think I hear somebody saying it. Selfishness. All of these sins are selfish. All of these sins can be summarized as selfish lust. They are self-centered pursuits for illicit pleasure. And selfishness, as I've taught you in the past, is the root of all forms of sins. Every time a believer sins, by the way, he's not merely sinning in his heart, he's sinning against the Lord who lives in his heart. The Bible says we ought not to be this way. For verse six, for which things sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. God's gonna pour out his wrath upon the world because of those sins of verse five. In verse seven, into which you also walk sometime. He says past tense, you used to be this way. You used to live in them. You used to walk there, but not anymore. We're to put those sins to death. And if you don't, you're never gonna be happy. You're never gonna be joyful. You're gonna be miserable. And the reason you'll be miserable is because the Lord who lives inside of you is grieved. And you're gonna be bringing the Lord with you every place you go, everything you do. No believer sins in a vacuum. You are not an island unto yourself. Whatever you do, you drag the Savior into it. When you commit fornication, You're taking a body that belongs to Christ, and you're placing Christ's property in a domain that is abhorrent to Him. When you're guilty of uncleanness, you're subjecting your mind, soul, and body to stains and defilement that is contrary to the nature of Christ. When you are driven with inordinate affection, you're taking your heart, which should be devoted to Christ, and becoming obsessed with someone or something other than Christ. When you are overcome by evil concupiscence or bad lust, you are taking a mind that belongs to Christ and plunging it into a cesspool of debauchery. When you allow yourself to be obsessed with covetousness, you're taking a heart and eyes that should be fixed on God and focusing them on empty, meaningless, futile, vain, vanishing deities of the world. And in doing so, Christ's worship suffers loss, and your worship becomes limited to what you're covetous of. And I'll tell you, the most powerful reason to be pure is because I'm one with Him. That is the reason, my friends. We don't live a Christian life just of do's and don'ts and don't touch this and don't handle that, as He warned about in Colossians. But the reason why we want to live pure is because we want to live for Him. And so I don't want my mind to be distracted from Him. I don't want my body to not be used for Him. I don't want my life to not be lived for Him. And so the reason the believer turns away from sin is so that he can live for God, because that's what it's all about. It's all about living for God. That's why we're on this earth, to live for Him and glorify Him. Have you ever come to the point of absolute surrender of your life to God? The Lord just put that on my heart when I was in India to emphasize that toward the believers. I saw hundreds and hundreds of believers surrender their lives completely to God, because that's where the Christian life really begins. And I know it begins with salvation, with faith, but you might have faith in Christ, but you're not really living yet. You're not really enjoying the abundant life. And that won't be your experience until the day you say, I surrender all. I give my life to you, Lord. I take my hands off of it and I surrender everything to you. And then when you have that Romans 12, 1 and 2 surrender to God, you'll begin to live. You'll begin to have joy, but it all starts with, as he says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Do you want to know the will of God? Do you want a life of joy? Well, it'll all start when you surrender completely to your Lord Jesus Christ. Would you do that today? I'd like everybody to bow your head and close your eyes for a moment of prayer. But before we do pray, I'd like to ask, is there anyone in here today that would say, Pastor Sawyer, I need to surrender my life to God? I need to give my life to God completely because I'm His. I'm married to Him. He's my groom. I'm His bride. And I need to live like that. Anybody here today who would say, today is my day to surrender my heart and life and body to the Lord, would you raise your hand if that's your desire? God bless you, ma'am, and you, sir, and you, sir. How many others would say, I need to surrender to God today? There's something in my life that's not right. God bless you, sir, and you, ma'am, and I see you young men. Praise the Lord. You may lower your hands. How many others in our room would say, today God spoke to my heart. I need to surrender to God because I belong to Him. I need to live in light of who I am. and not identify with the world, but identify with my Savior and live according to who I am in Christ. Anyone else today who would say, Today I need to surrender. God bless you and you. I see those hands. You may lower them. Anyone else with these who would say, Today is my day. I see your hand. God bless you, sir. Anybody else? God's given you an opportunity to lay your life on the altar and to hand it over to Him. It's rightfully His anyway. By virtue of creation and redemption, you belong to Him anyway. He made you, He bought you with His blood. Anyone else who would say, today I need to surrender my life to God? Dear Father, thank You so much. Thank You for working in hearts. But Lord, we pray that you would allow every person in this church to experience a life of joy, a life of purpose. Father, I pray that if there be some that are holding on to sin, that today they'll let go, that they'll today mortify it, put it to death, because, Lord, we want to live unto you. We want to set our affection on things above. We want to live for that which will matter. Forgive us, Lord, for living for vanity and futility. Forgive us, Lord, for setting our hearts upon this world and the things of the world. May you, Lord, graciously allow us to keep our focus upon things above. Help us, Lord, to identify with you and to live in light of who we are in you. And Father, for all these that have raised their hands today, give them the special grace to lay their all on the altar today that they might know the joy of being free from sin and selfishness. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayer. We ask all of this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.