Jeff Englund

February 11, 2025February 11, 2025

Colossians 3:8c – Wrath, Rage, and Bugs

Picture of a cartoon bug holding a sign that reads "The End is Near!"

[… rid yourselves of] … rage …

Summary: Seeing ourselves from God’s point of view is a challenge. Especially when trying to understand what it means to be under God’s wrath.

The word Paul used in this sentence is not always translated as “rage.” In fact, about two-thirds of available English translations of the Bible use the word “wrath” instead. Is there a difference?

From a human point of view, there may not be much difference. From God’s point of view, there is a difference.

February 10, 2025February 10, 2025

Colossians 3:8b – Anger Management

[… rid yourselves of] … anger …

Summary: Anger has been around for a long time. In most cases, human anger is the result of putting ourselves before God. When that happens, frustration and anger are not far behind.

The kingdom of heaven doesn’t just happen by itself. The King’s people need to stand up and be counted for the kingdom to exist on earth.

One way we are counted as People of God is by mastering our anger. God’s people don’t get angry. Well, not like ordinary people, anyway.

So what is anger, anyway?

February 8, 2025February 9, 2025

Colossians 3:8a – Deeds and Weeds

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: …

Summary: Do we really have to “rid” ourselves of the things on Paul’s list of bad habits? The answer to that question leads us to a deeper understanding of God’s will for us. In the end, we discover that spiritual growth involves work, but this work is a response to God’s grace, not a means of earning salvation.

Our last meditation discovered an interesting link between our Lord’s parable about the kingdom of heaven and how we are to live our lives as believers. In our passage for this meditation, Paul doubles down on that discovery.

What was that discovery, you ask?

Simply this: God expects us to work for his kingdom while we are here.

February 7, 2025February 7, 2025

Colossians 3:7 – Working for Heaven

Illustration of Matthew 10:1-16 where the landowner pays his workers at the end of the day.

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

Summary: It is one thing to understand that God offers us salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. It is another to understand the difference between our lives before knowing Jesus and after.

After hearing that the “wrath of God” is coming, there is nothing more delightful to the soul than hearing that there is hope of avoiding God’s wrath.

Paul has just listed some of the reasons God’s wrath is coming. They include but are not limited to sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. (Paul has other lists in his letters that are more extensive.)

February 6, 2025February 6, 2025

Colossians 3:6 – Good and Bad

Etching of Korah being swallowed up by the earth.

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

Summary: When the wrath of God comes, we don’t want to be on the wrong side.

This verse about the “wrath of God” bothers a lot of people. “How could a loving God ever be mad at people?” they ask.

How, indeed.

There are two kinds of people in the world. Simply put, there are those who end up in heaven and those who find themselves spending eternity in the lake of fire. To the best of my knowledge, the Bible doesn’t offer a third option.

February 5, 2025February 6, 2025

Colossians 3:5f – Gimme! Gimme!

A picture of two small children playing. They are sitting on the floor in a nice home. One child is holding a toy that they have taken from the other child, and the other child is crying.

[Put to death] … and greed, which is idolatry.

Summary: Paul sees connections that might not be obvious to all of us. Connecting greed and idolatry is an example of his logic.

One of the most amazing passages in the entire Bible is the foundation for “all the law and the prophets.” In it, Jesus says:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

In this passage, Jesus (a/k/a God), explains God’s priorities for his creation. When our hearts, souls, and minds are lovingly focused on God, everything else falls into place.

February 4, 2025February 4, 2025

Colossians 3:5e – Our Personal Tutor

Picture of a fly swatter in a glass cabinet marked "IN CASE OF EVIL BREAK GLASS"

[Put to death] … evil desires …

Summary: Paul’s instruction to put evil desires to death forces us to confront ourselves in the mirror of God’s truth.

When Paul talks about putting “evil desires” to death, he opens the door to an important and fascinating conversation.

Who decides what “evil” is?

That sounds like a simple question. Evil is “evil,” right? After all, everybody knows what “evil” is, don’t they?

February 3, 2025February 3, 2025

Colossians 3:5d – Good Passion and Bad

Picture of road leading down to Dante's Inferno.

[Put to death] … lust …

Summary: How is lust different than sexual immorality? The difference is significant. As we look into the roots of the word Paul used, we find a life-saving warning.

Paul’s third category of things to put to death is represented in the NIV by the word “lust.” About half of all English translations use this word. The other half, with a few exceptions, use the word “passion.” Both are a fair translation, but some clarification is helpful here.

The word Paul uses in Greek is “páthos.” “Páthos” is a word that describes a feeling we humans sometimes have. It is correctly translated as “passion,” but it is a very specific kind of passion.

February 1, 2025February 2, 2025

Colossians 3:5c – Choose Jesus

[Put to death] … impurity …

Summary: Paul’s reference to impurity draws us into an interesting study of dross and chaff.

Paul’s list of things belonging to the “earthly nature” and that deserve being put to death includes sexual immorality, impurity, and lust. Together it would seem that all three have a lot in common and, in fact, they do. But there are differences, too.

Sexual immorality is the use of our human sexuality in ways that God did not intend. Lust is the craving for sexual immorality. Impurity embraces both but, at the same time, encompasses more.

January 31, 2025January 31, 2025

Colossians 3:5b – Design Specification

picture of human torso and head showing inner skeleton and some technical design information

[Put to death] … sexual immorality …

Summary: Paul begins to detail how we live according to God’s will.

As we begin to take a closer look at the things Paul wants us to “put to death,” the first thing on his list is “sexual immorality.” (The King James Version of the Bible famously uses the word “fornication” in this passage.)

Without going into details about how this word is used or what it means, we can generally say that God has something specific in mind about human sexuality. And he should. After all, he created us!