WHICH MAN ARE WE WEARING

Colossians 3:5-10

Sunday Evening Sermon

October 25, 1998

Fair Avenue Baptist Church

Notice V. 9, “the old man”

Notice V. 10, “the new man”

V. 9, “put off the old man”

V. 10, “put on the new man”

The old man,

The new man,

Which one are we wearing?

After reading these verses we should be able to tell which one we are wearing.

Rom. 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Christ)...”

The old man was crucified on the cross with Christ.

Have we crucified the old man?

Eph. 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.”

Have we put off the old man?

Which one are we wearing?

II Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW.”

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

Back in Colossians 3 we the Word of God teaching us about the old man and the new man.

The chapter starts off and lets us know that it is talking to a child of God, “If ye then be risen with Christ.”

“Seek those things which are above,”

“Set your affection on things above”

So it is clear that this chapter is dealing with a believer.

And there are several things in these next few verses that will determine if we are wearing the old man or new man.

Notice VERSE 5 and the word “mortify.”

“Mortify” means “to put to death, or put in the place of death.”

The child of God,

Living for God,

Serving God,

THAT child of God is to put some things to death.

What things?

“FORNICATION”

“Fornication” is the Greek language means “illicit sexual intercourse,” or “sexual impurity.”

And that warning needs to be sounded today.

I’ll guarantee you that there are people in this room tonight that in the past have been guilty of fornication.

People who are Christians.

People who are normally decent people.

Often these people are involved in fornication.

It is a problem in our churches today.

And the Word of God says to put it to death.

Put fornication to death,

Put in the place of death,

Kill it.

But what do we do?  We feed it and bring it into our homes through the television.

Television doesn’t put fornication to death, it feed it, it feeds the old man of fornication.

Going to the movies doesn’t put fornication to death, it feeds it, it feeds the old man of fornication.

And, now, to make matters worse, it is on our computers through the internet.

Why is it that we will watch something on TV that we wouldn’t allow in our homes?

MORTIFY!

PUT IT TO DEATH!

PUT IT IN THE PLACE OF DEATH!

Fornication,

“UNCLEANNESS”

“Uncleanness” means “lustful, impure living,” manifested through thoughts, words, looks, gestures, and jokes.

We are definitely living in a day and age where we see “lustful, impure living” in full action.

And the part that is most disturbing is that I am seeing it in teenagers and even younger kids.

Their thoughts,

Their words,

Their looks,

Their gestures,

Their jokes,

And some of them are your kids,

And to make matters worse,

You don’t even notice it.

Impure,

Lustful,

Evil,

Wicked,

Unclean,

And it need to be put to death.

MORTIFY!

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

Fornication,

Uncleanness,

“INORDINATE AFFECTION”

“Inordinate affection” means “uncontrolled passion or lust, vile, depraved.”

We are now in the second generation of people who are out of control.

We are now in the second generation of people who cannot control their passion and lust.

We are now in the second generation of people who cannot control their emotions.

Every year 3,000,000 teenagers are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.

Teenage pregnancy is rampant.

And to make this matter of “inordinate affection” worse, parents are unwilling and willing participants.

Take this matter of boyfriends and girlfriends.  Most parents STRONGLY encourage these relationships.

So, then we get teenagers who want to act like they’re married and we act surprised when they really do.

We encourage them to act like they are married and when the girl gets pregnant, we act surprised.

And another thing most parents haven’t figured out is that the boyfriend and girlfriend relationship is simply getting them into practice for breaking up and divorce.

Between television and “whacked out” parents, it’s no wonder the teenagers today are drenched and totally submerged in “inordinate affection.”

Mortify!

Put it to death!

Kill it!

Watch out!

Fornication,

Uncleanness,

Inordinate affection,

“EVIL CONCUPISCENCE”

“Evil concupiscence” means “evil desires and cravings; longing for what is forbidden, lust.”

We don’t have to spend much time here because we know we are surrounded by the:

queers,

lesbians,

child molesters,

pornographers,

sexual abuse of children,

and much more.

It would shock most of you to know how many people sitting in this room were sexually molested as a child.

It would shock most of you to know how many men sitting in this room have a problem with pornography.

It’s all around us.

Evil desires,

Evil cravings,

MORTIFY!

Put it to death!

Fornication,

Uncleanness,

Inordinate affection,

Evil concupiscence,

“COVETOUSNESS”

“Covetousness” simply means “when we always must have more.”

Now, the Devil might not get us involved in fornication,

or uncleanness,

or inordinate affection,

or even evil concupiscence;

we’ve gotten beyond that;

but now we are eat up with covetousness.

We’ve sacrificed our children for a bigger home and two cars.

We’ve sacrificed our families for more money and more things.

We’ve sacrificed our church for more recreation.

We’re never satisfied.

And we’re paying a high price.

The old man is tough, isn’t he?

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

But it doesn’t stop there.

Look at VERSES 8-9.

“Put off all these:”

“ANGER”

“Anger” means being angry over the wrong things.

Put off anger,

Mortify,

Old Man,

New Man,

How are we doing?

Which one are we wearing?

Anger,

“WRATH”

Anger becomes “wrath” when we have an unforgiving spirit.

Do you have an unforgiving spirit?

I’m afraid many Christians do.

And the old man rears his ugly head.

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

How are we doing with anger?

How are we doing with wrath?

Anger,

Wrath,

“MALICE”

Malice is nothing more than congealed anger.

It is anger that has been nursed along.

It turns into an anger that tries to take revenge and get even.

From a Christian?

Yes!

And that’s why the Word of God tells us to PUT IT OFF!

MORTIFY!

Put it to death!

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

Anger,

Wrath,

Malice,

“BLASPHEMY”

Most of the time we associate “blasphemy” with “blasphemy against God,” and rightfully so.

But there is blasphemy against God and man.

Some defame God and His name.

Some defame men through slander, gossip and backbiting.

It is no accident that God put this in His Word.

The truth is that too many Christians are having trouble with:

anger,

wrath,

malice,

and

blasphemy against others.

And we close with VERSE 9, “Lie not one to another.”

It is a problem.

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?

Which man do we have on?

Are we struggling with fornication?

How about uncleanness?

Or inordinate affection?

Evil concupiscence?

Covetousness?

Anger?

Wrath?

Malice?

Blasphemy against men?

Lying?

New creature,

New man,

Old man,

Old man of flesh,

Which one are we wearing?