The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 176

which are upon the cnrth; fornicntion, uncleanness, lustfulness, evil desire, and cove- tousness, which is idolatry." I. Tim NATURE AND DUTY OF M0ilTJFI0ATION. 1. Its nature. It is to resist the solicitations of sin, to suppress its first motions, to weaken its power. (1) It is a ~radual process-it is" to crucify the flesh," implying a lingering process; it is a destruc- tion that goes on daily, for the remains of the old life still abide, thongh not in power, in the believer. (2) 'l'he word "mortify" implies that sin is not to be allowed to die out of itself; we must kill it. (3) It is a painful process. 2. 'l'he duly of mO'l'tijica- tion. (1) It is commanded. We are to show no more mercy to the "old man" than to the" right eyo "or the" right hand" that offends ns (Matt. v. 2!l). (2) It is done in • the power of the Spirit. "For if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. viii. 13). Therefore it becomes not only possible, but actual. Thus "our instruments of unrighteousness" are turned into "instruments of ri-J1teous- ness unto God" (Rom. vi. 13). (3) It is the true conseqnence of our "death in Uhrist;" for the apostle says, "Mortify therefore your members," in allusio:1 to this death (eh. ii. 20; iii. 3). We must carry out this principle of death to sin, to the flesh, to the world. II. 'l'HE SPHERE OF THIS M0RTIFI0ATI0N. "Your members which are upon the earth." He refers: 1. 'J.'o the instruments of sinfulness. '!.'hey are called members in allusion to the apostle's figure of sin, asa body of sin (eh. ii. 11), and in allusion to the necessity of the bodily organization to their action. They aro" upon the earth," because they belong to our body or our earthly condition, or tend to mere earthly ~tification. But they are to be turned into" instruments of righteousness unto God." 2. To the various mani- festations of this sinfulnees. (1) Sins affecting our personal life. (a) Sins of impurity. (a) Fornication. (i.) It is God's _will we should abstain from it (1 Thess. iv. 3, 4). (ii.) It is one of the works of tho flesh (Gal. v. 19). (iii.) It ought not once to be nnmed among Christians (Eph. v. 12). (iv.) It takes away the heart (Hos. iv. 11). (,·.) It brings dishonour and shipwreck of character (Prov. vi. 27-29; xxiii. 28). (vi.) The body was made, not for a harlot, but for the Lord (1 Car. vi. 15, 16). It is a sin against our own bodies. (vii.) The promises of the gospel ought to engage us to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Car. vii. 1). (fJ) Uncleanness. This is a generic product, as fornication i8 a specific product, of" the earthly members." The observations in the one apply to the other. Those who commit such sins are "alienated from the life of God through their ignorance and hardness of heart" (Eph. iv. 17), and are "delivered up to a reprobate mind" (Rom. i. 24, 26). ('y) Lustfulness and evil desire. 'l'he~e point to" the lust of concupiscence" (1 Thes~. iv. 5), which is of the devil (John viii. 44), which wars against the soul (1 Pet. ii. 11), which dro,vns men in destruction and perdition (l Tim. vi. 9), and keeps men from" coming to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. iii. 7). These Yarious sins of impurity are to be mortified: how? (a) We can only cleanse our hearts by taking heed to the Word (Ps. cxix. 9). (fJ) By prayer, as the apostle did with the thorn in his flesh (2 Cor. xii. 9). (-y) By watchfulness (Prov. xxiii. 26, 27). We ought to guard against idleness (Ezek. xlvi. 49), fulness of bread, evil company (Prov. i. ~0). (a) We must not "fulfil the lusts of the flesh," but" put on Christ" (Rom. xiii. 14). (b) The sin of covetousness. Tho apostle here introduces a new type of sin by the uso of the definite article, as if he thus exhausted the full catalogue of sin in the world. It is curious to find it linked with sins of impurity. Yet it is so elsewhere (1 Cor. v. 11; Eph. v. 3; 2 Pet. ii. 14). There is a likeness between these two classes of sins. They both imply an unlawful direction of desires not in themselves unlawful, and. they both grow by indulgence. Covetousness: (a) Issues, as a defiling thing:, "out of the heart of man" (Mark vii. 22). (fJ) It implies a greedy and distracting care (Lnko xii. 15). ('Y) It exposes to many a piercing sorrow (1 Tim. vi. 10). (6) It is a trouble to a man's own hous((Prov. xv. 27). (•) It argues little dependence or faith in the Lord (Luke xii. 30). Therefore "let us have our conversation without covetousness and be content with such things as we have" (Heb. xiii. 6). (0 Its heinousness -" seein" it is idolatry." It sets up another object of worship besides God. We cannot "~erve both God ancl rnammon" (Matt. vi. 24). Covetousness i~ base, because it sets up self in the heart. lt is odious to God (Ps. x. 3), turns our hearts away from him (1 John ii. 15), and grudges lho time spent in God's worship (Amos  172 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [OH, m, 1-25.