Christ's Commandments

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Phil 2:2-3 . . Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

If there is at least one place on earth where believers should be on the same plane with each other it's church; but that's not always the case as human beings are just naturally prone to value status; especially among pastors, choir members, Sunday school teachers, Deacons, Deaconesses, etc.

Some people aren't content with mediocrity; no, they have to be head and shoulders above the crowd, they have to be admired: they have to be feted, they have to be heard, they have to be noticed, they have to be somebody, they have to be a mover and a shaker, they have to be up in an ivory tower; they have to have their finger on the pulse; they have to be in the limelight. And above all; they have to be right because it is totally contrary to conceit's nature to be wrong about anything; even superfluous minutiae.

If you should find yourself in a position around your church, whether as an usher or a cook for men's Saturday morning prayer breakfast, make sure you're your heart's in the right place because there is coming an performance evaluation for The Lord's sheep where some of the elite are going to be very embarrassed when they're exposed for the ambitious achievers they really are.

"He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will expose the motives of men's hearts." (1Cor 4:5)

An especially bad case of conceit is on display at 3John 1:9-10
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Phil 2:4 . . Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The "others" in that verse are exclusive. Paul's directive pertains only to the classification of people to whom he penned his letter; viz: "saints in Christ Jesus . . together with the overseers and deacons" (Phil 1:1)

Seeing as how The Lord expressly forbids selfish ambition amongst his own; therefore, before proceeding with your ideas, be very sure to ponder all the possible ramifications of your actions first. Stepping on people's toes, and or thwarting their ideas so that yours prevails, fails to satisfy the law of Christ; which requires believers to love their fellow believers as Christ loves them (John 15:12). It also fails to satisfy the Golden Rule which says: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt 7:12). Always looking out for #1 just simply isn't very nice.
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Phil 2:5-8 . .Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross.

That's an interesting contrast between The Lord and Adam. He and his wife made a definite grab for equality with God: and the possibility of that equality was one of the Serpent's selling points. (Gen 3:4-5)

It is just amazing how well The Lord shelved his God-given prerogatives of royalty and conducted himself a very regular guy. Even the people with whom The Lord grew up in his home town had no clue he was so well connected to their creator.

Can you just imagine, say, entering a building and there's Christ holding the door open for you? I would be a lots more comfortable the other way around; but that's just the way he is; Christ has never let either his rank or his position go to his head. There isn't a pretentious, pompous, ostentatious, vain, narcissistic, elitist bone in his body.

The Lord reminds me of the opening scenes of "Camelot" where King Arthur, out walking by himself in the woods, deep in thought and soliloquy, appears to be such a commoner that Sir Lancelot calls him a coward and challenges him to a joust.

That same degree of commonness is apparent in The Lord at Luke 24:15-31 where he spoke with two disciples after his resurrection who had no clue who he really was as there is nothing in either his bearing or his demeanor that suggested royalty.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)

We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace" (John 1:14)

Some of the aspects of "grace" are kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.

Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness

Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals

Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality

Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others

Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous, kindly, and liberal in giving

Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz: benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.

Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; viz: a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels good to do so.

Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary conflict.

One morning back in the late 1970's, I arrived at a Saturday morning men's prayer breakfast at the same time as the #2 pastor of a mega church in San Diego. He made no movement whatsoever to hold the door for me; but rather, paused while I held it for him. What did that say about that man's compliance with item #217? You know when pastors are setting that kind of an example; what more can they expect from the rank and file?

"You call me lord and master: and you say well; for so I am. If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you . . If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:13-17)

That's one of The Lord's unsung beatitudes that should be included along with those in the sermon on the mount. There's a few others; e.g. Matt 11:6, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:38, and John 20:29.

But there is always that one "king of the mountain" in church who just has to be head and shoulders above everybody else; for example:

(I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." (3John 1:9)

Diotrephes not only opposed the apostles; but also excommunicated people who dared to ally with them. And to think that guy operated not in a Devil-worshipping church, but in a Christ-worshipping church. (3John 1:10)

(chuckle) Mr. Diotrephes apparently was on, what we today would label, an ego trip.
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Phil 2:12 . . As you have always obeyed-- work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

Some people's interpretation of that passage pretty much echoes Santa Claus' holiday practices. For example the lyrics from the classic jingle: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

You better watch out,
you better not cry,
Better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list,
and checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice:
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

There's no grace in that song-- none at all --no generosity, no altruism, no kindness, no charity, no love, no peace, no understanding, no sympathy, no patience, no tolerance, no courtesy, no compassion, no forgiveness, i.e. there are no gifts in Santa's bag; only merit awards for those who prove themselves worthy enough to deserve them.

But we know from other passages that an exemption from the sum of all fears isn't a merit award, rather; it's a totally free-of-charge rescue from the wrath of God by means of the ransom that Christ himself paid with his own life's blood rather than out of the sinner's pockets, so to speak. In point of fact the Greek word soteria, from which is translated "salvation" means rescue, i.e. remove from peril.

But now once the sinner is removed from the peril of the sum of all fears, he's expected to begin developing a life of piety (a.k.a. holiness) which serves an altogether different purpose in the plan of salvation than escaping the wrath of God.

The phrase "fear and trembling" was one of Paul's favorite colloquialisms; for example:

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (1Cor 2:3-4)

And another:

"Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to The Lord, and not to men" (Eph 6:5-8)

"fear, and in trembling" doesn't mean Paul recommends shivering in terror and anxiety like a frightened gerbil; but that a believer's attitude should be free of pride, arrogance, and conceit, i.e. free of a superiority complex and/or a master-race mentality; for example:

Paul was very courteous to the Corinthians, and made himself of no reputation at all, even though he was one of The Lord's hand-picked apostles and they were a bunch of pagan heathens at the time who deserved nothing but the cold shoulder. Paul's attitude rubbed off on the Corinthians because they in turn deferred to Paul's associates with fear and trembling just as he had treated them all at one time.

"I had boasted to [Titus] about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling." (2Cor 7:14-15)

So then, what we're talking about here with "fear and trembling" is honor, respect, submission, deference, and reverence rather than terror and anxiety; and it's actually one of the Beatitudes.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:3)
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Phil 2:14 . . Do everything without grumbling or debating

It used to be an underwritten rule in the US Army that GIs could complain all they wanted just so long as they did what they were told. Well; Christ isn't pleased with that.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23)

The problem with grumbling is that it's an attitude of rebellion; for example:

"And the people spoke against God and Moses saying: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." (Num 21:5-6)

Well; long story short, God punished the people's grumbling by sending a swarm of deadly reptiles among them, and many bitten by the reptiles died because their venom was very lethal.

The word for "debating" is dialogismos (dee-al-og-is-mos') which is sometimes translated "evil thoughts" for example:

"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matt 15:19)

Dialogismos sometimes keeps people awake at night as they obsessively re-wind and re-play a conflict with somebody over, and over, and over again in their heads.
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Phil 3:1 . . Finally, my brethren, rejoice in The Lord!

The koiné Greek word for "brethren" is adelphos (ad-el-fos') which is a masculine noun for a male relative. But it's use is flexible. Adelphos can also include one's female relatives too; I mean; after all, men and women are all siblings around the table in God's home. And when Paul wrote to a church, he oftentimes used the word adelphos to address the entire congregation.

Rejoicing "in The Lord" is way different than rejoicing in yourself; which is vulnerable to one's mood and/or circumstances. The Lord once told his disciples that they shouldn't rejoice that demons obeyed them, but rather, that their names were written in Heaven. (Luke 10:20)

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:1-4)

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say:
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
(Horatio P. Spafford, 1828-1888)
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Phil 4:4 . . Rejoice in The Lord always. I say again: Rejoice!

Words and grammar in the Bible convey information; otherwise language serves no useful purpose. When The Lord says "always" he means always or he wouldn't say always. So then, part-time rejoicers in The Lord are failing to comply with God's wishes.

There is a joy available from Christ that's able to overcome all the sadness this world can possibly throw at you.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your own joy might be full." (John 15:11)

The koiné Greek word for "joy" in that verse is chara (khar-ah') which doesn't mean ecstasy; but rather: cheerfulness; viz: calm delight and/or gladness; in other words: pacific. This doesn't mean believers should be bubbling over all the time; but it sure does mean they shouldn't be overwhelmed with feelings of despair all the time; or even some of the time. Paul says to rejoice "always" which of course is beyond human capability; but not beyond the Spirit's.

"The fruit of the Spirit is joy." (Gal 5:22)
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Phil 4:5 . . Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The koiné Greek word for "gentleness" is epieikes (ep-ee-i-kace') which essentially means: mild.

Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior, moderate in action or effect; not sharp or bitter, i.e. just the opposite of fierce, harsh, rough, scathing, mean, abrasive, stormy, intemperate, strict, and/or severe.

Though a mild person is affable, they aren't necessarily a wimp; no, they're just not easy to provoke. The quite opposite would be a thin skinned, reactive, defensive personality that goes to war at the drop of a hat.

Mild people don't threaten, nor come at you with bared teeth and narrowed eyes. They're reasonable and rational, rather than emotional and reactive. Assertive, confrontational people have no clue what it is to be mild; and those are the very ones losing sleep with evil thoughts as they obsessively re-wind and re-play a conflict with somebody in their heads over, and over, and over again rehearsing things they should've said, and would've said, had they thought of them.

"Blessed are the meek." (Matt 5:5)

Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5). Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two men as meek. So then, what really is meekness?

Primarily, to be meek, in the Biblical sense of the word, is to be temperate. A temperate person isn't eo ipso a cowering milk toast. Anybody who's studied the life of Moses and Jesus can easily testify that neither of those men were timid; no, they walked softly but carried a big stick, so to speak. Never mistake true meekness for a yellow streak.

Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be very strong when the situation called for it. Temperate people pick their battles carefully, and never waste anger and energy on trifles.

There are Christians in this world who're simply implacable. They just cannot live and let live. Turning the other cheek is to them a worn-out cliché that no one takes seriously anymore. For them rivalry, conflict, revenge, competition, retaliation, recriminations, and grudging are a way of life: every disagreement is an act of war-- they're peevish, emotional, bitter, harsh, unloving, cruel, thoughtless, and reactive; and they thrive on complaining, criticizing, chafing, carping, finding fault, tattling, bickering, retort upon retort, rejoinder upon rejoinder, sarcasm, endless debate, dredging up old unresolved conflicts, gainsaying, and getting in people's faces and giving them a piece of their mind.

It seems like those people are always getting indignant about some petty outrage or another. Well; those kinds of Christians are definitely not in the "gentle" category. They're hellish, toxic demons who relish letting their wrath be evident to all instead of gentleness because when they're upset; they want everybody to know it.
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Phil 4:6 . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Webster's defines "anxiety" as: characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind, or brooding fear about some contingency; viz: worry-- which implies an incessant goading, or attacking, that drives one to desperation.

If believers were never to be anxious then there would be little, if any, need to pray and share one's concerns with their father in Heaven. The point here, is to avoid desperation. When people get desperate, they start making mistakes; and some of those mistakes can be life-changing; and cause permanent damage.

Tuesday, Aug 04, 2009 a deranged man named George Sodini walked into an LA Fitness gym in Philadelphia and gunned down twelve women in an exercise class. His impetus? According to information police later found on his blog, the 48 year-old man was in a mental state brought on by his long-held personal conviction that not one woman in the whole world could possibly love him. In his mind; women were a threat to his survival-- cruel, venomous sirens whose mission in life is to torment males and make them unhappy. No doubt in Sodini's thinking, murdering those women was justifiable homicide for ruining his life.

His case is extreme, yes, but it serves to illustrate what happens to people when they let desperation gnaw at their feelings for too long a time. Pretty soon they crack and do something irrational.

C.S. Lewis, famed author of The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia; once remarked that he prayed, not because he expected results but, because it made him feel better.

Well, if prayer makes you feel better, then more power to you-- in point of fact, I highly recommend conversational prayer because talking things out with somebody, even an imaginary playmate, is far and away better than talking things out with nobody.

There are instances in the Old Testament where God actually sent His people troubles just to get their attention and start them talking to Him again. Sort of like a little boy in third grade spitting on the hair of a girl sitting in front of him so she'll notice him. (chuckle) Well, if God spits on your hair, so to speak, then maybe it's time you and He had a fireside chat.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7)
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Phil 4:8 . . Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --think about such things.

The Greek word for "think about" is logizomai (log-id'-zom-ahee) which basically means to take an inventory, defined by Webster's as to list and/or to catalogue

That is a very, very exciting word in the overall plan of salvation. Here's why:

"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." (2Cor 5:19)

"counting" is from logizomai.

In other words: due to Christ satisfying justice for people's sins on the cross, God is now in a position to stop recording their sins as criminal offenses.

FAQ: So; when you believed in Christ, God forgave you up to that point. What about the sins you'll commit in the future?

A: Well; according to Jer 31:31-34, Heb 8:7-12, and of course 2Cor 5:19; God is no longer compiling an indictment to hold against me! In other words: He forgets my sins, so to speak, i.e. were I to inquire if my sins were in any way placing me in danger of the sum of all fears, God would reply-- in so many words --fuggedaboutit. That's very, very comforting.

So, we may take Phil 4:8 to mean just the opposite, i.e. Christ's followers should make an effort to remember the Bible's values and its principles, and not forget them, i.e. not let them go in one ear and out the other.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Phil 4:9 . . Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I think Paul often spoke from experience. In other words; he didn't just believe what he taught, but he knew what he talking about as someone who tasted the goods.

You know, sometimes I think that too many Christians are somehow under the impression that the New Testament's epistles are not all that important in matters related to faith and practice. They've made the Sermon On The Mount their religion and they think that's all they need. But if they want the God of peace to be with them instead of off in the distance; then they are simply going to have to revise their estimate. Compliance with the epistles is not optional; no, it's essential.

"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of The Lord." (1Cor 14:37)

"We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by The Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by The Lord Jesus." (1Thess 4:1-2)

"And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law-- the law that sets you free --and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (Jas 1:22-25)
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 2:6-7 . . So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

That directive, of course, is restricted to the faith as you were taught by Paul and his contemporaries. He and they taught only one faith rather than a buffet of faiths to choose from.

"There is one faith" (Eph 4:4-5)

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." (Jude 1:3)

It's neither wise nor humane to encourage somebody rooted and built up in Christian cults to continue in those faiths: e.g. Moonies, Christian Science, Seventh Day Adventism, Herbert W. Armstrong, Mormonism, and/or the Watchtower Society, et al.

Paul emphasized receiving Christ Jesus as "lord". The koiné Greek word is kurios (koo'-ree-os) which means: supreme in authority; viz: one's master-- whether a dictator, despot, monarch, or chief of police; et al.

Kurios is an ambiguous word that simply indicates someone higher in rank than yourself whether God or anybody else, even a senior citizen. So words like sir, mister, boss, and master can be translated from kurios too. The point is, the Bible's Jesus is in charge of his own sheep; which means he has a right to make some demands upon them; viz: he's the leader; they the followers; or why bother with Psalm 23?

"The Lord is my shepherd; he leadeth me" (Ps 23:1-2)

If The Lord is the shepherd, and if he's the leader; then why are some of his "followers" off-reservation doing their own thing instead of in line where they belong?

"Why do you call me lord and master and do not what I say?" (Luke 6:46)

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the fear due me?-- protests Yhvh Almighty." (Mal 1:6)
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Col 2:8 . . See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

What he's talking about there are humanistic versions of Christianity; especially those built upon proprietary traditions rather than "the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us" (2Ths 2:15). Those kinds of Christianity are insidious because they're typically a subtle blend of truth and error. Paul wasn't just being rhetorical; no, the time is now when pew warmers are buying into humanistic versions of Christianity.

"Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when they will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and seek teachers who will tell them what it is they wish to hear. They will reject the truth and heed fantasies." (2Tim 4:2-4)

The reason that they will heed what Paul calls "fantasies" is because anything but the truth is far and away more appealing to the human mind. Take for example Stephen Hawking's theory that a cosmos can come into existence sans intelligent design; in other words: sans a creator. Stephen's arguments are clever, sophisticated, and scientific; viz: they make sense; and they are widely accepted by his admirers.

Christians are privy to the origin of the cosmos-- in all its forms of life, matter, and energy --not by science, but by revelation; which of course die-hard scientists cannot accept due to revelation's lack of so-called empirical evidence; though there's circumstantial evidence aplenty all around in nature and indeed the very heavens in which men like Hawkings are so absorbed.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 2:16-17 . .Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

Some humanistic versions of Christianity incorporate diets, rituals, rites, and holy days of obligation. According to the principles stipulated in the 14th chapter of Romans, those things are optional rather than mandatory. To insist otherwise is to play God and to usurp Christ's sovereign right to make the rules for his own church.

Col 2:18a . . Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial.

Now we're getting into the sphere of asceticism; which Christ has never approved. Asceticism describes a life-style characterized by abstinence from materialism and various sorts of worldly pleasures (e.g. sex, cosmetics, movies, dancing, alcohol, romance novels, soaps, gambling, and the accumulation of material wealth) often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals. Ascetics, by the very nature of their philosophy, insinuate that Christ was wrong to consume wine and/or provide it for a wedding.

Ascetics think themselves to possess a superior spirituality over and above regular Christians; but Paul popped that bubble soundly.

"These people claim to be so humble, but their sinful minds have made them conceited. They are not connected to Christ, the head of the body." (Col 2:18c-19)

(chuckle) Paul depicted ascetics as kind of like the headless horseman in the Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.
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Col 2:18b . . And don't let anyone say you must worship angels, even though they say they have had visions about this.

I have actually encountered Christians who claim to have patron ghosts: spirits with whom they communicate and that help them in daily life. I do not dispute their claim seeing as how the existence of familiar spirits is validated by Lev 20:6 et al; but Christ rules against letting them influence your thinking; even as Jehovah condemns to death any among His people who dabble in that sort of thing.

Apparitions are very effective. Just look at the number of Christians whose religious beliefs are influenced by appearances like Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Tilma (Our Lady of Guadalupe). That only goes to show how true it is that people tend to believe only what they can see with their own two eyes. In the end, that "show me" attitude will result in humanity's ruin as they watch a statue come to life and start giving orders to execute people who refuse to worship it. (Rev 13:13-15)

Heed what Rev 13:13-15 says; and be warned. Its lesson is obvious: miracles and/or apparitions cannot be trusted to validate one's religious beliefs. In point of fact; numbers of people passing themselves off as Christians are going to Hell and eternal suffering in spite of their ability to perform miracles. (Matt 7:22-23)

Paul said he would never listen to even a real live genuine holy angel of God from Heaven unless the angel preached the very same message as the one he himself preached (Gal 1:6-9). As anyone familiar with Virgin sightings knows, they never preach the same message as Paul's; no they preach things like world peace, devotion to Jesus' mom, immaculate hearts, and rosaries.
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Col 3:1-2 . . Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Christianity is a lethal religion. It puts its believers to death on the cross with Christ as joint principals in the purpose of his crucifixion. They are encouraged to think of that as a reality; and not only that, but also to account their resurrection to immortality a done deal, i.e. it's in the bag because they are joint principals in that too. (Rom 6:3-11, Gal 2:20)
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 3:5a . . Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature

The earthly nature of Christ's believing followers was judged, sentenced, and executed on his cross but they won't be rid of it till they pass on because man's earthly nature is part and parcel of his earthly human body.

"Nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh" (Rom 7:18)

However, if Christ's followers want to take advantage of God's kindly patronage and providence, they have got to take the bull by the horns. This has been an axiom since the very beginning.

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:6-7)

"And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1John 1:5-7)

The Christian way of life is literally an on-going perpetual fight against nature.

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

. . .What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." (Rom 7:21-25)

At this point, the epistle lists a catalogue of behaviors that aren't practiced in heaven; and since Christ's sheep are destined for that place; they need to start living now like they will be living then.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 3:5b-11 . . sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Webster's defines "malice" as: desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another. Behaviors like deliberate chafing, needling, ridicule, mockery, taunts, demeaning comments, ugly words that tear people down rather than build them up, denigrating labels, biting sarcasm, fault-finding, carping criticism, thoughtless remarks, petty ill will, spite, vindictiveness, and stalking are all malicious behaviors that no one in heaven ever practices because heaven is a place of peace.

The koiné Greek word for "filthy conversation" is aischrologia (ahee-skhrol-og-ee'-ah) and means: vile conversation.

Webster's defines "vile" as: (1) morally despicable or abhorrent, (2) physically repulsive; viz: foul and/or odious, (3) of little worth or account; viz: common, vulgar, (4) tending to degrade, demean, and/or denigrate, (5) disgustingly and/or utterly bad; viz: obnoxious, contemptible, unacceptable, disagreeable, and (6) base; viz: crude, churlish, unrefined.

Col 3:9-10 . . Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Humanity's original self began its created existence in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). In other words; Adam started off as an honest man. Clearly then; dishonesty does not reflect the image of God, rather, it projects humanity's own image.

Humanity's original self wasn't created bullet-proof, so to speak. It was corruptible (Eph 4:22). Were that not true, we'd all be honest men rather than a pack of liars, deceivers, beguilers, and dissemblers.

The koiné Greek word for "renewed" is anakainoo (an-ak-ahee-no'-o) which means: to renovate; which Webster's defines as: (1) to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), and (2) to restore to life, vigor, or activity: revive. In other words: regenerate.

NOTE: It's interesting that the Colossian believers were lying to each other, and no doubt would have continued had not Paul commanded them to stop it.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 3:12 . .Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Apparently the Colossian believers were neither compassionate, nor kind, nor humble, nor gentle, nor patient, and would have continued to be that way had not Paul commanded them otherwise.

Paul's basis for these commands is the Colossians' standing as "God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved" I mean: is it appropriate for people in that kind of a relationship with God to act like devils?

You know, judging from the descriptions of some of the first century churches, I get the impression that were we to go back in time to visit one, we'd be walking into a snake pit.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Col 3:13-14 . . Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as The Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

One of The Lord's constant rubs with his religious opponents was their virtually 100% lack of kindness; which effectively invalidated their rituals.

"Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice." (Matt 9:13)

Some folk honestly believe that Christ's statement, taken from Hosea 6:6, practically repealed the entire God-given book of Leviticus. But that's not what either Hosea or Jesus were saying. They meant that God much prefers that people be civil to each other rather than religious to their fingertips.

In other words; an ungracious person's lack of things like sympathy, patience, tolerance, lenience, helpfulness, pity, and common courtesy causes God to reject their worship just as thoroughly and bluntly as He rejected Cain's. I really think that God is insulted when people lacking humanity come to church actually thinking He's glad to see them show up for some quality time together.
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