In Christ, you've already died!

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  
(Colossians 3:1-3)

During my rotation as a Medical Technologist, pathology rotation was the most talked about with good reason.  The sights, and smells, especially the smells, are things that only that rare breed of doctors called pathologists can stomach.  There is a definite and unique aroma emanating from necrotic tissue which is tissue that is dead and generally speaking—rotting.  When a “floater” was brought in, (a body that had been found in water after several days) the stench of necrotic tissue was so nauseating that a slice of orange went under the mask to mitigate the otherwise gag-worthy bouquet. This is the word Paul uses in Colossians 3. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead [nekrosate] to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Necrotic tissue cannot/will not be rejuvenated, reanimated, or brought to life again no matter how much science and technology come to bear.

Every Christ follower is pronounced and viewed to be “In Christ” having been seated with Him in the Heavenly places.” As such, we are to regard our present, imperfect bodies with all its flaws and imperfections as a heap of necrotic tissue which is lifeless having relinquished its ability to embrace anything which is against the very nature of the One “in Whom” we are raised up.

Meaning what?  Meaning one would never expect or envision a Believer to pursue, much less embrace the list of evils in Paul’s words any more than the pathologist would expect the heap of rotting flesh in the morgue to stand up and start dancing.

And what is that list?  “…consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” The list is all encompassing. Despite Paul’s inspired exhortation, all of these things are found in the local church called, the Body of Christ on Earth. As a pastor the extent to which this is true is honestly disturbing.

So what is Covid 19 all about?  Barring omniscience, any opinion on the matter is strictly conjecture. But Paul’s words should not be dismissed without consideration.

“For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.” The foregone conclusion is the evils are all in the past! Never-the-less, Paul reminds us “But now YOU also put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth." (Colossians 3:4-8) 

 Hmmm…   Maybe the Lord is trying to tell us something.

Offended by the Gospel

Think for a moment of our day in which we find ourselves. OFFENSE—may be the word of our culture.  The driving force of all consideration is not what is good, right or true but rather, what gives anyone offense. If you’re offended, then I am at fault and whatever it was that offended you, the new “civility” of the day demands I retract, I recant, I apologize. If I do not--in the modern vernacular—There will be hell to pay. The apostle Paul however never had much concern about offending anyone—except God alone. Pause and consider his words to the Christians of Galatia?

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"  (Galatians 1:6-9)

A quick reading probably serves us poorly in understanding the intensity of Paul’s flabbergastedness! When the disciples saw Jesus speak to the elements of His creation in the raging storm and the winds and seas listened and obeyed their Master, the disciples were “amazed.” It's the same word here. Paul wasn’t simply annoyed, disturbed or perturbed at what he found in the church of Galatia, he was stupefyingly dumbfounded. How is it even possible that anyone who had heard and seen the Gospel of Jesus so clearly as the Galatians had (3:1) could get it wrong? What’s worse, how could they get it so wrong that they took it upon themselves to concoct their own hybrid-gospel leading others away from The Way, The Truth and The Life?  Yes, Paul was beside himself with anger.

In our day of pulpit pap where we must not give offense for fear of losing someone out the door or being despised by one’s neighbor, Paul let it rip.

"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"  (Galatians 1:8-9)

What’s the meaning of “accursed?” The word is “anathema.” It means to be consigned to the abode of the eternally dead.  In other words, let anyone—Paul includes himself—who perverts the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ alone, “Go to Hell.”

Now consider the state of “gospel proclamation” in Christendom today…  Considering Paul’s inspired words, it should compel every Christ follower to sober introspection and where necessary—REPENTANCE.