Uniting Heaven and Earth
Christ in Philippians and Colossians
Living with Christ
Lesson 11 - Monday
End Earthliness
Read Epistle to the Colossians 3:5–6; see also Epistle to the Romans 6:1–7
The Christian life involves a decisive break with the old way of living. In Colossians 3:5, the apostle Paul the Apostle gives a strong command: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.” The word mortify means to put to death. Paul is not speaking about harming the body but about decisively rejecting sinful desires and habits that belong to our old, earthly nature. These include immorality, impurity, greed, and other attitudes that draw our hearts away from God.
Why is such a strong command necessary? Because the old life centered on self cannot coexist with the new life centered on Christ. Paul reminds believers that these sins once characterized their lives, but now they belong to a different kingdom. Because of such things, he says, “the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience” (Col. 3:6). Earthly-minded living leads away from God, while the life of Christ leads upward toward holiness and eternal life.
So how do we experience being dead to self and alive to the things above? Paul explains this beautifully in Romans 6:1–7. When we accept Christ, we are united with Him in His death and resurrection. Symbolized in baptism, the old self is considered crucified with Christ so that the power of sin no longer rules over us. This does not mean temptation disappears, but it means we now have a new identity and a new power to resist it.
To “mortify” the earthly nature is therefore both a choice and a daily process. First, it begins with surrender—acknowledging that our old ways lead only to spiritual death. Second, it requires replacing earthly thoughts with heavenly ones. Earlier in Colossians 3, Paul urges believers to “set your affection on things above.” When our minds dwell on Christ, His character, and His promises, the pull of sinful desires weakens. What fills the mind shapes the life.
Practical steps also matter. Mortifying sin often means removing influences that strengthen temptation—habits, environments, or forms of entertainment that feed the old nature. It also means cultivating spiritual habits that strengthen the new life: prayer, Scripture reading, service to others, and fellowship with believers. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, the old self loses its hold, and Christ’s life grows stronger within us.
Ending earthliness is not about grim self-denial for its own sake. It is about freedom. The things we put to death are the very things that enslave us. In their place, Christ gives peace, purity, and a heart focused on eternal realities. When we remember that we have died with Christ and risen with Him, our perspective changes. Earthly desires lose their dominance because our true life is now “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
Every day presents a choice: to live according to the old self or according to the new life in Christ. The more we surrender to Him, the more our hearts rise above the temporary things of earth and focus on the eternal things of heaven.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the new life You have given through Christ. Help me to put to death the sinful habits and desires that belong to my old nature. Turn my thoughts toward the things above and strengthen me through Your Spirit to live a life that honors You. Teach me to walk daily in the freedom of being dead to sin and alive in Christ. Amen.
More on Lesson 11: Living with Christ
This Quarter's Sabbath School Lessons Here: Christ in Philippians and Colossians
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