There are two sets of admonitions in Colossians 3:1-15. Together, they offer useful guidance to Christians.

Colossians 3:5 commands that a list of sins be eliminated (put to death): “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” These are very obvious sins, and Christians often have no problem condemning them and avoiding them—at least, the physical ones such as sexual immorality, even if they find the hidden sins of lust and other evil desires much harder to eliminate. Paul recognized Christians’ progress in these areas, saying that the Christians he was writing to “used to walk in these ways” but no longer did (3:7).

But then Paul told the Colossian Christians (and us) to “also” eliminate some other sins: “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” (3:8). Paul also added lying (3:9) and racial discrimination and other prejudices (3:11). These sins are sins of the mind and the heart, and they have often been more difficult for Christians to eliminate. We are familiar with Christians who forcefully denounce sexual sins and then turn church business meetings into occasions for arguments, accusations, threats, and quarrels.

It is difficult to eliminate all sin from our lives.

Perhaps one problem is that too often we focus on the negative, trying to combat sin and remove sins from our lives, instead of focusing on the positive. Paul went on to show us a better way. He tells us to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (3:12). And then as if that was not enough, Paul commands us to add forgiveness (3:13), love (3:14), peace (3:15), and gratitude (3:17). He also tells us to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (3:16). If we are focused on filling our lives and our time with these things, they will crowd out many of the sins that we are trying to eliminate. It is hard to quarrel when we are filled with love. If we are busy encouraging one another with songs, we will be less likely to notice the things that annoy us about other people. When we are overwhelmed with gratitude, we will be less tempted by lust or greed.