In the Colossian 3 passage of yesterday, Paul spoke of the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. Verse 7 might well be understood as: ...in the midst of whom you also once walked, as one with them, when you lived among them.

Continuing on, we see in verse 8 ways of living that would seem to be the continuation of the list we began observing in verse 5. But, I think there may be a slight difference. There are some who would like to claim themselves as Christians and have put away what they consider some of the major wrongs listed earlier, but who keep on with the ways that Paul lists here. I’ve seen this to be so among some people who belong to a church. The wrongs we are about to see here are as defiling as those we have already seen. They all disqualify a person from functioning in God’s Kingdom. See these now:

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth—Colossians 3:8.

Some suppose they may keep things, like the above, concealed beneath a cloak of religion. Unfortunately, however, those who consider themselves to be Christians and who hold on to these things, when pressed just a little, will allow the blasphemy, which is evil speech against the Lord, and obscenity to come forth. People like this may be outwardly religious much of the time, and even function in a church, but they can never function in the Kingdom of God.

It is before the people of the world, unconverted and unsure of what a true believer is, that we are to allow our light to shine. The anger and unclean speech of a professed believer can do much harm by convincing an unsaved person that there is little value in giving one’s life to the Lord. When we are purged from the ways of the world and filled with the Spirit of God, our speech and way of acting toward others becomes much changed.

DEAR FATHER, there are some ways of speech that have tried to hang on to me that do not glorify Your Name. I renounce a spirit of profanity that has tried to hang on to me since I’ve given my heart to You. Please cause Your Spirit to purge my inner man of any of the ways that are causing me to speak dishonorably of You. Oh, dear LORD, purge me of all wrong speech!