“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth:” – Colossians 3:5a 

Scripture reading: Colossians 3:5-7

With the Heidelberg Catechism (LD 38), we confess about the Sabbath day, “Every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through His Holy Spirit, and begin in this life the eternal Sabbath.”

Today should be the start of putting what Paul now commands the Colossians into practice. He speaks first to their present struggles with heresy and such and calls them to set their minds on the things of Christ and then to remember where they came from. They were sinners living in a world that praised sin and rewarded them for lewd behaviour.

But now they were circumcised of heart, baptized into the death of Jesus. If you were to put to death the religious practices of the world, so too would the sins of this worldly flesh die. If it was confirmed that the ceremonial law had served its purpose, the Ten Commandments were still intact as the way to live as people who set their minds on the things above.

I love Sunday worship because it is a great weekly reset. Sins, habits, horrible thoughts, and our nasty imaginations are confronted with the Good News, the reading of the law, and the confession of sins. There, we meet Christ in Word and sacrament; we are challenged to live as new creatures and put to death what Christ died for. Bring your burdens to Christ, bend the knee to Him, and live for His glory and honour.

Suggestions for prayer

Repent and believe. Ask for a heart open to receive forgiveness and worship the Lord. Pray that you will love Him with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and pray for the members of your congregation and the church worldwide.

Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.