Colossians 3:8-9 8But now you yourselves must put aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
Paul gives another vice list in these two verses with a focus more on sins of the mouth and attitude. He uses strong exhortation with an emphatic you yourselves. This is a choice the Colossians must make. It is critical to their spiritual growth and progress as believers. To continue with these practices will hinder them and keep them attached to the world. Part of “walking in a manner worthy of the Lord” (1:10) will require the sanctifying experience of cleansing and removal of old habits and practices. The verb put aside implies this crucial decision of the needed shift of allegiance from self to Christ. Dying to the old way of life is as simple as saying “yes” to what God wants to do in our lives. But this “yes” will require commitment and worship.
The vices especially affect our relationships with other people. Anger can lead to the more intense and out of control rage. Anger is natural reaction of self-preservation against a perceived threat. But if it goes unchecked, it can lead to bad attitudes and even bad actions that can be harmful to us or to those around us. Slander and abusive speech (literally, “blaspheme”) do not honor God or others. These are often filled with wrong assumptions and lies. This type of speech usually brings a negative response from others and can ruin relationships of all types.
Telling lies hides the truth in exchange for convenience or selfish ambition. Lying is dishonest and often tries to hide bad behavior. Lying can especially lead to problems if done within churches where we would expect honesty. Lying may show up when people are afraid to confess their sins and weaknesses to one another or to put on a false face of hypocrisy. This was part of the old self. Paul will get to the new self in the following verses. A fundamental change must take place in the way a person talks, thinks, and acts. The change will lead to immediate and profound changes in relationships with other people. This is part of forming a new character in likeness of Christ who dwells within us.
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