The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 3:5-7, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6 For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,

7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.”

The Apostle Paul has previously informed the Colossian Christians –and us!—that we would face Christ in Heaven. Specifically, we Christians will stand before the bema seat where 1) we will give account of the unconfessed sin in our lives, and 2) we will be rewarded for our labor for His glory here on the Earth.

Now, seeing that all of this is coming to pass, the apostle charges the Colossians –and us!—to get rid of the

sins he enumerates in verse 5; namely, immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. The Colossians understood what all of this meant, because they had been that kind of people before they were saved.

You see, Christians are supposed to be different!

I’ve witnessed to people who said, “I’ve never __(fill in the blank)__ before,” thinking that they were sure to be alright in God’s eyes because they hadn’t done something really, really bad. Well, these things are bad! They’re really, really bad in God’s eyes; and they ought to be bad in our eyes, as well. In fact, this list of sinful lusts and passions is so bad that God is going to bring His wrath in full force against those who engage in such evil!

Believe it or not, I have worked in laboring areas; and I’ve listened to foul language and dirty stories that lost men love to tell. I’ve never been comfortable with such things. Why? Well, I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I know that the Holy Spirit within me was grieved at the garbage that erupted from the mouths of unsaved men. I’ve always loved humor; but I had to learn that Satan wraps some dirty, vulgar stories in some colossal humor, forcing Christians to decide whether they would turn away from the vulgar or laugh at the humorous wrapping.

Oh, Satan’s quite clever. Don’t you forget it. Even more, don’t forget that the LORD is not glorified with filth. He saved us so we could make new lives, live above the frey, and honor and glorify His Holy Name!

Are you there yet? You can be! The LORD will honor those who honor and glorify Him. Just remember: one day we will stand in His presence. Be prepared for that occasion! Live now “to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:14).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”