Union with Christ

Every religion in history says do this, become that. Paul says you’ve got it backwards. Most people read Colossians 3:5, “Put to death what is earthly in you,” as a call to try harder. But back up two verses and everything changes. “You have died.” That’s not a command. That’s a declaration. Paul completely reverses the logic of every moral and religious framework you’ve ever encountered. The indicative/imperative structure in his letters is one of the most liberating distinctions in the New Testament. You are not putting sin to death in order to become dead to it. You are enacting what is already true of you in Christ. The imperative always flows from the indicative. That changes everything. See the complete episode transcript below. A few episode highlights ✅ Colossians 3:3 and 3:5 belong together. “You have died” is the indicative — a declared fact about every believer in Christ. “Put to death your earthly members” is the imperative — the command that flows from it. The order is everything. […]