My lovely granddaughter, Ally, spent the day with me. During the course of the day, she kept laughing and saying, “whatEVER!” She knew that puzzled me so she said it often and we’d both end up laughing; especially when I’d say it back to her! We had a great time doing, well, you know, “whatever.”
The New Testament uses “whatever” 69 times. (NIV) The dictionary defines ‘whatever’ as; “everything, anything left over that hasn’t been mentioned.” Of the 69 NT ‘whatever’s, Colossians best speaks to today’s temptations while living the “Christ Life.”
“Put to death, therefore, WHATEVER belongs to your earthly nature.” The Word of God says these things—what things?—WHATEVER—moves us away from being an example of Christ; you should end “that,” put “it” to death. Oh, mercy, that is easier said than done, but, with God’s help, I CAN do this.
Every day I remind myself that the Word of God speaks using the second person pronoun, “But now YOU (ME!) must rid yourselves of all such things.” God isn’t going to deliver me from myself. The choices I make every day are directed by Him, but it’s up to me to put actions to His direction.
God will help me overcome my human nature by the constant witness of the Holy Spirit, through the renewing of my mind through the Word, by MY willingness to accept the disciplines of Bible study, Christian fellowship, daily prayer and self control to mold me into the image of Christ.
God isn’t going to MAKE me do anything! No matter how hard I pray; God will not remove my self will. So, what things do I do or not do in order to become more Christ like? WHATEVER it takes.
Colossians: 3:5-10 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.