I hope you were encouraged and moved to action by the Holy Spirit as you heard yesterday’s sermon, Kill Sin, from Colossians 3:5-7. I’ve already gotten some emails from people this morning demonstrating fruit from yesterday’s emphasis. They realize their weakness and want to make headway in pursuing godliness.

It’s so easy, though, to drift into self-righteousness when we are putting our killing sin into practice. How do I know this is a tendency? Because of what comes out of my mouth. Paul must have realized this too, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he continues in Colossians 3:8-10:

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

It is out of the heart that the mouth speaks. And what comes out of our mouth (or emails, twitter feeds, voicemails, blogs) can either demonstrate what we are putting away or putting on. Therefore, as you speak this week, remember to speak in a way that is not full of anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, or lying to one another. These things are incompatible with someone killing sin. But let’s be characterized by speaking truth to one another in ways that build up for edification. This will show that we are putting on the new self and, indeed, being renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator. He’s the One we want to live for anyway. Remember this, then, as you seek to put into practice killing sin: put away speaking in a way that’s not helpful.