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00:01 When Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, 00:04 it was in the year 60-61 C.E., 00:07 just similar to the time that he wrote Ephesians, 00:11 which we talked about yesterday. 00:13 And he wrote for similar reasons 00:15 —to protect his brothers from the immoral environment 00:18 that was around them and to encourage them 00:20 to fight against the weaknesses of the flesh. 00:24 So let’s open our Bibles to Colossians chapter 3, 00:27 and we’ll read verse 5 in its entirety. 00:30 Colossians 3:5: 00:33 “Deaden, therefore, your body members 00:35 “that are on the earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, 00:40 “uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, 00:44 and greediness, which is idolatry.” 00:49 And we’ve been told that these expressions 00:53 convey the idea of totally wiping out these desires. 00:57 When we sense them coming up in our heart and mind, 01:00 we slay them; we wipe them out. 01:03 And it’s very important because to fail to do that 01:07 puts us into all sorts of difficulties with Jehovah 01:11 and with others and causes problems for ourselves. 01:16 Look at verse 6: 01:18 “On account of those things the wrath of God is coming.” 01:22 So it affects our everlasting future as well, doesn’t it? 01:25 One thing that is highlighted here 01:28 is how serious these desires can become. 01:31 They get bound up with greediness, 01:34 covetousness, which is idolatry. 01:38 And covetousness has been described 01:41 as something that is insatiable. 01:44 It’s always after something that it should not have 01:47 or it does not have the right to have. 01:49 It’s ruthless and self-seeking; it has been defined as that. 01:53 And a covetous person, or a greedy person, 01:57 makes the object of his desire so strong 02:00 that in essence it can become his god. 02:04 And that reminds us of the inspired words 02:07 at Philippians 3:18, 19, 02:09 where Paul used a similar expression 02:12 about those who used to be with him in the truth but no longer were, 02:16 and he was very sad about that. 02:19 And what happened to them? 02:21 Well, “their god [became] their belly,” 02:24 and their desires overwhelmed even their love for Jehovah. 02:29 And it was back in 1978 02:32 that The Watchtower, in the April 1 issue, 02:36 said this about this quality of greed 02:40 —covetousness— and idolatry. 02:42 It said this: 02:44 ‘If we become aware of a wrong desire 02:46 ‘building up within ourselves, 02:49 ‘we do well to call to mind 02:51 ‘how precious our relationship with God is 02:54 ‘and how senseless it would be to forfeit this 02:57 by making oneself an idolater.’ 03:01 So that’s a very serious thought, isn’t it? 03:03 That a person could actually start worshipping something 03:07 other than Jehovah. 03:10 And that was a very serious sin 03:14 even in ancient Israel, wasn’t it, this matter of idolatry? 03:17 It carried the death penalty. 03:20 But, you know, another aspect of the Ten Commandments 03:23 that carried the death penalty 03:25 was adultery. 03:28 So, what is the similarity 03:31 between idolatry and the death penalty 03:34 and adultery and the death penalty? 03:37 Well, worshipping an idol, 03:40 a person would break his covenant with Jehovah. 03:43 And committing adultery, 03:46 he would break his covenant with his spouse. 03:49 So why would Jehovah feel so strongly about that? 03:52 Well, let’s open our Bibles to Psalm 33, 03:55 and we’ll look at the kind of person 03:59 Jehovah is when it comes to his word 04:02 and what he says. 04:05 Psalm 33, let’s read verse 4: 04:08 “For the word of Jehovah is upright, 04:12 and everything he does is trustworthy.” 04:16 And then look at verse 9: 04:19 “For he spoke, and it came to be; 04:22 he commanded, and it stood firm.” 04:25 So the psalmist is saying, 04:27 “When Jehovah says something, he means it.” 04:31 And so when a person says to Jehovah, 04:33 “I’m going to worship you exclusively” and he doesn’t, 04:36 it’s treachery. 04:39 It’s unlike God, Jehovah. 04:41 It’s like the Devil, who is a liar and untrustworthy. 04:46 So it adds weight, doesn’t it, 04:48 to our desire never to fall victim 04:51 to idolatry in any form? 04:55 Now, our comments in The Watchtower 04:58 (which we’ll read a little bit later today in the actual printed comment) 05:03 do focus on this matter of marriage 05:06 and adultery and avoiding that, of course. 05:10 And what we’d like to do now is just take a few moments 05:14 and highlight some dangers 05:17 that could come up for married people 05:21 and see how that applies 05:24 to deadening, or slaying, those desires 05:29 right from the very beginning 05:31 so that they do not flourish and cause a problem. 05:34 One of the principles that we can think about is Proverbs 22:3. 05:39 We see “the danger,” and we turn aside. 05:43 So, what are some things that we could see as a danger, 05:47 identify them, and slay them before they become a problem? 05:52 Well, obviously, what we look at, 05:55 listen to, and read 05:58 fills our mind with either good or bad, 06:01 so we avoid intake of bad things. 06:04 It only fuels bad desires. 06:08 But research has shown and our publications have often commented 06:13 that when a person gets involved in adultery, 06:17 it isn’t always just a sexual greed, 06:22 or the sexual desire, 06:24 that motivates him to go down that path in the first place 06:28 or her to go down that path the first time. 06:32 Well, what is it? 06:34 Well, what is the fundamental function of marriage? 06:38 It has often been said 06:40 that the fundamental function of marriage 06:43 is receiving and giving emotional support. 06:49 It’s a relationship where a person feels loved, 06:53 appreciated, wanted, and needed in a very special way. 06:58 And when a person begins to feel that that is missing, 07:02 then they begin looking for someone who can give them that 07:06 —not necessarily right away sexual gratification. 07:11 And that’s why 07:13 the Awake! of January 8, ʹ86 Awake! said 07:19 that being a good listener “has the capacity 07:22 “for making the other person feel that he is especially valued 07:26 and what he is saying is of concern and significance” to him. 07:31 So it’s this relationship that needs to be guarded 07:34 —the friendship. 07:36 And the 1994 Watchtower of July 15 07:40 added weight to this comment 07:42 when it quoted a divorce attorney, of all people. 07:46 And he said what was the single biggest reason couples break up. 07:51 And this is what he said, it was quoted in the magazine: 07:54 “The inability to talk honestly with each other, 07:57 bare their souls and treat each other as their best friend.” 08:01 That’s the main reason. 08:03 That can often lead to other physical contact. 08:07 But it often is not the one that gets it started. 08:12 So now, what can we do to avoid that? 08:15 Well, we want to treasure our relationships. 08:18 And it reminds us of an experience that was given 08:20 in the August 15, 2012, Watchtower, 08:24 about an elder and pioneer named Daniel 08:28 and his wife, also pioneering. 08:31 He was very involved in the congregation 08:33 —always took on assignments. 08:36 He had three Bible students —men— 08:38 who got baptized, but they needed a lot of help; 08:40 they were newly baptized. 08:42 He was busy with other assignments. 08:44 His wife spent a lot of time with these newly baptized brothers. 08:49 He was neglecting his wife. 08:51 She bonded emotionally with one of these brothers; 08:54 adultery was committed. 08:57 But Daniel said he bore a heavy responsibility in that respect. 09:03 In fact, at the end of the lessons learned, 09:06 he said this: 09:08 “There is much more to life than struggling to care for privileges 09:11 to the detriment of your own family.” 09:14 So a need for balance. 09:17 Pursuing Kingdom interests, of course 09:20 —and an understanding wife or husband can understand and support that— 09:24 but there is a balance. 09:26 And if it oversteps itself, then real problems can result. 09:32 So we want to do all we can 09:34 to slay desires when we sense them in ourselves. 09:38 And it’s going to take earnest effort; 09:41 it’s going to take endurance 09:43 because as long as we’re in this imperfect state, 09:46 no one can say, “I am immune to any of those desires 09:50 that could crop up at different times.” 09:52 So our love for Jehovah, our love for our mates, 09:55 our love for our brothers prevents us 09:57 from going down the path of greediness and idolatry, 10:00 which only results in harm. 10:03 How grateful we are to be with brothers and sisters like you who love Jehovah, 10:08 love their marriage mates, love the brotherhood, 10:10 and do all they can to stay morally clean! 10:13 Keep it up with Jehovah’s help.
00:01 When Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, 00:04 it was in the year 60-61 C.E., 00:07 just similar to the time that he wrote Ephesians, 00:11 which we talked about yesterday. 00:13 And he wrote for similar reasons 00:15 —to protect his brothers from the immoral environment 00:18 that was around them and to encourage them 00:20 to fight against the weaknesses of the flesh. 00:24 So let’s open our Bibles to Colossians chapter 3, 00:27 and we’ll read verse 5 in its entirety. 00:30 Colossians 3:5: 00:33 “Deaden, therefore, your body members 00:35 “that are on the earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, 00:40 “uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, 00:44 and greediness, which is idolatry.” 00:49 And we’ve been told that these expressions 00:53 convey the idea of totally wiping out these desires. 00:57 When we sense them coming up in our heart and mind, 01:00 we slay them; we wipe them out. 01:03 And it’s very important because to fail to do that 01:07 puts us into all sorts of difficulties with Jehovah 01:11 and with others and causes problems for ourselves. 01:16 Look at verse 6: 01:18 “On account of those things the wrath of God is coming.” 01:22 So it affects our everlasting future as well, doesn’t it? 01:25 One thing that is highlighted here 01:28 is how serious these desires can become. 01:31 They get bound up with greediness, 01:34 covetousness, which is idolatry. 01:38 And covetousness has been described 01:41 as something that is insatiable. 01:44 It’s always after something that it should not have 01:47 or it does not have the right to have. 01:49 It’s ruthless and self-seeking; it has been defined as that. 01:53 And a covetous person, or a greedy person, 01:57 makes the object of his desire so strong 02:00 that in essence it can become his god. 02:04 And that reminds us of the inspired words 02:07 at Philippians 3:18, 19, 02:09 where Paul used a similar expression 02:12 about those who used to be with him in the truth but no longer were, 02:16 and he was very sad about that. 02:19 And what happened to them? 02:21 Well, “their god [became] their belly,” 02:24 and their desires overwhelmed even their love for Jehovah. 02:29 And it was back in 1978 02:32 that The Watchtower, in the April 1 issue, 02:36 said this about this quality of greed 02:40 —covetousness— and idolatry. 02:42 It said this: 02:44 ‘If we become aware of a wrong desire 02:46 ‘building up within ourselves, 02:49 ‘we do well to call to mind 02:51 ‘how precious our relationship with God is 02:54 ‘and how senseless it would be to forfeit this 02:57 by making oneself an idolater.’ 03:01 So that’s a very serious thought, isn’t it? 03:03 That a person could actually start worshipping something 03:07 other than Jehovah. 03:10 And that was a very serious sin 03:14 even in ancient Israel, wasn’t it, this matter of idolatry? 03:17 It carried the death penalty. 03:20 But, you know, another aspect of the Ten Commandments 03:23 that carried the death penalty 03:25 was adultery. 03:28 So, what is the similarity 03:31 between idolatry and the death penalty 03:34 and adultery and the death penalty? 03:37 Well, worshipping an idol, 03:40 a person would break his covenant with Jehovah. 03:43 And committing adultery, 03:46 he would break his covenant with his spouse. 03:49 So why would Jehovah feel so strongly about that? 03:52 Well, let’s open our Bibles to Psalm 33, 03:55 and we’ll look at the kind of person 03:59 Jehovah is when it comes to his word 04:02 and what he says. 04:05 Psalm 33, let’s read verse 4: 04:08 “For the word of Jehovah is upright, 04:12 and everything he does is trustworthy.” 04:16 And then look at verse 9: 04:19 “For he spoke, and it came to be; 04:22 he commanded, and it stood firm.” 04:25 So the psalmist is saying, 04:27 “When Jehovah says something, he means it.” 04:31 And so when a person says to Jehovah, 04:33 “I’m going to worship you exclusively” and he doesn’t, 04:36 it’s treachery. 04:39 It’s unlike God, Jehovah. 04:41 It’s like the Devil, who is a liar and untrustworthy. 04:46 So it adds weight, doesn’t it, 04:48 to our desire never to fall victim 04:51 to idolatry in any form? 04:55 Now, our comments in The Watchtower 04:58 (which we’ll read a little bit later today in the actual printed comment) 05:03 do focus on this matter of marriage 05:06 and adultery and avoiding that, of course. 05:10 And what we’d like to do now is just take a few moments 05:14 and highlight some dangers 05:17 that could come up for married people 05:21 and see how that applies 05:24 to deadening, or slaying, those desires 05:29 right from the very beginning 05:31 so that they do not flourish and cause a problem. 05:34 One of the principles that we can think about is Proverbs 22:3. 05:39 We see “the danger,” and we turn aside. 05:43 So, what are some things that we could see as a danger, 05:47 identify them, and slay them before they become a problem? 05:52 Well, obviously, what we look at, 05:55 listen to, and read 05:58 fills our mind with either good or bad, 06:01 so we avoid intake of bad things. 06:04 It only fuels bad desires. 06:08 But research has shown and our publications have often commented 06:13 that when a person gets involved in adultery, 06:17 it isn’t always just a sexual greed, 06:22 or the sexual desire, 06:24 that motivates him to go down that path in the first place 06:28 or her to go down that path the first time. 06:32 Well, what is it? 06:34 Well, what is the fundamental function of marriage? 06:38 It has often been said 06:40 that the fundamental function of marriage 06:43 is receiving and giving emotional support. 06:49 It’s a relationship where a person feels loved, 06:53 appreciated, wanted, and needed in a very special way. 06:58 And when a person begins to feel that that is missing, 07:02 then they begin looking for someone who can give them that 07:06 —not necessarily right away sexual gratification. 07:11 And that’s why 07:13 the Awake! of January 8, ʹ86 Awake! said 07:19 that being a good listener “has the capacity 07:22 “for making the other person feel that he is especially valued 07:26 and what he is saying is of concern and significance” to him. 07:31 So it’s this relationship that needs to be guarded 07:34 —the friendship. 07:36 And the 1994 Watchtower of July 15 07:40 added weight to this comment 07:42 when it quoted a divorce attorney, of all people. 07:46 And he said what was the single biggest reason couples break up. 07:51 And this is what he said, it was quoted in the magazine: 07:54 “The inability to talk honestly with each other, 07:57 bare their souls and treat each other as their best friend.” 08:01 That’s the main reason. 08:03 That can often lead to other physical contact. 08:07 But it often is not the one that gets it started. 08:12 So now, what can we do to avoid that? 08:15 Well, we want to treasure our relationships. 08:18 And it reminds us of an experience that was given 08:20 in the August 15, 2012, Watchtower, 08:24 about an elder and pioneer named Daniel 08:28 and his wife, also pioneering. 08:31 He was very involved in the congregation 08:33 —always took on assignments. 08:36 He had three Bible students —men— 08:38 who got baptized, but they needed a lot of help; 08:40 they were newly baptized. 08:42 He was busy with other assignments. 08:44 His wife spent a lot of time with these newly baptized brothers. 08:49 He was neglecting his wife. 08:51 She bonded emotionally with one of these brothers; 08:54 adultery was committed. 08:57 But Daniel said he bore a heavy responsibility in that respect. 09:03 In fact, at the end of the lessons learned, 09:06 he said this: 09:08 “There is much more to life than struggling to care for privileges 09:11 to the detriment of your own family.” 09:14 So a need for balance. 09:17 Pursuing Kingdom interests, of course 09:20 —and an understanding wife or husband can understand and support that— 09:24 but there is a balance. 09:26 And if it oversteps itself, then real problems can result. 09:32 So we want to do all we can 09:34 to slay desires when we sense them in ourselves. 09:38 And it’s going to take earnest effort; 09:41 it’s going to take endurance 09:43 because as long as we’re in this imperfect state, 09:46 no one can say, “I am immune to any of those desires 09:50 that could crop up at different times.” 09:52 So our love for Jehovah, our love for our mates, 09:55 our love for our brothers prevents us 09:57 from going down the path of greediness and idolatry, 10:00 which only results in harm. 10:03 How grateful we are to be with brothers and sisters like you who love Jehovah, 10:08 love their marriage mates, love the brotherhood, 10:10 and do all they can to stay morally clean! 10:13 Keep it up with Jehovah’s help.
