CONCUPISCENCE

WORD OF WISDOM

CONCUPISCENCE ~ Desire, Romans 7:8 (R.V., "coveting"); Colossians 3:5 (R.V., "desire"). The "lust of concupiscence" (1 Thessalonians 4:5; R.V., "passion of lust") denotes evil desire, indwelling sin.

Source: Easton's Bible Dictionary

King James Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Weymouth New Testament Therefore put to death your earthward inclinations--fornication, impurity, sensual passion, unholy desire, and all greed, for that is a form of idolatry.

The Greek word nekroo, rendered moritfy, is stronger. It means put to death. Since you died to the world and the flesh, slay also the earthly lusts and passions which belong to the flesh. They belong to the old nature, not to the new creature.

Don't let your dead nature be active in you any more, but let your living nature be active. Now the strength of nature is known by the desires. Therefore let the affections of the world die in you, and let the contrary desires which are spiritual, live.

The desires and lusts that are in us, are in this passage very properly called members, because the reason and will of man is corrupted, and uses them as the body uses its members.

It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Constant opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be avoided: the lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world; and covetousness, which is idolatry; love of present good, and of outward enjoyments. It is necessary to mortify sins, because if we do not kill them, they will kill us. The gospel changes the higher as well as the lower powers of the soul, and supports the rule of right reason and conscience, over appetite and passion. There is now no difference from country, or conditions and circumstances of life. It is the duty of every one to be holy, because Christ is a Christian's All, his only Lord and Saviour, and all his hope and happiness.

WE MUST "PUT TO DEATH" THE SENSUAL SINS (5-7)
1. Those that appeal to the "lust of the flesh"
a. Fornication
1) Grk., porneia {por-ni'-ah}
2) A general term for any illicit sexual intercourse;
includes adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality
b. Uncleanness
1) Grk., akatharsia {ak-ath-ar-see'-ah}
2) Uncleanness in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful,
luxurious, profligate living
c. Passion (inordinate affection, KJV)
1) Grk., pathos {path'-os}
2) Used by the Greeks in either a good or bad sense; in the
NT in a bad sense, it means depraved passion, vile
passions
d. Evil desire (evil concupiscence, KJV)
1) Grk., epithumia {ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah}
2) Desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden,
lust
2. Also that which appeals to the "lust of the eyes"
a. Covetousness
1) Grk., pleonexia {pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah}
2) Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice
b. Described by Paul to be equivalent to idolatry!
1) For covetousness puts things in the place of God
2) We are to set our minds on things above (where God is),
but when we covet material objects we have our minds on
things below, making such objects our idols!
3. Motivation for putting these things to death
a. To avoid the coming wrath of God! - Co 2:6-7
b. It's one thing to do these things when we "lived in them",
but in Christ we have "died to them"!

God's Blessings to each of you,

LJG/rECj