. Nursing a Viper by J. R. Miller 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. Colossians 3 5-7 A new life in
Christ calls for the utter destruction of these evils. It is a shameful
list which Paul names. It makes us ashamed to think
that such qualities may belong to us or may nest in our heart. Who would have thought that any
of these vile things could exist in anyone who wears the human
form? Yet many of these ugly things
are found in each of us. Our hearts are naturally cages
of unclean birds. What does Paul tell us we should
do with these unholy things? He says we are to put them to
death. When we find any evil thing in
ourselves, we must kill it, for it is not right for it to live.
An uncompromising war should be waged against all evil. He who cherishes any impurity
in himself is nursing a viper which will sting him to death
by and by.