Nancy Leigh DeMoss: A family in my community was having severe respiratory problems. The cause turned out to be a toxic black mold that had spread in their house. It was so bad that a simple cleanup wouldn’t do. A major renovation wouldn’t have been good enough.

This family had to actually tear down their entire home, brick by brick, all the way down to the foundation. In its place they built a new, mold-free house.

That mold is a picture of what sin does to us. It contaminates us to the core of our souls. To fix the problem, we don’t need reform or renovation. Instead, we need to put our sinful flesh to death.

In Colossians 3 we’re told to put to death immorality, anger, slander. Getting rid of those things is like taking the old house down.

Then we’re told to put on the qualities we see in Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, and patience. These are the building materials that will help us build a new toxin-free house.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.