Moments of public exposure, like the recent Epstein file releases, pull back the veil on something Scripture has never denied: when power is severed from the fear of God, sin does not merely persist; it metastasizes.

What we are witnessing is not a deviation from human nature.

It is the mature form of the earthly, fallen nature Paul describes in Colossians 3.

Colossian 3:5 NET

“So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.”

What happens, if you don’t put it to death? What happens when you let your earthly nature live, and thrive, and consume? What is the end of sexual immorality? Impurity? Shameful passions? Evil desires? Greed?

I think we are seeing a glimpse in this national news. It’s on public display. However, brother and sister, let’s take one step back before we move forward.

The earthly nature is inherited rebellion

When Paul commands believers to “put to death what is earthly in you,” he is not listing isolated vices. He is naming the pattern of rebellion that has marked humanity since the Fall.

This is nouthetic at its core.

The problem is not environmental.

It is not circumstantial.

It is not merely behavioral.

The entire man is corrupted—mind, will, affections, and desires. The heart is not morally neutral; it is liturgically active, always moving toward worship. The corrupted heart moves towards corrupted worship. It sacrifices to its corrupted gods.

That movement is formulaic:

The heart is rooted in sin It feeds on sin It desires through sin And it ultimately worships in sin

This is why Paul’s list feels repetitive across Scripture.

It is not creative evil. It is predictable rebellion.

What we are seeing in powerful men acting in greed, lust, secrecy, corrupt speech, and destructive action is simply the unrestrained logic of the Fall given time, access, and immunity. But, be warned, no one is truly immune.

From disordered desire to de-glorified humanity

Scripture consistently teaches that you become like what you worship.

Worthless idols do not merely fail to save—they hollow out the worshiper.

This is the tragedy beneath the headlines.

Human beings were created as image-bearers, designed to reflect and multiply the purest worth in the cosmos: the glory of God. Glory is weight. Substance. Reality aligned with truth.

But when worship turns downward—toward pleasure, power, domination, or secrecy—glory is exchanged for something lighter, thinner, and ultimately destructive.

This is not merely moral failure.

It is de-glorification.

And the more powerful the idol, the more catastrophic the collapse.

Why Paul does not offer reform

At this point, many want accountability, exposure, and reform—and rightly so. Scripture affirms justice, and God will have it.

But Paul goes deeper.

He does not say: “Restrain the earthly nature, manage it, redirect it, or educate it”.

He says something entirely different:

Put it to death!

Why?

Because something has already died.

Colossians 3 is built on resurrection logic:

Colossians 3:1–4 (NET)

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth,
3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
3:4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.

• “If you have been raised” — not hypothetical, but covenantal logic: since this is true…
• “You have died” — past tense, definitive, non-negotiable
• “Hidden with Christ” — identity secured, not performed
• “Christ… is your life” — not your morality, not your healing progress, not your obedience
• “Revealed in glory” — glory is restored, not earned

Dear Christian: You have died. Your life is hidden with Christ. Christ is your life.

Paul is not asking believers to overcome sin in order to become worthy. That would simply baptize a works-based religion with spiritual language. That’s religious moralism. It is a worthless idol.

You cannot worship your way into worthiness.

Worth is not achieved—it is received.

The old life does not need rehabilitation. It needs burial.

And here is the truth we must not soften:

If you have not died with Christ—if your life is not hidden in Him—then your life is not merely “unfinished” or “misdirected.” It is lost. Christ is not yet your life. And Scripture is clear: He will not only be Savior—He will be Judge. The same risen Christ who offers mercy now will one day execute perfect justice. Neutral ground does not exist. There is no resurrection life apart from death, and no refuge apart from repentance and faith.

This is not said to provoke fear for fear’s sake, but to speak honestly about reality. Grace is freely offered, but it is not indefinite. The call of Colossians 3 begins with resurrection—but resurrection only comes after death.

If you find yourself on the outside of that truth, I encourage you to listen carefully to this short teaching from Voddie Baucham, where the stakes of Christ’s lordship and judgment are spoken with clarity and conviction.

Exposure that reopens wounds

Public revelations like these do not land evenly.

For many, this moment will reopen deeply buried wounds—abuse, exploitation, betrayal, silence, shame. Anger and suffering are often tightly woven, and exposure can intensify both.

This is where Colossians 3 presses the church beyond commentary and outrage.

If Colossians 3:5 names the logic of evil, the rest of the chapter calls us to embody its radical opposite.

Where sin consumed, we protect.

Where power exploited, we serve.

Where silence enabled harm, we speak truth with gentleness.

Where bodies and souls were used, we restore dignity.

This is resurrection ethics! It is not moralism. It is not image management. This is new creation living.

There is an opportunity before us. Colossians 3 does not end with death—it ends with clothing.

Compassion. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience. Love.

These are not virtues we generate; they are garments we are given because we belong to Christ.

In moments like this, the opportunity is twofold:

1. To reflect soberly on our shared sinfulness and need for death and new life in Christ.
2. To actively offer help, hope, and healing to those wounded by the very sins now being exposed.

This happens through discipleship, fellowship, friendship, and, when needed, faithful, careful biblical counsel that understands trauma without surrendering truth.

At Good & Well, this is our posture:

Not sensationalism. Not distance. Not moral superiority.

But encouragement, equipping, and presence—so that resurrection life is not just confessed, but embodied.

Darkness is being exposed. Justice will come.

And the light of Christ is still strong enough to heal what sin tried to destroy.

Contact Good&Well today if you or someone you know needs help.