Who is in your passenger seat?

Last week I heard one of the most unimaginable and troubling stories I have heard in a while.

The words of the news reporter were something like this, ‘Today at noon, we’ll tell you about a woman who drove around for ten months with a dead body in her passenger seat.’

Now, my first thought was that they were sensationalizing the news again and trying to hook viewership. However, when I watched the news later, it was an actual segment. Apparently police officers came upon an automobile which was illegally parked and were shocked when they realized there was a corpse in the passenger seat.

The woman had supposedly been driving around with this body for approximately ten months. Allegedly, she had befriended a homeless person who she would let sleep in her car and went out one day to realize her friend was dead. Then, afraid to contact the authorities, the woman continued to drive around with and even dress the corpse for several months.

Now, when I heard this news, the first thing I thought after, ‘that is so sad’ was, ‘how could she deal with the stench?’

As I sat thinking about it, a couple of questions arose:
If the spirit man is alive and the flesh is dead, why are so many still driving around with the corpse? And, how do we as believers deal with the stench?

In Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT, Paul admonishes the believers, ‘Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.’

Colossians 3:3,5 says, ‘For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.’

What is he saying?
The message is that we should not be socializing with our flesh man. In fact, we are the ones who are to put our flesh man to death.

Understand that there is no amount of air freshener that can combat the stench of decaying flesh. And we should not cater to the desires of our flesh as if it were a living thing. No, we are called to die daily and we live with the understanding that ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24).’

In Colossians 3:1 Paul says, ‘If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.’

Who, or what, is in your passenger seat?

Do not allow lifeless and decaying thoughts, attitudes, behaviors or people to occupy your life. Don’t be afraid to call upon the authority of God’s Word to have those dead things removed from your presence. They must come to new life in Christ Jesus or they must leave your life and find their way to the place where dead things go.

Certainly they cannot travel through life with you in your passenger seat.