Thursday, October 19, 2023
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. Colossians 3:10
Off with the Old and On with the New
When we become a follower of Christ, we become a new creation in Him. If we are going to be a new creation, we have to “put off the old self with its practices” and “put on the new self.” We can’t move forward and grow in Christ if we try to keep our old self and put the new self on top. They cannot exist together.
Paul uses the phrase “put off” here when talking about the old self. This phrase was commonly used when talking about changing clothes. They would “put off” the old, or dirty clothes they had worn for the day and “put on” the new clothes. In the same way, we take off the old ways like we are taking off a coat and put on the new ways. We are wrapped in the new person we are in Christ the same way a coat wraps around us. It protects us from the elements coming at us, just as our new self (Christ in us and the Holy Spirit) protect us from the elements that used to be a part of our old selves.
As a new creation in Christ, we should live differently. The way we were before, the choices, decisions we made, and the actions we took were all a reflection of our sinful nature, or old self. We have a new reflection to show the world now. Our sinful natures, although still a temptation, are part of our past. By refreshing our new nature every day through the knowledge of the One who created it – Jesus Christ – we can live in that new nature. Putting off the old self is not a one-time deal. It is something that we will have to do continually, until the habit of our new self becomes stronger. Even as we grow stronger, we will have to be intentional about living in our new ways. Being in God’s word daily, communing with Him, and saturating our lives with Him keeps the old self at bay.
Today and every day remember to put off the old self and put on the new self. You are a new person in Jesus Christ!
