October 24, 2016 PUT ON (part one)
Colossians 3:10,12: “and having put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him- And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
The power of God to totally transform the lives of those whom He has called is beyond the comprehension of the natural mind. It is God who initiated, and the One who called us, and it is only by His power that our transformation takes place, but He has given us a part in working out this transformation. We have been transformed, we have been made new, and now we must learn to live, or walk in our newness, and just as we choose to put on a coat, we choose to “put on the new self.” The putting on of our new self, requires that we first take off the old self; in the first part of Colossians, chapter three, we find a list of some of the things we are to lay aside or take off. The awesome fact is that the new self that we are to put on is made in the image of God! God has made wonderful provision for our lives to be a reflection of Him, and we become that reflection not by our own strength, but by being transformed. The taking off of the old man and putting on the new man is the most crucial choice we must make as Christians; it determines whether or not our life is lived according to His design and purpose. Putting on the new self is not a one-time event, but we are to be continually putting on, or choosing to walk in our newness. As we see in the above verses, we have the opportunity, and the ability, to put on a heart of compassion in place of being indifferent or selfish, and instead of being rude or ill-tempered, we can express kindness, even when others are un-kind. We can lay aside our pride and clothe ourselves with genuine humility, and in place of being harsh, we can be gentle in nature as we relate to others, and we can exchange impatience for patience. What a difference it makes, and what a blessing it is not only to us, but to others as well, when we live and respond to life in the here and now out of the new self. Colossians 2:10 tells us that we “are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” We lack nothing, but have all we need to live according to the new self, and thereby be a reflection of our Father. Let us be quick to lay aside the old self and quick to put on the new self that God has designed us to be.
Romans 6:4: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as in Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Blessings,
Buddy
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