Old Self or New Self?

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

 

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

 

If we are believing in Jesus Christ with God-given and divinely persuaded faith, we have died with Christ to sin, we have been raised with Christ to newness of life in him, born of the Spirit of God, and now we are walking according to the Spirit and no longer are we under the control of the flesh.

 

Therefore, we should be those who are seeking the things that are of God’s eternal kingdom, and we should not be chasing after the things of this sinful world. This is not to say that we can’t have possessions, but that possessions should not be our gods. We should not hunger after them.

 

But this isn’t just about possessions or things. This is about attitudes, values, ideas, philosophies, beliefs, practices, and behaviors. We should not be like the world, but we should have the mind of Christ. We should be one with him in his values, morals, thinking, and practices.

 

Why? Because IF we are truly in Christ by genuine faith in him, we have died with him to sin, and we have crucified the flesh with him, and we have been given new lives in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

Thus, when Jesus Christ, who is our life (who should be our life) appears, then we will be with him forever in glory. But if we have not died with him to sin, and if we are not living to him and to his righteousness, then we don’t have that promise (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; 1 Co 6:9-10).

 

Colossians 3:5-10 ESV

 

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

 

Even though we died with Christ to sin and we were raised with Christ to newness of life in him when we initially trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, it doesn’t end there. We, as followers of Jesus, are to die daily to sin and self and daily follow Jesus in obedience (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Tit 2:11-14).

 

So, daily we put to death, by the Spirit, what is earthly (of the flesh) in us. And this is not about just confessing the same sins over and over again while nothing changes, but while we keep on living in the same sins. This is about heart transformations and life alterations of the Spirit of God.

 

We don’t continue living in sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire, idolatry, and the like. That is not acceptable to God. His grace is NOT free license to continue living in sin, making sin our practice. For, if we continue living in sin, making it our practice, we will die in our sins, not have eternal life.

 

So, putting sin to death means cutting it out of our lives. It means we obey the Lord, and we say “No” to sin, and we say “Yes” to God when tempted to sin. We also cut out of our lives anything that might lead us into sin. We know our weaknesses. We don’t test fate! (Tit 2:11-14)

 

But this isn’t just about putting off what is of the flesh out of our lives, but it is also about putting on Christ and his righteousness. We must be those who are walking (conducting our lives) according to the Spirit of God, and not according to (in agreement with) our flesh (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

Lies are horrible! God hates lies! I hate lies – speaking of deliberate falsehood, either outright lying to someone or deliberately withholding information owed someone with the intention to deceive and to mislead. "White lies" are included, too, no matter how you may dress them up.

 

We are to be people of integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, honor, dignity, uprightness, godliness, and moral purity. We are to be people who are surrendered to Jesus Christ, who walk in his ways and in his truth, who do not have divided hearts and loyalties.

 

We are devoted to Jesus Christ and to walking in his love and to living holy lives, pleasing to him. We are to be those who are in the word of God daily, taking its truths into our hearts and minds, and who are not hearers only, but who are doers of the word, who put the word into practice in our daily lives, by the grace of God, and empowered by God’s Spirit.

 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

 

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

 

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

 

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

 

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