Put Off the Old and Put On the New (Colossians 3:1-4)

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV)

What’s happened when we first believed in Christ the Son of God? The truth for all believers in Christ is that we died with Him, were buried with Him, and were raised with Him. Through the faith in Christ the Son of God, we were liberated, delivered, and redeemed by the grace of the blood, poured out of the throne of grace. The iron bondage has been broken by the power of God who is stronger than the prince of darkness and we have been made alive in Christ. This is real and true for everyone in Christ from the beginning. We were dead in transgressions and sins but now have been made alive with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms. We have been made blameless and holy in the sight of God through the blood of the cross of Calvary, so we enter into the holy of holies in confidence and boldness. Christ indwells in the churches who confess that Christ is Lord and Savior.

Therefore, we continue to put off the old self and put on the new now and forever. In order to put on the new, you must put of the old first and then put on the new. The old nature is from the earth and the new from the above, heaven. First, reject the old man because we do not belong to Adam any longer and accept the fact that we are the new in Christ.

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” (Colossians 3:5-11 NKJV)

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:12-17 NKJV)