Put Your New Shirt On

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. ¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

I love the book of Colossians!  It has always been such an encouragement for me and it is rich in theological content.  I was thinking through these verses from Col. 3:1-14 this morning.  The thought came into my mind of getting a new shirt.  What is the first thing you do when you get a new shirt?  You put it on of course!  This is how it is when we come to Christ.  When we become a new creation of God through salvation, we “put on” the attributes of Christ i.e. “compassion, kindness, patience, humility, etc.”

But the important thing to remember is that there was a very important step that occurred just before you put on the new shirt.  You took your old shirt off!  When we come into a relationship with Christ, we must “put to death what is earthly” in us.  We must not be impure, have evil desires, or be covetous.  We must be ever striving towards purity in Christ.

So be challenged today to live with your “new shirt” on.  Wear it in a way that exhibits the characteristics of Christ to those around you, believers and non-believers alike.  God will receive glory and you will build bridges of relationship with those you interact with.

-Bro JA