Imagine you’re getting ready to attend an important meeting or function. Perhaps earlier that day you had been working in your yard, or cleaning down in the basement. No one would consider going to their important meeting dressed in dirty work clothes. Instead, you would take off the dirty clothes and put on some nice, clean ones. If you found that the clothes you had planned to wear to the meeting were stained or spotted, again, you would take them off, and put on another clean outfit. You also make sure your face and hands are clean, along with neatly combed hair. No one wants to go out into public with dirty, stained clothing on, nor a mussed-up face or hair. What about how we look spiritually? Do we need to change our appearance? In our Scripture today Paul addresses this topic. Let’s see what God’s Word says.
In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul is writing to believers, not the unsaved. One thing he speaks about is how after we have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior, we are a new person in Him. Therefore, he says, we are to make a conscious effort to put an end to remaining sin in our flesh (vs. 5). All of these sins come from following our own desires, rather than God’s way. When we always want our own way, we are, in a sense, worshiping ourselves, which is idolatry. God cannot abide sin in any form, especially in His children.
Before we were saved, we all walked in the ways of sin (vs. 7). However, when we accept Jesus, we become a new person. Paul speaks of the “new man” and the “old man”. The “old man” is all that a person was, prior to salvation, his worldly thinking and sinful acts. The old man is our old, unregenerate self. The “new man” is the person one becomes after conversion, with a new nature, new values, aspirations, and new life-style. The new man is our new, regenerated self in Christ.
At salvation, our “old man” died in Christ, and our “new man” lives in Christ. We must put off remaining sinful deeds, and be continually renewed into Christ-likeness (vs. 8-10). Just as we take off those dirty old clothes, we are to put off sinful actions, such as anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, fornication, uncleanness, covetousness. These sins are the filthy garments of our old sinful lives. We are to get rid of the past worldly behavior, putting to death anything and everything that belongs to worldly ways.
Just as we take off dirty clothes, we put on clean clothes. We put off sinful behavior and put on Christ Jesus, and behaviors the Holy Spirit brings forth (vs 10, 12-14). We now have a new identity in Jesus. Our character is like the clothing that we wear. Most of us would want to look our best with what we wear in public. The same should be with our spiritual lives. We need to show the world who we belong to. We need to act consistently with who Jesus is, and what He wants. Our conduct should match our faith, and our actions should show that we follow Jesus.
Some of the “good clothes” we are to put on are mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering (vs. 12). These godly traits aren’t just something to “wear” on special occasions. We are to wear them everywhere, and all of the time, as God works in us to reflect Him. Another particular “garment” we are to put on is forgiveness (vs. 13). We are to forgive others as Jesus forgave us. When God forgives, He remembers wrongs no more (Jeremiah 31:34b). Jesus set the pattern for forgiveness, and we are to follow His example.
Christians should live in peace with each other (vs. 14-15), working together with each other despite any differences. God wants Scripture to permeate every aspect of the believer’s life, and control every thought, word, and deed (vs. 16). We should bring honor to Jesus in every aspect and activity of our daily lives (vs. 17). We need to remember that we represent Jesus wherever we go, and with whatever we say.
Finally, our “new man”, our “new clothes” should reflect an attitude of gratitude (vs. 15b). There are often times we don’t feel like giving thanks, and maybe even don’t feel like there is anything to thank God for. However, if we open our eyes, we will see that there is always something to be thankful to God for.
So what are you wearing today? Is your “new man” still putting on the old, dirty, filthy garments? Or do you choose to represent the Lord Jesus well by putting on the good, clean garments that He has given us through the Holy Spirit?
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