Unrivalled: Christ the Ultimate InfluencerSýnishorn

Day 9: Taking off the old

In our society, you can typically make good guesses about a person’s identity by the type of clothes he wears. A nurse will be in a uniform. A businessman will probably be wearing a suit. A fitness instructor will likely be dressed in sporting attire.

In today’s passage, Paul uses the clothing analogy to describe the actions and attitudes that believers must put off and put on, wearing clothes that reflect our identity as children of God.

Paul reasons with the Colossian believers that since their old selves have already died with Christ, they should get rid of all that belongs to the old. After ridding themselves of their past sinful behaviours and attitudes, the believers are to put on new clothes of righteousness and holiness. The good news is that we have new clothes that match our heavenly identity. We are called not just to turn away from our sins but to actively pursue God, know Him, and become like Him (v10). He enables us to take off the old and gives us the new life of freedom from sin, just as he created us to live.

So, take time to ponder on the following: Which set of clothing are you wearing, really? Have you really taken off your old garbs and put on the new self from Christ? Perhaps some of us have been satisfied to put on a nice coat of Christian values on top of our old clothes, refusing to fully strip off our sinful ways hidden from the sight of others. Perhaps we may find it easier to straighten our collars and dust off our clothes rather than dig deep and put our sinful ways to death.

We may not engage in the most extreme expressions of these immoralities for most of us, but we may do so in subtler forms. We may not blatantly live a sexually promiscuous life, but we may still be engaged in pornography or be sexually active with our boyfriend or girlfriend. We may not be physically aggressive but struggle with fits of anger towards our children with the slightest trigger. As we take a closer look at Paul’s list of sinful behaviours and attitudes (v5-9), let’s really ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and point out the areas that we need to repent.

Prayer Points

• Pray for the courage to leave behind any sinful practices like anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and sexual promiscuity. Let us be convinced that these practices are not fitting for God’s children.
• Ask the Lord to assure us of our new identities in Christ. Ask the Lord to teach us how to live out those new identities biblically and practically. May people around us see Christ in how we live our lives and be drawn to Him!