Eternity 97 - The Old Must Go
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Colossians 3:5-10 ASV Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: (7) wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; (8) but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: (9) lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, (10) and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Some preach that we can pray a prayer of commitment to Christ then sin all we like because we are forgiven. That is not the Scriptural position. When we believe we are made new, we are given a new self, a new creation that is righteous. This new self is a "new man" and lives a new life. It has new standards and they are holy. Thus conversion involves a radical break with the life of sin and an eager entering into a life of holiness.
The "New Man" lives a new life, doing new things, thinking new thoughts, speaking new words and behaving in new ways consistent with Heaven where he dwells and Christ who he serves, and the Lord in whose image he is made.
As "ascended saints" we are citizens of Heaven, and are seated in heavenly realms with Christ, our life is hidden in Christ with God, and we will one day will judge angels (1 Cor 6:2,3). Hebrews even says that Jesus is "not ashamed to call us brethren" (Hebrews 2:10-13). We are a high and holy and sanctified people so we must put away those things which are earthly, carnal, obscene, and degrading.
Internet pornography must be renounced, along with fornication, passion and evil desire. Greed and covetousness and sweaty scheming is setting up an idol in your heart. So put it to death. Swearing and abusing must not come out of our mouths.
Nastiness, malice, hatefulness, spite and petty jealousy and gossip must be seen for what they are - utterly un-Christlike and unfitting for the born-again Christian.
We have put off the old man. He was crucified when we found Christ, we died to sin (Romans 6) and we now live to God. Therefore let us not lie to one another but tell the truth in honest relationships full of integrity and trust.
Sin is not a light thing. God gets angry at it. It brings His punishment, His wrath, "for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience". But if we are in Christ and following Christ our lives will be characterized by obedience and holiness and we will walk in the light. We will act like a son of God, not a son of disobedience.
We have put on the new man and he is in the "image of Him who created him" that is in the image of God. Our new self is a direct creation of God, and is in the image of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns and is revealed we will find out that we are "like Him" (1 John 3:1-3, Col 3:1-4). Day by day we are "being renewed" by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Tit 3:5 not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
2Co 4:16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
The old must go. The renewing of our life into holiness and truth and grace is the true eternal direction of our existence. We are not here to indulge the senses or be enslaved to passions but to become like Christ. Therefore put to death the old and focus fully on the new, the holy and the good.
Blessings,
John Edmiston
Asian Internet Bible Institute
http://www.aibi.ph/
email: johned@aibi.ph