Put Off...Put On

Basic principle...when you bathe you first take off your dirty clothes and once you finish, you put on clean clothes.  You would not take a bath and then put back on the same dirty clothes.  The same thing holds true for your life as a Christian.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you become a new creature.  Old things are passed away, behold all things become brand new.  Now we all know that it is not as simple as taking a bath and putting on clean clothes.  Or is it?  What we do know is that because we have now been washed in the blood of the Lamb, we have the necessary tools to 'put to death' some of our old behaviors.  What are those behaviors?  Some of them are listed in Colossians 3.  Things like sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness. (verse 5) There are also things like anger, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (verse 8)  I know in my case ridding myself of some of these things was just like death.  For some of them I went through the grieving process.  I didn't necessarily see the wrong in some of them.  Some of the things made me feel too good.  They couldn't be wrong.  Some of the things were used as an outlet for other frustrations.  There were some things that I never thought I would get rid of.  They just kept coming up.

This is where the power of the word comes in.  As we put off the old self  and put on the new self we must continue to be renewed in knowledge.  (verse 10)  Not just any old knowledge but the knowledge that comes from the Word of God.  'For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.  Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart'.  (Hebrews 4:12)  The Word has a way of pointing things out in us that are not of God.  And sometimes it doesn't feel good.  Sometimes we want to continue to hold on.  Let someone mess with a member of my family, my first response is not to show love.  Anger is a more proper response.  It's hard to remember sometimes that this battle is not mine but the Lord's.  It is through this process called sanctification that I am becoming progressively more like Jesus.  So I must 'put on' a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.  I need be willing to forgive.  'And above all these things put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony' (verse 12,14) We cannot do it on our own.  I know that I cannot love that sister who lied on me and stabbed me in the back without the love of God.  I can't smile at the woman in the church, who I should be looking up to, when she attacks one of my children without the love of God.  The boss who speaks to a co-worker about me.  The wife who is unfaithful.  The driver of the diesel who cuts me off on the highway.  Without the love of God, the old Ramona would come out and it might not be as pretty.  Some of those things that I had previously put to death may be resurrected.  But I realize that this thing is bigger than me.  I must let this mind be in me that was also in Christ Jesus.  I must walk in the spirit and die to the lusts of the flesh.  I must stay in His Word so that the Holy Spirit can continue to point out to me those things that are not like God.  I must always be evolving,  becoming better than I was yesterday.  Sometimes better than I was a few hours ago.  We must have faith and remember 'it is possible'.  We must let the word of Christ dwell within us.  'And whatever we do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him'.  (Colossians 3:17)  I know that in and of myself it just isn't possible for me to love my enemies, bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them that despitefully use me.  I just couldn't do it.  But as I renew myself daily in the Word, it becomes a little bit easier.  I start to see some victories.  I don't take any credit though, I give all praise to God! One way that Satan tries to trip us up is by attacking our minds.  He wants us to believe that we can't change.  But I encourage you to remember that with God all things are possible.  He can bring about a true change in your life. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father, 

Praises be to God the Father, the one who is able to make all things new.  I thank you for all that You have already done in my life and today I give to You all those things that I continue to hold on to.  If there be anything in me that is not like You, take it away.  Cut it out.  Help me be the example You would have me to be as a child of God.  And while You are doing this, help me to be an encourager to those around me that may be struggling with some things.  Help me not to criticize or judge, for I too, am in the process of becoming.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.