Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 335

December 1;      Colossians 3:10;       181/260(III);        ‘Put On, Put Off’

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

Both Colossians and Ephesians tell us to put on things and to take off things.  When we become born again, our spirit is changed instantly.  The heart (spirit) of stone that we had is recreated into a spirit alive unto God.  What does not happen instantly is our mind is not recreated nor our body.  We still have to deal with thoughts we had prior to becoming a Christian and disciplining our body, refusing to allow it to do things that are contrary to the Word of God.  We have to be honest with ourselves right here.  Religion would teach that we have to behave or we will be punished by God.  Obviously that is a lie.  If you think about that, it makes no sense.  If the Lord thought you were obeying Him for the simple reason that you did not want to be punished what kind of a relationship would that be?  If on the other hand, out of a realization of what Jesus Christ has done for you, you purpose in your heart to live right because you love the Lord, that is Christianity.  Verse 8 of this chapter tells us what to put off and this verse tells us what to put on.  Notice we put on the new man by the knowledge the Bible gives us.  We become doers of the Word.  The Bible says we are blessed in all we do if we are doers of the Word.  Here, in the last part of this verse is what is so exciting to me.  We are made in the image of the Lord and when we choose to obey the Lord out of our love and gratitude, we become more and more like Jesus.  Jesus on the earth now.  That’s us.