Putting On a New Self

Putting On a New Self 

THE EAGLE

The Scottish preacher John McNeill liked to tell about an eagle that had been captured when it was quite young. The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard. It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the ground. This bird that once soared high in the heavens seemed satisfied to live the barnyard life of the lowly hen.

One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd who came down from the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, “What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go?” The farmer agreed, so they cut off the restraint. But the eagle continued to wander around, scratching and pecking as before. The shepherd picked it up and set it on a high stone wall. For the first time in months, the eagle saw the grand expanse of blue sky and the glowing sun. Then it spread its wings and with a leap soared off into a tremendous spiral flight, up and up and up. At last it was acting like an eagle again.

Perhaps you have let yourself be comfortable in the barnyard of the world—refusing to claim your lofty position as God’s child. He wants you to live in a higher realm. Confess your sins, and “seek those things which are above.” You will soon be longing to rise above the mundane things of this world. Like the eagle, it’s not too late to soar to greater heights again. –

Topic: Our Moral, Spiritual, and Behavioral Transformational Change.

The natural man needs Gods presence in our lives

1. First, problem is our hardness of heart.

2. Second, darkened understanding

3. Third,  ignorant of the true value of things in relation to God and eternity

4. Fourth, a life of futility

5. Fifth, we are alienated from the life of God.

Our Lord will dress us in a right mind and in robes of righteousness if we will allow him to do so.

X       "Putting on the new self" in a Christian context refers to the concept of personal transformation, where individuals actively choose to live a life aligned with God's will and teachings, characterized by righteousness, holiness, and renewed thinking.

X       This involves shedding the "old self" characterized by sin and flawed habits and embracing a new way of living that reflects Christ's likeness

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-12 tells how this change is possible.

1st The main message of Colossians is the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.

2nd Paul emphasizes that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the creator of all things, and the one in whom believers are complete.

X       He challenges false teachings that diminish Christ's role and asserts that Christ is Lord over all creation and the church. 

X       The book of Colossians challenges followers of Jesus to examine their lives and be transformed through the resurrection and love of Jesus.

Is This Something We Do of Our Own Power?

But we do not do this on our own. God wants to help us put on this new self.

As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 

And as he adds in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” He’s referring not only contentment and peace, to surviving hardship, but to the process of sanctification.

In John 15:2, Jesus talks about how the Master Gardener “cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

We, his followers, can bear fruit as long as we remain connected to him, the vine. He’ll help us as long as we keep the faith and stay connected with him.

The scripture tells us how with a 12 step process

Step 1-5 explains how to REMOVE, OR RID OURSELVES OF THE FOLLOWING.

1. Col 3:1  Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

1. Col 3:2  Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth.

Col 3:3  For you have died, and your life has been hid together with Christ in God.

Col 3:4  When Christ, Who is our life, is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory.

1. Col 3:5 Therefore, put to death your members which are on earth—sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry 

Col 3:6  Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Col 3:7  Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in these things.

1. Col 3:8  But now, you should also put off all these things: wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and foul language from your mouth.

1. Col 3:9  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man together with his deeds,

Steps 6-12 tells us to PUT ON, OR ADD THE FOLLOWING.

1. Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him Who created him;

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free; but Christ is all things, and in all.

1. Col 3:12  Put on then, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering;

1. Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive.

1. Col 3:14  And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

1. Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body, and be thankful.

1. Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

1. Col 3:17  And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

SUMMERY

Peace rules the day when Christ rules the heart!

We need this in our new life

1.    The peace of God is the peace of the Divine nature — the very tranquillity which prevails in the heart of the God of Peace. It was of this that Jesus spoke when He said, “My peace I give unto you”; for his own being was filled and blessed with it during his earthly career. In each of us may be a sea of glass, reflecting on its pellucid and tranquil bosom the untroubled calm and rest, which are unspeakable because eternal and Divine. “The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always.”

2.    Becoming a new person in Christ begins with the transformation of the mind. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2).

However, although the decision to become a Christian may be instantaneously made, the transformation of a sinful human body into one that exemplifies the conduct appropriate to the mind of the new self (righteousness and holiness, Eph 4:24) requires a lifetime of determination and discipline (Eph 4:22-5:21).

3.    Peter writes: "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2).

For Paul, the creation of the new self is the antithesis of the decay and death of the old self, the human body: "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).

4.    This renewal is possible because the Spirit of God "helps us in our weakness" (Rom 8:26).

"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Rom 8:11).