The Old Man and the New Man

The New Testament often uses the word “old” to describe the nature before Christ and the word “new” to describe the nature of a man after receiving Christ.  These first paragraphs in Colossians 3 describe “putting to death” the old man and the characteristics of a life led by the flesh. Here is what Paul writes in verses 8-11: “⁸ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”  Verses 8-9 list some of the sinful characteristics of the “old man” that we are to “put off”.  We can do this because of the power of the Holy Spirit who has been given to each person in Christ.  Our job is to go along with and cooperate with our “makeover” that God desires to do. There used to be a TV show titled, “Extreme Makeover” where a person would have their external appearance significantly changed.  God desires to do an “extreme makeover” on each of His children, though the makeover is on the inside.  I encourage you to join God in this process.  Finally, verse 10 reminds us that the “new man” is in the image of Christ. We don’t have to figure out what our “new man” is supposed to be or look like.  Our example is Christ.  And in the words of the Men’s Warehouse advertisement:  “You’re going to like the way you look”!