WE “PUT OFF THE OLD MAN” WHEN WE RENOUNCE SINFUL HABITS, TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. - Colossians 3:8-10
When we ask Jesus to become the Lord of our lives, we are born-again, and we “put on the new man." This "new man" is in a continuous renewal process since the Holy Spirit touched us, convicted us of sin and we admitted that we were sinners in need of a Savior. The fact that Jesus came to dwell in our hearts through faith, was just the beginning of a long line of inner transformations that come from the renewing of the mind through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).
We are to “put off” all our bad habits, negative and temperamental ways of reacting to what we do not like or want, hating others, being malicious, demanding vengeance, using harsh words, foul language, cursing and insulting others. As "born-again" Christians, we are the followers of Christ, which means that we should follow the example of our Lord in all areas of our lives.
In my early Christian years, I heard a message called “What would Jesus do?” that helped me very much in my spiritual walk. When I was not sure how should I react or had a decision to make, I started to form the habit of asking myself: “What would Jesus do, if He was in my place?” That helped me clear my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to help me the right response for my situation and also realize what should not be a part of my new life with Christ, anymore. As a result, it helped me pay more attention to my thoughts, emotions, words and actions, and additionally increased my desire for studying God’s Word, to know Jesus more and to seek God’s will.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. - Colossians 3:8-10
When we ask Jesus to become the Lord of our lives, we are born-again, and we “put on the new man." This "new man" is in a continuous renewal process since the Holy Spirit touched us, convicted us of sin and we admitted that we were sinners in need of a Savior. The fact that Jesus came to dwell in our hearts through faith, was just the beginning of a long line of inner transformations that come from the renewing of the mind through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).
We are to “put off” all our bad habits, negative and temperamental ways of reacting to what we do not like or want, hating others, being malicious, demanding vengeance, using harsh words, foul language, cursing and insulting others. As "born-again" Christians, we are the followers of Christ, which means that we should follow the example of our Lord in all areas of our lives.
In my early Christian years, I heard a message called “What would Jesus do?” that helped me very much in my spiritual walk. When I was not sure how should I react or had a decision to make, I started to form the habit of asking myself: “What would Jesus do, if He was in my place?” That helped me clear my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to help me the right response for my situation and also realize what should not be a part of my new life with Christ, anymore. As a result, it helped me pay more attention to my thoughts, emotions, words and actions, and additionally increased my desire for studying God’s Word, to know Jesus more and to seek God’s will.
THE HABIT OF BLAMING OTHERS STARTED WITH ADAM AND EVE
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals...” - 1 Kings 18:17-18
It's easy to blame others for our problems. From the first sin in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve and God for giving her to him, and Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12-13) as they tried to find excuses for their disobedience to God. This habit of apologizing and blaming others became part of our human nature, that we all inherited from Adam which came from the Fall.
When we become Christians and are born-again, we become temples of the Holy Spirit and our spirits are completely renewed, but our minds must also be renewed. We must learn to replace our old carnal ways with God’s ways, according to His Word.
For Ahab, it was more convenient to blame Elijah for the drought that punished the whole nation, than to admit his own sins and idolatry. Elijah knew that Ahab was seeking to kill him, but he did not comment when God said to him, “‘Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’ And Elijah went to appear before Ahab. There was great famine in Samaria” (1 Kings 18:1-2).
Elijah already knew that God would not let Ahab take his life and obeyed the Lord's command. We often go through similar situations when it is challenging and hard to be obedient to the Lord, but we need to always remember that the cost of disobedience is much greater in this life and in the eternal life, if we do not sincerely ask God to forgive our rebellion!
JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW AND DEFEATED SIN FOR US
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. - Romans 8:3-4
The Law received by the people of Israel through Moses, could not overcome sin, its penalty or power that enslaves people, because of the weaknesses of our human nature. We can be strong and overcome sin, only with the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, is the only one who has ever lived in a human body, never sinned and was able to fulfill the law.
The just requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us only through Jesus. But for this to happen, we have to stop living according to the lusts of our carnal nature by obeying the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the teachings and commands of the Word of God.
GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US TO SIN
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. - James 1:12-15
Temptation can affect us only if we are weak in an area causing us to find it attractive and desirable. I'm not saying that eating sweets is a sin, but it can become a problem when we eat them without measure. Anything that we allow to control us is a sin. Someone who hates chocolate can have many boxes of the finest and most appetizing chocolates in front of them and not even want to touch any. Instead, for a chocolate lover, any chocolate is hard to refuse. We must identify our weaknesses and ask God to help us overcome them. If we meditate and pray with the Bible verses that refer to our problem, until the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to our heart, it will take us less and less time to overcome our weakness and we will be able to stand firm against the attacks of the evil one. If we are not aware of our weaknesses, the devil will use them to keep us in sin.
JESUS SET US FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. - Romans 8:1-2
Jesus Christ set us free from the law of sin and death; in Him there is no guilty verdict and no punishment for all of us who are truly His. Since Jesus became our personal Lord and Savior, we do not live led by our carnal nature, following its desires, but we follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ sacrifice canceled the condemnation that sin brings. As long as we belong to God, we are free from guilt and the death penalty for sin, because Jesus washed away our sins with His blood.
The “law of the Spirit of life” which began to operate in us as believers, by union with Christ, has set us free from the death punishment brought by the “law of sin and death.” We are not saved by our own efforts, but by God’s grace, that we have received through faith. The life we have received since Jesus became our Lord, is everlasting, as only Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
IF WE SIN WILLFULLY, IT CAN COST US EVERYTHING
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? - Hebrews 10:26-29
These verses together with Hebrews 6:4-6 are often misunderstood. Their message is not about “if one falls into temptation and commits a sin,” but “if one knows something is a sin and still does it and continues to do it.” For every person that knows the truth and was once saved, then at some point in life chooses to reject Jesus and go back to living in sin, there is no more forgiveness of sin as long as they continue to reject Jesus. This is a life and death matter. For those who truly repent and return wholehearted to the Lord, salvation is still possible, but the price that the enemy makes them pay while living in sin and serving him, is very high. There is no pleasure offered by sin that would be worth going through that torment and despair!
Whoever rejected Moses’ law, was to be stoned to death based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How greater a punishment should someone deserve who forsakes the cross because they love sin more than the Son of God, who died in their place, forsaking Jesus and the blood covenant, insulting the Holy Spirit and God’s grace? We have to constantly pay attention to our thoughts, decisions, lusts, words and actions. It is up to us to remain in Jesus and keep Him inside of us, because we have the right to choose. As long as we choose to love God, live right and keep a pure heart, we are blessed and our salvation is secure. If for some reason you ran from Jesus and you wish to come back, you can do it.
IN JESUS WE DIED TO SIN TO LIVE FOR GOD
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? - Romans 6:1-3
Of course we cannot continue to live in sin, loving it more than we love Jesus and be right with Him at the same time. It amazes me to hear that people who live in perpetual sin, consider themselves Christians and are sure they are saved. Why would someone want to continue to live in sin, once they know that sin hurts God and empowers the devil? God’s Word is the truth and it says that once we asked Jesus to become our Lord, we died to sin. That means that we can sin less and less. When we are sincere and truly want to stop sinning, the Lord helps us to change and live a better life. In the Bible we can find the truth about everything we struggle with and by repeating the truth of God’s Word, we can demolish the strongholds that sin built up in our minds to keep us in bondage, and replace them with God’s truth.
It would be helpful for all of us to ask ourselves if we are truly born again and we are truly dead to sin. As long as we live in these bodies we have a carnal nature, but if we are truly born again, our godly spirits should be ruling over the sinful nature. Jesus died for real on the cross, and His death is the only payment that our Heavenly Father accepts for the sins of all people. The baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19b), is the baptism into Jesus' death, through which the Lord canceled the reign of sin over our lives and bringing us into true freedom found in our new life in Christ Jesus.
THROUGH CHRIST WE WERE SET FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. - Romans 6:6-7
The Greek word used for “freed” is “dikaióō” meaning that the believer is "made righteous, justified by the Lord, cleared of all charges (punishment) related to their sins,” according to “HELPS Word-studies.” Paul is not saying that the Christian is now perfect or sinless, but that sin has lost its lordship over him, just as the slave owner loses their rights over a dead slave. The deeper we get this truth, the harder we will give in to being tempted by sin.
When we became born-again only our spirit was made anew by the Holy Spirit, through the seed of God's Word, while our body and soul remained the same. It is up to us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, changing our ways of thinking. We need to change the old, worldly ways of thinking, with the godly mindset. In the beginning of our walk with God, it was not easy to fight against sin because we still had the same mindset, the same patterns of thinking and acting as we did before we were saved. Father God sent the Holy Spirit to help us, because we cannot change in our own strength. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Guide and Teacher who leads us into all truth and helps us live the victorious life.
LET US NEVER FORGET THAT IN JESUS WE ARE DEAD TO SIN
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. - Romans 6:10-12
Glory to Jesus Christ our Lord! His sacrifice was enough to pay for all past, present and future sins of all people in full. Our Lord did His part for our salvation. Once we truly understand that we are forgiven, it is up to us to know that we are dead to sin and alive to Christ and that we should live for God and not for sin. We are to choose what we are using our bodies and souls for.
If we continue to live in sin, we continue to serve the devil, but if we live according to God's leadership and His biblical principles, we serve God and bring glory to His Holy name. It is up to us to choose continuously to live right and produce the good fruit of righteousness. We have to choose to fight against temptations, asking the Holy Spirit to help us to not sin. God does not force us to make the right decisions, and that is why we need to “not let sin reign in our mortal bodies.” When we obey our carnal nature’s lusts, sin is our lord and not Jesus.
THE WAY WE LIVE REVEALS WHO IS OUR LORD
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. - Romans 6:13-14
We choose who we serve and what we are using our bodies for. We better never forget that God knows it all and we have to live right as unto Him, to not obey our carnal nature’s lusts or what pleases other people. As long as we know that we are saved and forgiven by God's grace and not by our own efforts, sin does not have dominion over us.
If we love Jesus with all our hearts, we are willing to live to please Him and Father God. The sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ from the cross, shows how great His love is for us. As we understand how much God loves us, we receive more and more of His love and love Him more and more. While our love for Jesus increases, our desire to sin decreases.
The devil tries to trick us into believing that we cannot ever stop committing certain sins from our past. But this is just a lie. The Bible says that we are freed from the power of all sin and we can choose to do what is right. It is not that we become perfect and never accidentally sin, but we can choose to stop living in perpetual, deliberate sin.
BEING A SLAVE TO JESUS IS TRUE FREEDOM
But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. - Romans 6:17-18
Slaves have to obey their masters, as they are literally owned by them and have no rights, just duties. Since we chose Jesus to be our Lord, we belong to Him as He redeemed us with His blood. Because we do not belong to ourselves anymore, we should follow His leadership and do His will. We cannot continue to obey the lusts and desires of our flesh, as we did while being sinners.
As Christians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, so we have to obey our Lord. Our true master is the one whom we listen to. Only when we surrender it all to God, do we renounce our “ownership rights” choosing allegiance and obedience to the Holy Spirit, can we become holy. Why? Because as we read above, “we are slaves to whom we obey.” No one is their own master, this is just the devil’s lie, to keep people from becoming Christians. We either follow Jesus and He is our true Lord, or we follow the lusts of our flesh and obey the enemy.
IT IS WORTH IT TO PUT GREAT EFFORT INTO NOT SINNING
You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. - Hebrews 12:4
In the first verse of the same chapter, sin was mentioned as the hindrance that we have to put aside, but here it is the major oponent that we have to subdue, even it has a high cost. It is not that God did not equip us with all we need to fight against sin, but it looks like sometimes we consider that we cannot do otherwise than sin. If we realize that it is worth it to fight against sin, even if it costs us our earthly lives, in order to gain the eternal life in God’s presence, we can tear apart sin’s strongholds from our minds and be free from its power.
In the second part of Romans 6:11 we read that we should “...reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are to know and realize that once we decided to follow Jesus, we died with Christ, being dead to sin and raised up with Him, being alive unto righteousness. By renewing our minds through God’s Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we may choose to not obey our carnal nature anymore, by following its lusts, but to hate sin and live right for our Lord.
Copyright © 2020 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.