Today’s Encouragement is Colossians 3:9b-10 NLT “…for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
Put on –
There are several references in chapter 3 to ‘putting on’ and ‘taking off’. The NLT reads ‘you have (already) stripped off your old sinful nature’, now it is time to ‘put on’ our new nature! (V10) says, put on Christ, the ESV says clothe yourselves (Gal 3:27) with Christ!
This happens at salvation doesn’t it, a one-time rebirth? Yes, of course! Read it again, “For you have…” Already! But my friends we aren’t yet (we will be one day!) completely free from this body of our flesh. Some do experience a miraculous delivery from addiction, health, or mental issues… sometimes this occurs at the time of salvation, acceptance of the Grace of Jesus, and sometimes afterwards, and sometimes never! God is not limited in the way He interacts with His children.
Remember that even Paul suffered some undefined affliction and prayed for release from it and heard God’s wonderful and reassuring reply, “My Grace is sufficient.” (2 Cor 12:19)
So, it seems that putting off the old self and putting on the new self… is an ongoing concept. When we find ourselves living in, ‘putting on’ our old self, our sinful nature, we must consciously decide, to turn from that nature, to ‘strip it off’, and to instead ‘put on’ the new nature, to clothe ourselves with Christ. This decision is ours. This choice is called repentance, turning away from (stripping off) our sinful nature, and turning to the grace of Christ! We put on and put off – what we choose.
We can do this! (All things! Phil 4:13) We are well-advised to do this! The alternative is to remain in, to ‘leave on’ the flesh… and that is death for us.
So put on your new nature! Clothe yourself with Christ! We pray this in Jesus’ Name!
Only Jesus
Casting Crowns
Today’s Encouragement 