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? Is it a one-time rebirth? Yes, of course! Reread it, “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 and acceptance of the Grace of Jesus, and sometimes afterward, 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, ‘strip it off,’ and 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.
Father God, help us to put on our new nature; to clothe ourselves with Christ! We pray this in Jesus’ Name!
Only Jesus
Casting Crowns
Today’s Encouragement 