Out With the Old, In With the New

I once had a coworker who would get a new car every year. He would buy a car, drive it until the new model came out, then trade in the old model for a brand new one. It was out with the old and in with the new. This is how it should be when we have Jesus in our lives. When we are in Christ, when we are following Him and living with Him by faith, we are a new creation. The old person is gone, replaced by the new and improved version. As with my coworker and his cars, it is out with the old self and in with the new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we belong to Christ, when He is Lord of our lives, our old sinful self is crucified with Him. Gone are all of the earthly passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). The old, corrupted self is replaced by the new self, with new attitudes that align with those of Christ. We become who we were created to be (Ephesians 4:22-24). So, what exactly does it mean to get rid of the old self and become the new creation we are meant to be in Christ?

First, it means turning from the things that are a part of our fallen, earthly nature. We must rid our lives of things such as sexual immorality, impurity and lust. We must do away with evil desires and greed (Colossians 3:5). We must also eliminate such things as anger and rage, the desire to cause hurt or harm to others or to speak falsely of them. And we must make sure that what passes our lips is not language that is impure or crude (Colossians 3:8). When we take off the old self and its earthly ways, we begin to become more like our Creator. We reflect the image of the One who created us.

The new self, which reflects the image of God, is identified by virtues such as compassion and kindness. We walk in humility and display gentleness and patience. We are always ready to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us. And, most importantly, we reflect the love of God as we love each other. This kind of love binds us to each other in perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14). When we love each other, we become one, just as Jesus is one with the Father (John 17:21). This is what Jesus prayed for on the night before He gave His life for us. When we get rid of the old, and put on the new, others will see Jesus in us. And, when they do, they may very well want what we have.