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The New Self

Colossians 3:9b-10 ...since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

I feel like the verse earlier in Colossians 2 gets my attention. (2:20) "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:"(2:23) "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."  Christians are not robots following rules or self-controlled do-gooders who obey God because they're supposed to.  However, sometimes we do act this way, we just do it with "Christian" things so we don't recognize it or we think that somehow, because we are being "Christian" that makes it okay.  (**Don't misunderstand me, the following practices can definitely have an impact on our lives and on the lives of others, and they can be outpourings of the Spirit working through us, for sure. Be sure to keep reading.) We read our Bibles, say our prayers, go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, sing in the worship team, teach Sunday School, serve at the shelter and buy gifts for the Angel Tree.  These are all wonderful, wonderful practices, but they are not what makes us Christian nor do they have the power to "renew our knowledge" and change our hearts.  The issue comes when our old self takes these wonderful practices and makes them a ritual or religion, cheapening them by making them worldly "Christian" principles or duties to be done.  Remember, what makes us Christian is our relationship with Jesus Christ.  A Christian is someone who has Christ living in them.  Do you realize that our leader is the only one, of all the world's religions, who is still living?  Significant?  Yes!  Jesus' being alive is why we can have a new self.  When Jesus is in you, the focus verse happens.  You are continually being molded and shaped to be like your Creator and to become the one He created you to be at the beginning of all things.  Let Him do it!

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