Put Off the Old Self and Put on the New Self! (3)

[Colossians 3:5-17]

So, what is the new person we must put on? The Outline Bible commentary is organized into five categories:

First, the new self we must put on is new life and new knowledge.

Look at Colossians 3:10 – “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” The apostle Paul already stated in Colossians 2:12 that we, as saints, have been buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Furthermore, in Colossians 3:1a, he has already said that we, as saints, have been raised with Christ. Therefore, he said that we must continue to seek the things above. That is, because we are saints who have died with Jesus Christ and have been raised (resurrected) with Jesus Christ, we are no longer to set our minds on earthly things (v. 2) or pursue earthly things. But instead, we are to set our minds on the things above (v. 2) and live while seeking the things above (v. 1). In other words, we are to walk in newness of life.

What is the new life that we, who believe in Jesus, should put on? It is eternal life. Where does the term "eternal life" prominently appear? It is mainly found in the Gospel of John. In Greek, "eternal life" is translated as "ζωὴ αἰώνιος," combining the words "ζωὴ" (life) and "αἰώνιος" (eternal). This phrase conveys two meanings: first, it signifies life that continues endlessly in terms of time, and second, it denotes a spiritual life that is different from human life in quality. Therefore, the term "eternal life" encompasses both the concept of life that is endless in duration and the spiritual life enjoyed within God. Particularly in the Gospel of John, the term "eternal life" not only implies the eternal blessings to be received in the future, akin to eschatological teachings, but it also emphasizes the blessings that believers can experience in the present moment within the realm of Jesus. Thus, the Gospel of John asserts that those who believe in Jesus already possess eternal life and can experience this blessing in reality within Jesus. What indeed is the blessing of eternal life that we experience in the present? It is the future blessings bestowed upon us as we share in intimate personal communion with the eternal God and His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (Jn. 17:3). One representative example is participating in the divine nature of God. In other words, the blessing of eternal life that we partially experience while living on this earth in Jesus Christ is growing to be more like Jesus within the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Another blessing of eternal life that we currently enjoy in part is love. When we love God with the love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit and love our neighbors, we partially taste the joy of heaven. Additionally, the blessing of eternal life is peace. Although we live in a world without peace, those who believe in Jesus partially experience God's peace, which is a blessing of eternal life, while living on this earth.

So, what new knowledge should we, who believe in Jesus, possess? Look at Colossians 1:9, which says: "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives." The apostle Paul did not cease praying to God to fill the faithful saints of the Colossian church with the knowledge of God's will (v. 9). Additionally, Paul prayed without ceasing for them to live according to God's will. Paul hoped that their knowledge of God would continue to grow (v. 10). Therefore, the new knowledge we should possess is precisely the knowledge of God and understanding His will.

Second, the new self we must put on is compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Look at Colossians 3:12 – “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Here, the word "compassion" in English corresponds to the Latin roots "pati" (to suffer) and "cum" (with), which combine to mean "to suffer together." In essence, compassion urges us to go to places of woundedness, enter into places of pain, and share brokenness, fear, chaos, and anguish together, as stated by Henry Nouwen, author of the book "Compassion." However, the meaning of the Hebrew word for "compassion" is quite astonishing. The Hebrew word for "compassion" is "rachamim," which refers to the womb of Yahweh (God). Therefore, while reading an article about "womb wisdom," I summarized it into three aspects and compared these three aspects of the womb with God's compassion in three ways: (1) Just as the womb does not reject but accepts foreign substances, our heavenly Father does not reject us sinners but embraces and accepts us. (2) Just as the womb accepts the infiltration of placental blood vessels to supply nutrients and enable the growth of the placenta, our Lord Jesus, by tolerating the 'infiltration of sin' of us sinners, that is, bearing our sins on the cross, has provided us with the bread of life. Therefore, for those who believe in Jesus, who is this bread of life, He now prevents further 'sin infiltration' and keeps our bodies and souls from being defiled by 'communication of sin.' (3) Just as during pregnancy the uterine lining blocks natural cell death while the baby grows in the womb, and in the later stages of pregnancy, the uterine wall of the mother becomes thin and soft to facilitate the movement of the fetus, similarly, the Holy Spirit enables us to live a vibrant faith life, allowing us to move freely and fully within the Lord, making our hearts lively and active.

Through the compassion of the Triune God, you and I are receiving God's guidance. This merciful God will never abandon us but will lead and guide us. Even if we betray and forsake Him countless times, He desires to protect us in His embrace and lead us. He will never leave us alone in this wilderness. Just as an infant would die if it left its mother's womb, we would perish if God were to forsake us; therefore, He will never abandon us but will guide us. This God showers us with boundless compassion, not just once or twice (Neh. 9:19). He is the God who desires to always be with us, who does not leave us alone in a world like a wilderness, who desires to share in our suffering with us. This God is your God and my God.

About 600 years ago, I learned of a prayer title from a woman named Julian who lived in England. One of the titles of her prayers was ‘the wound of mercy.’ Since then, I have also begun to pray to God to grant me the wound of mercy. It seems that I am now receiving an answer to that prayer. Though I am sad, hurting, and troubled, I want to draw out the fragrance of the Lord's mercy through this wound of mercy that He is giving and sustaining me with.

The fundamental idea behind the word “kindness” that we, as new people, should put on, as seen in today's text Colossians 3:12, is “profitableness”. This contrasts with the meanings of "suddenness" or "severity" (Word Studies in the New Testament commentary). This word is translated as “kindness” in Colossians 3:12. In other words, Paul is urging us as new people to be gentle, tender, and kind to one another (Word Studies in the New Testament commentary). For example, we should speak kindly. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Kind words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 31:26 says, "She speaks with wisdom and kindness." Moreover, we should be kind to everyone (2 Tim. 2:24). The Bible even instructs us to show kindness to those who hate us and our enemies (Lk. 6:27, 35).

In today's passage, Colossians 3:12, the “humility” that we, as new people, should put on, means considering oneself last and regarding oneself as least (KJV Bible commentary). When I think of this meaning, I recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 20:16: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Here, a humble person is one who, as the last, places oneself at the end. The Apostle Paul exemplified humility after the example of Jesus. Ephesians 3:8 says, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Jesus said, "... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Mt. 25:40). Therefore, we should be faithful in "very little" as Jesus teaches (Lk. 16:10).

In today's passage, Colossians 3:12, the "gentleness" that we, as new people, are to put on is not weakness but a subtle consideration for others through humility (lowliness). This stands in contrast to arrogance and self-assertion (KJV Bible Commentary). It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 11:29: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Also, in Psalms 18:35, it is said that the Lord exalted the Psalmist because of His gentleness. Indeed, God has highly exalted His uniquely gentle Son, Jesus, giving Him the name above all names, so that every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). Therefore, as the apostle Paul instructed his spiritual son Timothy, we must pursue gentleness (1 Tim. 6:11). We ought to pursue gentleness and, like Paul, speak with the gentleness and kindness of Christ (2 Cor. 10:1). If someone has gone astray, we should correct them with a gentle spirit, following the Holy Spirit, and be careful not to fall into similar temptations ourselves (Gal. 6:1).