Christ Above All:
The New Life in Christ –
Putting Off the Old Self
In our first two weeks in Colossians we’ve seen that the unshakable foundation: Christ is supreme over all creation and redemption, and that we must guard the gospel against any “Jesus-plus” teaching that diminishes His sufficiency. Now the letter turns deeply practical.
This Sunday we will discuss Colossians 3:1-17: The New Life in Christ – Putting Off the Old Self.
Paul doesn’t leave us admiring Christ from a distance. Because we have died with Him and been raised with Him, our everyday lives must reflect that reality. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Your true life is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). That heavenly identity fuels radical change here and now.
The old self—with its patterns of sexual immorality, greed (which is idolatry), anger, slander, and lying—must be put to death (Colossians 3:5-9). These aren’t minor habits to manage; they belong to the person we used to be. In Christ, that person is dead.
In its place, we are called to “put on” the new self: “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another… forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13). Above all these virtues, “put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). Let Christ’s peace rule your hearts, His word dwell richly in you, and do everything in His name with thanksgiving (Colossians 3:15-17).
This isn’t a call to grit your teeth and try harder. It’s gospel-powered transformation: kill sin because you’ve already died to it; clothe yourself in Christ’s character because you’ve been raised to new life. The result is a community where ethnic, social, and economic barriers fade because “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).
Come expecting heart-level challenge and hope. We’ll explore everyday ways to put off the old and put on the new—starting Monday morning, in traffic, at the dinner table, and in strained relationships.
Invite someone who feels stuck in old patterns or wonders if real change is possible. Let’s discover together how the supremacy of Christ reshapes not just our beliefs, but our daily walk
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