“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Put off and put on.
Paul admonishes Christians to grow into spiritual maturity. To be sure, it is God’s intention that we grow up. He doesn’t want us to be like infants who are helpless and easily deceived. In the natural sense a 30 year old man drinking from a bottle of milk is tragic. So too, in the spiritual life. God wants us to grow spiritually.
As such, we are told to “put off” our old selves. The “old self” is that fallen part of us. The sinful self. The corrupted nature. The self-as-boss part of us that has no desire to yield to or follow God. We are told in Romans 6 that the old self has been crucified and buried with Christ in his death. It is no longer in charge. It has been dethroned as boss and therefore we cannot give into its ways. It is still present in us, but it is no longer to have mastery over us. Paul tells us to “put it off.” The image is that of taking off a set of old, mangled, and filthy clothes that no longer fits us. This “old-self” clothing is no longer suitable to who we are in Christ. It chaffs and it pinches and it is moldy and rotting and smelly. Therefore, he tells us to put off things like: following the crowd of empty-headed people who have no concern for God and his ways, acting greedily in hyper-sensual living, speaking falsely, tearing others down with our words, and being bitter and unforgiving.
Instead, we are told to put on the “new self.” Notice that we don’t have to create the new self. Rather, we received it when we placed our faith in Christ. Just as the old self was crucified with Jesus in his death, so also the new self was raised up with him in his resurrection. This new self is none other than God’s own life. This new self has God’s power and approval and energy for change. This new self is to be in charge in our lives. Therefore,we are called to put it on. We put on our God clothes. We put on the clothing that is fitting for sons and daughters of God. And what are these God clothes? They are things like: speaking truthfully and wholesomely, working honestly, living kindly toward others, forgiving quickly and completely, being humble and gentle and patient, loving others the way God loves them.
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