Off with the Old, On with the New

Look at all the people you can see in this grainy picture... is there any doubt about which one is the bride-to-be?  Obviously not!  Her sister and mother (me!) are standing back there in jeans and some other lady is wearing a somber-looking black skirt.  The one who has "put off" her old clothes and "put on" a new white gown is definitely the bride.  Don't worry-- this isn't the gown she chose for her wedding which is coming up in July.  I wouldn't publish those pictures!  But isn't she lovely?

I am showing you this because one of the most important concepts I have learned recently is that of "putting off" and "putting on."  Check this out from Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV):  "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."

Start thinking about things you've done, said and thought recently.  That snide comment about your co-worker.  That flash of anger toward your spouse.  That condescending tone you used with your... friend/son/daughter/mother/father/spouse/fellow-committee-member/subordinate.  Well, you get the idea.  Just think about it.  Are those things reflections of your old self or your new self?  You get a new self by trusting in Jesus Christ to transform you.  But then you also have to commit to daily "putting off" that old self and "putting on" the new one.  

The Bible is chock full of these "put offs" and "put ons" once you start noticing them.  Just note that every time you find something you need to put off, you're supposed to put on the whole list that's given.  For example:  suppose I just muttered to the person behind me in the grocery store line that the checker was ridiculously slow.  I think that could qualify as "unwholesome talk" according to Ephesians 4:29.  It didn't help anyone or improve the situation.  Better that I had put off that unwholesome talk and put on some words that would build up, that the person needed to hear and that would benefit anyone listening.  See?  Here is the "put off", the "put on" and the verse that it comes from:

Unwholesome talk                Words that build up, that they need to hear,

that benefit others

Eph 4:29   Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Let's rewind.  I'm in a long grocery store line.  I could pass the time by saying to the person behind me, "There's sure a lot of people shopping today.  I had to come in for my Easter ham-- Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  Are you celebrating Easter this year?"  Wouldn't that be better?  Then if they wanted to talk to pass the time, Jesus could be brought into the conversation, or some kind of encouragement could be offered.

Try to think about and pray about what you need to put off today.  And what you need to put on to become a fitting bride of Christ.  You can find all kinds of biblical help for whatever your "old self" issues are.  Here are a few (pages) to get you started.  Obviously the put off is in the left column and the put  on is in the right.

Selfish ambition                    Humility, considering others better than myself,

Vain conceit                           looking for interests of others, being a servant

Phil 2:3-7  ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Self centeredness                 Deny self, take up cross daily, follow Christ, lose your life

Luke 9:23-24  ²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Own ways, haughty             God’s ways, doing what is right and just

eyes, proud heart

Prov 21:2-4  ² A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. ³ To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. ⁴ Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

Prov 3:6  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Is 55:8  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Proud or arrogant talking    Letting all boasting be of God and His glory

I Sam 2:3, 6-8  “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

6“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
⁷ The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

Bitter envy, selfish                Humble deeds, peace-loving, considerate of others,

ambition                                 submissiveness, mercy, having good fruit, impartiality,

                                                sincerity, peacemaking

James 3:13-18 ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Judging others                      Judging myself first then can see clearly

Matt 7:1, 5  “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Quarreling                             Kind, able to teach, not resentful, gently instruct

2 Tim 2:23-25  ²³ Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.

Anger                                     Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger

James 1:19-20  ¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Bitterness, rage, anger        Kindness, compassion, tenderheartedness, forgiving

brawling, slander, malice

Eph 4:31-32  ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Anger, rage, malice,             Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, slander, filthy lang., lying    bearing with one another, forgiveness, love

Col 3:8-14  ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew,circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.  ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Harsh word                            Gentle answer

Proverbs 15:1  A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Paying back evil for evil       Blessing

I Peter 3:9  ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Jealousy, rage, selfish         Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

ambition, envy                       gentleness, self-control

Gal 5:20-23  ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Grumbling (complaining),   Rejoice, be gentle, pray with thanksgiving

arguing

Phil 2:14  ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

Phil 4:4-6  ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Anger, contention                 Forgiveness, reconciliation, peacemaking

Matt. 5:22-24  ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. ²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matt. 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Living for myself                   Living for Jesus who died for me & was raised

2 Cor. 5:15  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Quarreling, jealousy,            Faith, excellent speech, knowledge, earnestness, love,

anger, factions, slander,      generosity in giving

gossip, arrogance, disorder

2 Cor 12:20  For I am afraid when I come… I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

2 Cor 8:7  But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Fear                                        Love, power strong mind/self-discipline

 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Living unwisely, careless    Careful use of time, living wisely, making the most of

use of time, foolishness       every opportunity, redeeming the time, understand what

                                                the Lord’s will is

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Trying to win human                        Trying to win God’s approval, being a servant of God

approval or please people

Gal 1:10  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

P.S.  I am thankful to my friends Gloria and Flo who have been teaching me these concepts.  I sure didn't come up with this myself!