Colossians 3:8-10
When out to buy new clothes, most of the time we wish to find something that will be delightful to our eyes, comfortable, and that will give us a nice, presentable appearance before people. New clothing changes our appearance but does not change us internally.
In today’s reading text, there is a list of sins which are recurring in our life: anger, indignation, filthy language. When driving in traffic, we may feel irritated or angry with irresponsible attitudes taken by other drivers, and in our thoughts, we may say filthy things or wish something bad would happen to that irresponsible driver for the erroneous attitude he or she has committed. These are pieces of evidence that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). There is no possibility on our own to change the inclination we have towards evil. It reaches the core of our being, making our attitudes and thoughts reflect on the evil that lives within us.
However, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be “clothed” with new garments that do not just change our external appearance. The only way we can be made similar to Christ is believing that His blood shed on the cross cleanses and purifies us of our sin (I John 1:9). The new “clothes” we receive when we believe in Christ, give us the possibility to fight against our evil inclination because the practices that belong to the old life (our “old clothes”) are thrown out and substituted with a new mentality, a new character: the character of Jesus Christ (new clothes).
Because of Christ, we can control ourselves when we get irritated in traffic; we can even get angry but there is no more desire to insult the other driver. Sin is smoldering within us, but we no longer desire it: our desire for life is in Christ.
Jesus gives us completely new clothes… Are we going to get it filthy with sin? Why?
