Lay Aside the Old Man, Put on the New Man

Transcript

GR 986
10/05/1997
Lay Aside the Old Man, Put on the New
Colossians 3:810
Gil Rugh

Colossians chapter 3 in your Bibles.  Paul's letter to the Colossians.  The foundation and parameters of what Paul is writing to the Colossians is the salvation that God has provided in Jesus Christ.  It's a salvation that is multi-dimensional.  It looks back to the point of conversion, when a person first understood and believed that they were sinners separated from God, on their way to an eternal hell, and recognize that Jesus Christ was the only Savior and believed in Him.  At that moment in time there was a cleansing, a forgiveness that took place, that washed away all the sin, all the defilement, all the guilt that sin had brought to that life.  The prophet Isaiah put it very picturesquely when he appealed to the nation Israel in the Old Testament in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 and said, “ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord.  ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.’ ”   Amazing!  Only God could wash so clean, could cleanse so thoroughly that there is no defilement, no spot, no guilt of any kind left in the person whom he has cleansed.

In chapter 1 of Colossians verses 21 and 22 Paul referred to this fact when he said, "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach."  And here Paul carries our attention to a future time when in the very presence of God in the glories of heaven, those who have been cleansed and forgiven in Christ will be presented before Almighty God.  And before this God who is completely holy and completely righteous before the host of heaven, we will be seen to be holy and blameless and beyond reproach.  And this future hope was mentioned by Paul in Colossians chapter 1 verse 5 when he referred to the hope that is laid up for you in heaven.

So our salvation not only looks back to the cleansing and forgiveness that we receive the moment we trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, but it also carries our attention to the future, because our salvation guarantees that there is hope beyond this life.  That there is a time when we will be ushered into the very presence of God in glory.  Now the apostle Paul put it very bluntly in writing to the Corinthians.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 19 he said, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."

I was thinking in light of this section of Colossians how the world is with the death of someone who's been well knowncelebrities.  And I was going back a few years ago and thinking of one wellknown entertainer who died and watched a televised portion of his funeral service.  Friends stood up and said, "We will not let his memory die."  But you know, I can't remember reading anything about him the last couple of years.  You know, at that time everybody's emotional.  But now life has gone on.  We are on to other things.  And so it goes.  I think if all a person has is some frail imaginary hope that comforts them in this life, but they have no real assurance of life after this life, it is a miserable existence.  Most people survive by not giving it any serious thought.  But in Christ we have an assured hope.

But what Colossians is concerned about as we come to chapter 3 is the present aspect of this salvation as it is being worked out in the lives of God's people.  Based upon what Christ has done for us, the cleansing we have received in Him, in light of the future hope we have of glory in His presence, what kind of people are we to be?  And the salvation that God has provided us in Christ intends to change our lives so much that the beauty of God's own character becomes our beauty, that we are brought into conformity with His character and so our conduct is a manifestation of the character of God being produced in us.

In chapter 3 of Colossians, picking up with verse 5 and we'll run down through verse 17, Paul gives a general overview of the things that are not to characterize believers and the things that are to characterize believers.  Particularly verse 5 to 11 focus on the negative more.  Verses 12 to 17 focus more on the positive.  Then he'll move on to specific groups.

In verse 5 he listed some of the things that shouldn't be part of the life of one who belongs to God, who’s been saved by His grace.  He gave a list of certain sinful conducts.  It's better to be put to death.  We are not to allow to have any place in our lives.  The reasons he gave are in verses 6 and 7.  The first reason, we understand that sin brings the wrath of God upon the sinner.  The wages of sin is death.  So we understand, I would not indulge in the sin that will result in many millenniums spent in eternity in hell.  And the second reason is we used to live there.  We did those things when we lived in sin.  But we have been set free and made new.  Why would I could back to the ugliness of my sinful life?  As Paul said in Romans chapter 6 verse 21, "Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the outcome of those things is death."  Paul wants to continue this subject with verse 8 by listing five more sins that must not be allowed into our lives as believers.

Now, as we noted in verse 5, this isn't a complete list.  There are other lists in Scripture, like Romans chapter 1 and Galatians chapter 5 and Ephesians chapter 4, but this gives you an idea of the kinds of things that should have no part, no place in our lives.  Look at some of the things in verse 8, "But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth."  The sins mentioned in verse 8 seem to have more to do with the sins of the tongue directly or indirectly.  And you note the contrast beginning verse 8, "But now you also."  The contrast is with "you also once walked," in verse 7.  You also once walked, but now things are to be different. Your conduct was once characterized by sin and sinful activities because you lived in these things.  But now you also put them all aside.  That's a command.  We saw a command up in verse 5, where it's translated, "Consider the members of your earthly body as dead."  We noted literally, it's "put to death," and given as a command.  Here "put them aside."  A little different figure.  The same point.  We are to have nothing to do with them.

They are like old clothes.  You know, we have . . . a statement will say, "The clothes makes the man."  I think those people who sell those clothes want you to believe that.  And you know, your dress does say something about you.

Periodically I get a call from Greg.  He's going to do something with the high school ministry.  He says, "Dad, we are going to do a nerd play with the kids.  Can I come over and check your closet?"  What's he saying?  I think, well, it's nice he wants to use my clothes.  No.  What?  Put these kind of clothes on a person, it will convey something.  Well, that's the picture here.  The conduct of your life, the things you do represent you, say something about you, are a manifestation of you.  Your conduct reveals your character.  So certain things are to be put aside, discarded like old clothes.

Down in verse 12 he'll get specific about what we are to put on, what are the new things that are to characterize our new life in Christ.  But first what must be put off in verse 8?  Anger.  Wrath.  These two things go together.  And many times they are used interchangeably.  When there is a difference, anger refers to that inner settled condition of the heart and mind, whereas wrath, the word translated "wrath" would have more to do with the explosive manifestation of your anger.  Like we'd say somebody “loses their temper” would be reflected in this word we have translated “wrath” here.  Anger and wrath have no place in a believer's life.  Now one thing you’ll note if you take time to look at some of the lists of the sins and the works of the flesh as they are called in the Scriptures, there is a strange mixture in some sense, in some ways.  You have immortality and impurity that were mentioned up in verse 5, and with that you have greed of covetousness.  Here you have anger thrown into that same pile.  We say, well, anger is not as bad as being immoral.  And being covetousness is not as bad as being a murderer.  And we make these kinds of distinctions, but the Scripture is concerned that all these things are the manifestation of fallen, sinful character.  And so, it's not that this one is worse than this.   So if you are going to be angry, you might as well kill.  But they manifest something of your character and what you are on the inside.

Anger and wraththese are some sins that are more tolerable even in the Church of Jesus Christ.  And we excuse them, you know, by a variety of ways.  Well, I just have a bad temper.  My Dad had a bad temper.  My granddad had a bad temper.  I have a bad temper.  It's in my genes.  Well, you know, somebody else might say, my dad was immoral, my granddad was immoral.  It's in my genes.  They are right.  Because their genes came from Adam.  You are a fallen, sinful being.  It's in your very makeup as a sinner.  But we are to put anger and wrath aside.

Turn over to James chapter 1 verse 19.  "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."  And the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.  And you stop and think, when do you really get angry?  You really get angry when you don't get your own way.  Anger is an outflow of my selfcentered, selfloving, selfserving life.  I wanted this this way.  It has not happened that way.  I am upset.  And as I stew on that, that settles into anger.  And I stew on that long enough, pretty soon it explodes.  And this sin, like every other, there is a certain pleasure associated with it.  We all know the pleasure converted as it is from seething in anger.  “Just seems like I need to think about this.”  And the more I think about it, the more upset I become.  But I don't want to quit thinking about it because I want to be upset about it.  And the more I think about it, the angrier I am about it, the more I'd like to let them have it.  Oh, there it goes.  Then three hours later we sit down and think, boy, I shouldn't have said that.  Why did I?  I couldn't help myself.  No, I wanted the pleasure and satisfaction of doing it.  It comes back to me, me.  Did I ever lose my temper with my wife because it was good for her?  Not likely.  I wanted the satisfaction of expressing my self, the anger and wrath.

Put it off.  You know, the encouraging thing as we mention these sins and I keep mentioning it, but it's important we have it fixed in our mind, the very command to be done with it indicates that you never have to do it.  Anger never has to be a part of my life in this sinful way.  God commands me not to do it.  When He commands me not to do it He provides the enablement not to do it.

He goes on in this list in verse 8.  Malice.  Malice is a word we've already seen up in verse 5.  Colossians 3:5 says "evil desire."  That word translated "evil," “kykeon,” is the word we're taking about.  Malice.  It's a general word for wickedness.  And here in the context as we talk about speech, as we move along, it may have particularly to do with wicked speech.  The malice and wickedness of our speech, but it's a broad word.  And wickedness of all kind has no place in the life of a believer, including the wickedness of the tongue as he's going to elaborate.

Next word is slander.  We get the English word "blasphemy" from this word.  We usually think of blasphemy in relationship to God.  Blasphemy is something said against God.  But the word simply means to speak against someone, to slander them, to defame their character.  When you speak against God, when you defame His character, you are blaspheming Him.  In the context here he's not talking about God, he's talking about our relationship to other people and particularly in the Body of Christ as we are going to see as we narrow this down.

Titus chapter 3 verse 2 Paul told Titus that he was to teach the Christians at Crete that they were to malign no one.  That word "to malign" in Titus 3:2 is the same word we have here, our English word "blaspheme."  They were to speak against or defame no one.  You know, I think this is an area that I'm concerned that we cross the line as believers.  I get all kind of information because I'm a pastor.  You know, you get part of the blanket mailing of many organizations.  I get concerned about some of the newsletters that are written.  They get into political areas for example.  They'll say things about the President of the United States that really defame his character and slander him.  It comes because we do not agree with everything he does in his own personal life.  We do not agree with the policies he may be promoting.  You know, it's interesting to me that in Titus chapter 3 verse 2 when Paul says to malign no one that is in the context of verse 1.  "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one."  Does that mean that I say I agree with the governing authorities and their position?  No.  It does mean I don't slander them.  We delight, whether there is truth or not, to attack their character.

I say and remind you that the Roman empires of Paul's day and Titus' day were not the most admirable men.  In fact they're going to be men responsible for the death of the majority of the apostles.  Men of despicable character.  Paul says don't slander them.  Don't defame them.  We need to be careful as Christians.  Oh, we pride ourselves.  We don't commit immorality.  Oh, we are repulsed by homosexual behavior.  But we just turn the tongue loose and don't think anything of passing on the rumors and hoping these things are true, to discredit this person and that person.  No place for slander.  And that carries over into the Body of Christ.  We talked about the tongue in a study of James last week.

Come back to Colossians chapter 3 if you're not still there.  The third area is abusive speech.  And abusive speech, the reference to speaking which is dishonorable, disgraceful, filthy, abusive, any kind of wrong speech, disgraceful speech. Remember Jesus said in Matthew chapter 12 verse 34, "For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."  Our mouths are a wideopen window to our character.  We'll say things and then we'll say, "Oh, I didn't mean that."  But we really mean is I didn't mean to let you see inside of me like that.  We reveal our hearts in what we say.  Well, there's no place for filthy, disgraceful character in hearts in God's people.  So these kinds of things have to be gone and done away with.

We've all been around people . . .   You know, they seem so nice, good character.  You have an opportunity to be with them in a situation perhaps in their home and you're appalled that they would talk to their wife or their husband like that.  But this is a revelation of their character.  I would not expect it.  Paul says it all has to go.  The very fact that he's telling us to put it off is an indication.  There's a danger we will carry on some of the old clothes.  You know, like your parent or your wife.  They say, "Look, it's time to throw that out."  Well, why?  I like it.  “Because it's ugly.  It's outdated.  It's got holes in it.  If you go out in that, it will look like you don't care.”  It's not a good representation of you.  Well, we need to be careful that our lives are a good representation of God's work in us.

Verse 9 gives another area but he changes the form.  He gives a third command.  He just doesn't add lying to the list.  But he gives a firm command in the present tense.  "Do not lie to one another."  And the abruptness of that change from the list draws special attention to it.  Some believe that it encompasses what he's been saying.  Christians shouldn't be liars.  And if you don't live consistent with the character of Christ in you, that would be a lie.  I think he's dealing perhaps with the sin that is so prevalent, it has to be dealt with very firmly.  In the present tense . . .  Don't go on telling lies.  Don't continue to be a liar.  It's one of the sins that just goes in the flow of our world.  Everybody lies.  I mean, you know, you see somebody . . .   I'm talking about clothes and you say, “Wow, that's a beautiful tie.” And you get out and get in the car with your wife and say, “Did you ever see such an ugly tie in your life?”  Well, you don't have . . . you can't tell him that's a beautiful tie if it's ugly.  But you don't have to tell him it's an ugly tie.  You don't have to tell all the truth every time.  Sometimes you can keep your big mouth shut.  If you think it's an ugly tie, say, “Isn't it a beautiful fall day.”  Forget the tie.  Don't think the blunter I am the more truthful I am.  Some people have this all mixed up, and they think if they can just ask you where you got the ugly clothes that they're being truthful.  Sometimes we just don't have to say.

But you know, lying just becomes a way of life.  You know, the little lies that you know, happen when the phone rings.  Tell them I'm not here.  No.  First you say, Wait a minute.  Go out in the garage.  Then tell them to tell them you're not here.  You know, little things we lie on.  What did I give this year?  Well, I don't think I'll be audited.  I'll fudge a little.  It's going to be close enough.  Lying becomes a way of life.

Don't lie to one another.  Ephesians 4:25, "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."  Now you understand, the first and primary concern in these passages in Colossians, as the Ephesians passage makes clear, is our relationship together as believers.  Isn't it terrible that Paul would even have to tell us to put off these things in regard to our relationship to one another?  Did he have to tell us not to lie about one another?  In fact you'd have to give us a firm command not to do it.  You know, sin keeps wanting to rear its ugly head as we speak.  And lying is something that comes so naturally, so easily.  And rarely do we get called on the carpet for it.  Because you know, it's not like immorality.  That's really ugly but you know, lying . . .   What are you going to do?  That was a lie but we just let it go on.  Don't lie to one another

Why?  Now he gives reasons why we don't do these things.  "Since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices."  The old self.  Old self is literally the old man.  The word translated "self" (New American Standard Bible) is the word “anthropos,” Greek word.  We have it in English anthropology.  Anthropology is the study of man.  We have laid aside the old man.  The old man refers to the same thing in Scripture as the expression "the flesh" in many passages.  For example, Galatians 5, "The works of the flesh," referring to the works of the old man, the same thing we're talking about when we're talking about our sin nature.

All that we are as fallen beings in Adam.  So we're all descendants of Adam.  We have inherited from Adam our sin nature.  You received your fallen character from Adam.  It's like you receive some of your physical characteristics from your physical parents.  You received your fallen sinful nature from Adam.  “You laid aside the old self.”  We laid aside the old man.  Again, a picture of removing something.  It's a different word than was used in verse 8, "Put them all aside."  It's a little more forceful word in verse 9 but the same idea.  You remove something.  You laid it aside.  You're done with it.  What he is talking about is when we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin, the old man was put aside, was removed.  We were done with him.

Back up to Colossians chapter 2 verse 11.  "And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands”--note this--"in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ."  This is the noun form of the verb we have translated "laid aside" in verse 9 of chapter 3.  It was removed.  It was put aside.  That picture there is of the removal of our sinful desires, our old man.  So when we trusted Christ, the old man was removed.  His authority and dominion in our lives was ended.  Now I want to say something here.  This does not mean the old man has ceased to exist.  It does not mean that the old nature no longer exists.  It does not mean that the flesh no longer exists.  It's important, because there's some wellknown Bible teachers that hold that you don't have an old man, you don't have an old nature.  Martin Lloyd Jones.  Let me read some of what Martin Lloyd Jones' stuff.  He held that you don't have an old man or an old nature.  But you do.  That's why Paul tells us that we have to remember he was removed, his power was broken but he hasn't been totally annihilated yet.  And so there is the possibility of his continuing to want to manifest his presence, to assert his authority in our lives.

Back up to Romans chapter 6.  Romans chapter 6 verse 6.  "Knowing this, that our old self [our old man] was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin."  That expression "done away with," the verb there, "katargeo" means to be rendered powerless.  So the body controlled by sin, the power of the old man in dominating me has been broken.  He is powerless to rule over me now.

Same verb is used in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 where it said the death of Christ has rendered powerless him who had the power of death that is the Devil.  Same verb "rendered powerless" the translation there, "katargeo."  The power and authority of Satan over my life has been broken.  But Satan hasn't ceased to exit.  So when the old man was crucified, his power and authority was ended.

Look over in Galatians chapter 5 verse 24, "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  So you see, the flesh has been crucified, the old man has been crucified.  The passions and desires that go with the flesh have been crucified.  What he's saying is the authority and power of sin in my life has been broken.  I am no longer to be a slave to sin.  I have been set free in Christ.  Now the flesh or sin hasn't ceased to exist.  But its power and authority in my life has been broken.  That means any time I sin, I do so by my willful choice, not because I had to.

While you're in Galatians, chapter 6 verse 14 says that the world has been crucified to me.  So the world, the flesh and the Devil have all been crucified as regards to the child of God.  So we are free from that dominion and domination.  So we are to put aside the things associated with it.

Come back to Colossians chapter 3 verse 9.  “You laid aside the old self with its evil practices.”  With its practices.  The old man had certain characteristics, practiced certain things.  You note when the old man was set aside, when I died with Christ, the practices of the man were set aside as well.

There is to be a change in my life.  The old man has been removed.  The practices of the old man have been removed as well.   My life is to be changed.  First John chapter 3 verses 7 to 10.  We now manifest the character of God because His seed abides in us.

Colossians 3:10--“And [we] have put on the new self.”  So you've put off the old man.  You've put on the new man.  That's what I am in Christ who is my life, verse 3 of chapter 3.  Your life is hidden with Christ in God.  In chapter 2 verses 12 and 13 of Colossians we saw we not only died with Christ we were raised up with Christ.  Second Corinthians chapter 5, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature,” a new creation.  So I am a new man, a new person.  I am what I am now in Christ.  He dwells in me.

Now note here:  you've put on the new man “who is being renewed to a true knowledge.”  The present tense indicates this is an ongoing process.  We're talking about the sanctification of the child of God, where the process whereby those who have been saved by God's grace are progressively being more and more brought into conformity with the character of Christ and manifesting God's character in their behavior.  Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16.  Just jot it down.  "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."  No matter what is happening to this physical body, we are growing and maturing and becoming stronger in the inner man, the new man we are in Christ.  This is a process of growth and development.  We are being renewed to a true knowledge.  We are coming to know more about God, more about God's will, being more conformed to God and to His will for us.

Colossians chapter 1 verse 9.  Paul prayed for the Colossians and asked in the middle of verse 9 of Colossians 1 "that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding."  The end of verse 10 of Colossians:  increasing in the knowledge of God.  Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, verse 2 particularly, says we are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the making new of our minds in order that we might prove what the will of God is.  That's the work that God is doing.  And in Colossians chapter 3 verse 10 we are “being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.”  According to the image of the One who created him.  In Genesis chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 we are told that “God created man in His own image...male and female He created them.”  Now because of sin and rebellion against God, that image has been marred and corrupted.  No longer do we manifest God's beauty in holiness, in righteousness, in goodness and in kindness and so on.  Sin has corrupted the image of God in man.  Now what God is doing in salvation is restoring that image and remaking us according to His original intention for His creation, to restore His image in mankind.

Go back to 2 Corinthians.  I was going to quote it for you but turn there.  Second Corinthians chapter 3.  The process is crucial.  When we're laying the foundation for what we are going to say about racial relations in our next study, in the cultural barriers that divide humanity, in the religious differences, in the social barriers.  Many people are trying to deal with these issues today.  In our next study in Colossians we're going to spend our time dealing with these issues and what God says about them.

Note what God is doing in Second Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.   "But we all," talking about believers in the context here, "with unveiled face."  We have now been given the privilege of beholding God and His Son Jesus Christ in the Word of God.  "With unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."  What he's saying here is as we behold what God has revealed concerning Himself in His Word and particularly in the new covenant, the New Testament.  As we as God's people submit to the Spirit of God who now indwells us, a supernatural process occurs.  We are here studying the Word of God today together.  As we submit to the truth that we are studying, the Spirit of God takes this truth and builds it into our lives and progressively makes us more and more like Jesus Christ.  The character of God Himself is more and more produced in and through us.  That's why it's so crucial that we do not try to short circuit the plan of God to get quicker results.  True change occurs over time.  There's an instantaneous element when you are born again into the family of God.  That begins a process of growth and development that will not be completed in this phase until we are glorified in His presence.  There are no shortcuts.  You must take in the truth of God.  And as you take in the truth of God, you must submit to the truth and allow the Spirit to work in your life and He is progressively changing you.  Same as the growth of a new baby.  What?--you have to nurture and nourish and feed them.  “Well, I want to get them from two weeks to twenty years and I'd like to do it by next week.  Help me out.”  There is no way.  You have to grow them.  You have to nurture them and nourish them.  And in a marvelous way that physical food, that proper care. . .  What?  Will little by little, day by day bring almost imperceptible changes.  During those early weeks and months you say, wow, they've changed so much.  And over the process of years, what?  Maturity comes about.  So it is spiritually.  As we are beholding as in a mirror.  The mirror is the Word of God.  As we're studying the Word of God, we're seeing the glory of God.  I'm looking in this mirror.  And the Spirit, as I take in this truth, is building it into my life and almost imperceptibly.  I don't see a great change in my life this Sunday from last Sunday.  That little change . . .  I better see a change in my life this year from last year.  Ought to be major differences in my life this year from ten years ago as a believer.

That's the process that is going on.  We are being renewed according to the image of the One who created us, being brought into conformity with His image.  That's the process that's going on in the new man I am in Christ.  First Peter chapter 2 verse 2: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”  That's why the issue always comes down number one to your salvation, number two to your intake of the pure milk of the Word.  We are just leaping over this as though by repeated, emotional experiences we could produce real maturity in Christ.  It will not happen.  We delude ourselves.

So that's what he is talking about here.  We're being renewed.  And that is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created us.  The ultimate realization of this will be when we see Him face to face.  And 1 John 3 says “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”  Philippians chapter 3 verses 20 and 21 says that by His power He'll transform us into conformity with Himself.  Now we are in the process and that process is ongoing.

Come back to Colossians 3.  Verse 10, "[You] have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him."  And in this he'll flow into the breakdown of the distinctions:  racially, culturally, religiously, socially, that take place in Christ and in the Body of Christ.  And you cannot pick up with verse 11 without understanding number one the salvation work of God; number two, the sanctifying work of God that produces the transformed living and makes everything radically new.

One passage in closing.  Romans chapter 13 verse 11.  Giving instructions regarding conduct he says in verse 11, “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now, salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.  The night is almost gone, and the day is near.  Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ”--that's the same thing as put on the new man--“and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”  Are you a new person in Christ?  Have you been made new in Him?  Do you know what it is to be washed clean, to be made white as snow? to have the defilement of sin washed away? to be set free from the dominion and domination of sin? to have the power of God working in your life to make your life new and beautiful? to have the beautiful beauty of God's character displayed in the way you live and the way you behave?  That's only found in Jesus Christ.  That's given to you as a free gift at no charge, if you'll bow before God and acknowledge indeed you are a sinner and willing and desirous to turn from your sin and believe in Him as your Lord and Savior.  I trust if that's not happened, it will happen for you today.  Let's pray together.

Thank You, Lord, for a salvation that is and will be eternally wonderful, that we have only experienced a taste of what You have for those that You've called to Yourself.  Lord, how tragic it is that we are satisfied with so little.  May the passion and longing of our heart as Your children be that the fullness of Your character be seen in us in every way.  Lord, for those who do not know the joy of cleansing and forgiveness, of being clean in Your sight, don't know the joy and power of the indwelling presence of the living God, do not know the hope of glory beyond this life, may this be a day of salvation for them.  We pray in Christ's name, amen.