Old for New

Col 3:9-11

9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self [1] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, [2] free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Footnotes
[1] 3:9 Greek man; also as supplied in verse 10
[2] 3:11 Greek bondservant

• Whose responsibility is it to get rid of sinful behavior and habits?
  
• Why would you want to pick up the old self you have previously laid aside?
  
• What is your new self beginning to look like?
  
• If everyone in Christ is the image of Christ, how can you distinguish backgrounds, race, etc.?
  
• If everyone in Christ is the image of Christ, why would there ever be divisions and strife in the body?
  
• Would the image of Christ do the things Paul has previously listed, such as greed, anger, and lying?
  
• How does focusing on being the image of Christ help you in your renewal?

Harold's Musings:
It is more rewarding to look towards achieving something than it is to look at the costs that you will have paid to do it. College students look toward graduation and work to achieve the goal. What if they focused on the number of hours of study, the number of boring classes attended, the number of pages read, the number of exams taken, and the amount of money spent? I think they may quit while they are ahead. We have been convinced that as Christians we have to focus on the "do and don't" and not on the goal. We wave the flag of "count the costs" instead of the flag of "becoming the image of Christ". Like the student who attends, reads, studies, and spends, the Christian seeking to look like Christ will "do and don't". will give up things, and will do whatever it takes to be like Christ. Be Christ on earth today!