Time for a New Suit

[HKHaugan]

Now we will take the issues that Paul presents in Colossians 3 and delve into the reasons behind them. There are two parts to this chapter, two mindsets he holds up, two contrasting natures. One deserves the death sentence, the other eternal life. This is serious stuff. The question they place before us is this: “How do we put to death what we can’t see or touch, those things in the spiritual realm?”

Think of it this way. You need a new suit. The old one is worn out. So you go to a good clothing store where there is always a changing room so you can try on a new suit and a mirror to see how it looks on you. But you can’t keep wearing the old clothes you came in with. You have to hang them up to put on the new one. Then you check the color, the style and the general feel of a new one. If you like it you get it measured then tailored to fit. You may have to put the old ones on for a while until the new one is finished but there is a time when you get rid of the old to put on the new to which you look forward in excitement.

What you do externally for your appearance is what you do internally with your earthly nature. You take off the old and put on the new. You take off the old worldly nature and put on the new spiritual nature. In the case of the second we have the power of God, the Holy Spirit, who does the change in us, that is, if we let Him.

Colossians 3:5-11 talks about the old clothes and Colossians 3:12-17 talks about the new clothes. First, let’s look at the old clothes. They are like an old drab three piece suit that looks the same on everyone, the jacket, the vest and the pants. The vest is in vs.5, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. The jacket in vs.8-10 consists of anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lying to let the ego manipulate and impress the world. The pants in vs.11 show our ethnic, religious and social judgments as we walk among others. You can see that same suit on TV, the newspapers, magazines and movies and maybe even in your own neighborhood.

There are three common factors that mark the old clothes for the death sentence---momentary urges, ongoing desires and judging by appearances. These three consume a great deal of time, energy, resources and an inordinate self-indulgence all of which are described in vs.5-12. Then you have the world, the secular world (for spiritual people read ‘the devil’) which operates by inducing fear and guilt. Its (his) goal is to make every person totally alone, manipulatable and insecure---forever. Political correctness is really his tool of choice on the political scene to get us all to fold our tents and retreat into self. If you can keep people constantly afraid of offending others that cuts off honesty and the path to emotional growth. If you live in fear in the presence of others then you will die in fear all alone. You don’t eliminate prejudice by law or social power. They only harden sinful preconceptions.

Second, there’s really good news. We have new clothes (vs.12-17) with an entirely different look, a different fabric and flexible seams that fit the uniqueness of the wearer. They have vibrant colors that adjust according to the needs of every individual with whom we come in contact. The basic substance that gives the material its strength is love which is interwoven with the threads of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiveness, wisdom, the peace of Christ and the stitching of the Word of God. This is clothing that never wears out or becomes drab or the ‘same old same old.’ Every next moment is full of possibility and newness, brilliant colors, elasticity for the moment of need and the name emblazoned on these new clothes flashes “Jesus is my Lord.” His constant presence evokes thanksgiving and gratitude in the heart. You never have to buy another suit.