Old Self vs New Self - Dr Joel Lai

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Colossians 3 does not define the authentic self as someone who simply expresses whatever they feel. Rather, it defines the authentic self as a person who has received new life in Christ and is now learning to live in that new reality.

What has God done in Christ to give us new life? For believers today, authenticity begins with the new reality that we have been raised with Christ and are united to His resurrection life. The resurrection life is a new life in Him. We are called to set our minds and hearts on things above—to seek Christ and make Him our highest priority. Setting our hearts on things above means anchoring our lives in heaven rather than worldly things—things that we no longer need to earn, perform, or protect. It involves both an inner reorientation and an outward pursuit. It is a process to build our new identity in Christ, an identity that cannot be shaken.

What are we called to do to live out this new authentic self? We are to put to death the things that do not belong to the new life. The old sins can never cover but can only hide what we think we don't want to change. The authentic self is a new self, turning towards holiness as a natural outworking of being clothed in Jesus Christ. It is being renewed into the image of God. We need to constantly grow in Christlikeness, not by our own effort, but remembering that God has already done the sacrificing for us. Over time, the Spirit molds and meets the heart to desire what fits this new identity—purity instead of impurity, gratitude instead of greed, gentleness instead of rage, truth instead of deceit, love instead of self-protection.

The Spirit of God is committed to renewing us, and He will finish what He has begun.