Throughout the New Testament, followers of Christ are instructed to put off certain actions or attitudes and to put on others. Those actions or attitudes we are to put off are from our old sinful nature, from our flesh and its way of doing things. Those we are to put on are from our new spiritual nature, by the Holy Spirit within us, done by faith in, and obedience to God, and by his power, not ours.
Those attributes are not to be confused with the fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23, nor with the gifts of the Spirit, found primarily in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Those are important as well, and in some cases, may overlap, but that is not what I’m talking about here.
The put-off, put-on process is not a self-help checklist. It is not striving to modify your behavior to somehow make it acceptable. It involves submission to Jesus Christ by faith, operating in his power, and deliberate obedience to his direction. The word of God is clear about our part in growing in our salvation. It is not a legalistic, works-based earning God’s favor, which is impossible, but we must walk in obedience to the Lord as followers of Christ.
This obedience involves changes at the heart level. I don’t just stop stealing, I become one who works and gives to others (see Ephesians 4:28). I don’t just stop lying, I become a truth-teller (see Ephesians 4:25). Just stopping something with nothing to replace the old way is a thief between jobs, or an addict between fixes. Something must be put on to replace it – something God has directed to be added or refined in your life. One key in this process is to focus on the put-on rather than the put-off. For instance, I focus on telling the truth every time with no shades, rather than not telling lies. Thomas Chalmers spoke of this when he talked about the “expulsive power of a new affection”. Speaking from experience, I know this is true!
New Bible Study
I would like to begin a study of the various put-offs/put-ons in the New Testament and see what they mean and how they can be implemented in our lives. I began this process several months ago and then set it aside when we got busy with our move, but it really made a difference in my life. I would like to choose a put-on word, try to define it, and then share whatever God has given me so far on that and how it is being implemented in my life.
I am hoping others will join me in this process and help us along with scriptures, quotes, and other thoughts that might be helpful. I don’t want to get into theology or arguments or a bunch of theories, but to share how God is teaching us to put on these actions and attitudes in our lives and how that is working.
These changes must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit or it will just be trying harder. After a time we can introduce another put-on.
I’d like to start in Colossians 3:12-17. This passage is filled with important put-ons. Verse 12 says:
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
The first put-on is a compassionate heart.
What is compassion? What is a compassionate heart? What does that look like in everyday life in practical actions and attitudes? I have asked God to show me in my own life how I can do this through him, and have given it some thought in relation to my life and marriage:
1. Compassion – being aware of and sympathetic to what someone else is going through – this means I take the focus off myself and my feelings and gently and honestly try to understand what someone else is going through, possibly helping them if I can
2. A compassionate heart is one that has been developed by exercising compassion for others over time
3. In my life, as one recovering from sexual addiction, compassion is not automatic, so my heart is not a compassionate one, but a selfish one learning to be compassionate with Jesus’ love and comfort. I do this okay for a few days and then blow it, but God is teaching me to be compassionate in these ways:
a. Care about the pain I caused my wife and what she is going through because of my old lifestyle. Listen to what she says, don’t interrupt, let her say all she needs to say, and try to put myself into her shoes instead of being defensive. This has helped a lot!
b. Care about others I have hurt by my sinful lifestyle of the past and the pain and damage to them instead of blaming others for my sins.
c. Care about my children and the shame and embarrassment they feel because of my past, and about their hurt and sense of betrayal. Give them some slack as they deal with all this, and all that means to their own lives.
d. Care about others who have sexual addiction or who were victims of them and share how God is taking me out of that darkness and into his light and freedom in Christ.
e. Care about others who are dying without Christ and going to hell.
Please comment and/or share how God has taught you or is teaching you in this specific area of putting on a compassionate heart. We need to be practical but gentle about how we share this.
Those attributes are not to be confused with the fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23, nor with the gifts of the Spirit, found primarily in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Those are important as well, and in some cases, may overlap, but that is not what I’m talking about here.
The put-off, put-on process is not a self-help checklist. It is not striving to modify your behavior to somehow make it acceptable. It involves submission to Jesus Christ by faith, operating in his power, and deliberate obedience to his direction. The word of God is clear about our part in growing in our salvation. It is not a legalistic, works-based earning God’s favor, which is impossible, but we must walk in obedience to the Lord as followers of Christ.
This obedience involves changes at the heart level. I don’t just stop stealing, I become one who works and gives to others (see Ephesians 4:28). I don’t just stop lying, I become a truth-teller (see Ephesians 4:25). Just stopping something with nothing to replace the old way is a thief between jobs, or an addict between fixes. Something must be put on to replace it – something God has directed to be added or refined in your life. One key in this process is to focus on the put-on rather than the put-off. For instance, I focus on telling the truth every time with no shades, rather than not telling lies. Thomas Chalmers spoke of this when he talked about the “expulsive power of a new affection”. Speaking from experience, I know this is true!
New Bible Study
I would like to begin a study of the various put-offs/put-ons in the New Testament and see what they mean and how they can be implemented in our lives. I began this process several months ago and then set it aside when we got busy with our move, but it really made a difference in my life. I would like to choose a put-on word, try to define it, and then share whatever God has given me so far on that and how it is being implemented in my life.
I am hoping others will join me in this process and help us along with scriptures, quotes, and other thoughts that might be helpful. I don’t want to get into theology or arguments or a bunch of theories, but to share how God is teaching us to put on these actions and attitudes in our lives and how that is working.
These changes must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit or it will just be trying harder. After a time we can introduce another put-on.
I’d like to start in Colossians 3:12-17. This passage is filled with important put-ons. Verse 12 says:
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
The first put-on is a compassionate heart.
What is compassion? What is a compassionate heart? What does that look like in everyday life in practical actions and attitudes? I have asked God to show me in my own life how I can do this through him, and have given it some thought in relation to my life and marriage:
1. Compassion – being aware of and sympathetic to what someone else is going through – this means I take the focus off myself and my feelings and gently and honestly try to understand what someone else is going through, possibly helping them if I can
2. A compassionate heart is one that has been developed by exercising compassion for others over time
3. In my life, as one recovering from sexual addiction, compassion is not automatic, so my heart is not a compassionate one, but a selfish one learning to be compassionate with Jesus’ love and comfort. I do this okay for a few days and then blow it, but God is teaching me to be compassionate in these ways:
a. Care about the pain I caused my wife and what she is going through because of my old lifestyle. Listen to what she says, don’t interrupt, let her say all she needs to say, and try to put myself into her shoes instead of being defensive. This has helped a lot!
b. Care about others I have hurt by my sinful lifestyle of the past and the pain and damage to them instead of blaming others for my sins.
c. Care about my children and the shame and embarrassment they feel because of my past, and about their hurt and sense of betrayal. Give them some slack as they deal with all this, and all that means to their own lives.
d. Care about others who have sexual addiction or who were victims of them and share how God is taking me out of that darkness and into his light and freedom in Christ.
e. Care about others who are dying without Christ and going to hell.
Please comment and/or share how God has taught you or is teaching you in this specific area of putting on a compassionate heart. We need to be practical but gentle about how we share this.
