The beginning of a new year is often associated with change. Just a few days ago many people talked about their New Year’s resolutions. The beginning of a new year seemed to offer a clean slate, a fresh start. Like the ancient Romans, people concluded they could resolve to make their future better than their past in some specific ways.
The Romans made their resolutions as an act of worship to the mythical two-faced god, Janus. The Romans believed Janus looked into the past with one face and into the future with the other. On Dec. 31 it was common for Romans to seek forgiveness and reconciliation for past deeds from Janus and strength for the future — which he could see.
Today Dec. 31 marks the closing of a year — a chapter of time. Many people choose to set goals and make resolutions to make the new chapter better than old.
In and of itself, that is a good thing. One study found about 46 percent of those who resolved to reach a specific goal actually reached it while only 4 percent of people achieved a goal they never made a personal commitment to achieve.
Variety of changes
The new year brings other changes. Many businesses begin new budget years. Sales people face new goals. Students start new classes.
This year the approaching inauguration of a new president of the United States signals change for the nation and the world. New leaders will step forward on the national stage and a new administration outlines new initiatives and priorities destined to impact the U.S. and beyond.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian Christians about a time of change and goals they should set as followers of Jesus Christ. Unlike resolutions or budgets or national policies, the changes the apostle advocated were not tied to the past. They were about something entirely new.
In Colossians 3:3, Paul reminded the Colossians that they “died” to their former lives, a reference to living without faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. In a reference to baptism, he writes, “You have been raised with Christ.”
In the following verses Paul urges readers to “put to death” whatever belonged to the time they were without Christ. The life the Colossian Christians share as followers of Jesus was “new life.” It was not an extension of the old. It was entirely new.
Paul lists some of the actions of their past lives — sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. The last of the five — greed — seems out of place with the sexual sins. One definition of greed is an inordinate desire for something. Such an attitude warps life. When one places too high a value on something then the value of everything else is lessened.
Greed prevents the proper use of all things. It creates unnecessary fear of possible loss.
Sexual sins can be like greed. They can become all encompassing and cause the person to become warped and selfish. The person also can lose the proper sense of value and balance in life, allowing sexual sins to become idolatrous.
From actions of a life without Christ, the apostle turns his attention to attitudes typical of those without Jesus. Again he lists five —
anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. Obviously such attitudes have no place among Christians.
‘Rid yourselves’
Paul tells the Colossians in Chapter 3 to “rid yourselves of these” (v. 8) because “you have taken off the old self with its practices” (v. 9).
It does not matter if the anger is smoldering over a long period of time or white-hot with passion, it has no place in the new life. Nor does it matter if the slander is against a person or against God, it has no place. Lewd language and expletives that come from a polluted mind are all things believers have “taken off,” Paul writes.
To stop doing evil is a good first step but it is not enough. To use Paul’s analogy of clothes, if one simply takes off clothes, one is left naked. That is why in verse 12 the apostle urges the Colossians to clothe themselves with new garments. For the third time in the chapter he offers a list of five characteristics — this time five Christian graces for believers to wear.
The Christian life is to be marked by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
New life
No one should miss the clothes of the new life. They are the exact opposite of the old life. Instead of anger, compassion; instead of rage, kindness; instead of malice, humility; instead of slander, gentleness; instead of filthy language, patience.
To all of this the apostle adds, “Over all these virtues put on love” (v. 14). Agape-type love — love that seeks the welfare of the other — is the glue that binds all together in the new life in Christ. And again when one is directed by love for God and love for others then the selfish acts of verse 5 fade into the background.
Just as it takes time and work to achieve a New Year’s resolution goal or reach a budget or sales goal, Paul recognized putting on the “new clothes” of a Christian takes time and work. In verse 10 he wrote the new self “is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Time and work
Renewal is a process — like strengthening a weakened muscle. It takes both time and work. But spend the time and put in the work and one becomes stronger and stronger. The Christian is a new creation because of faith in Jesus Christ and now that new creation must be renewed.
Perhaps that is what the apostle meant when he wrote to the Philippians to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Spend the time. Do the work and watch the changes as the new clothes fit better and better each day.
Americans are good at making New Year’s resolutions. Keeping them is another matter. But when one becomes a “new creature” through faith in Jesus Christ change is in the air. It is inevitable. Old things must pass away and all things must become new.
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