Old vs. New
  1. Introduction
    1. The new year rolling in and the changes that will take place got me thinking about the topic of old vs. new
    2. To begin think for a minute about these questions
      1. If you were asked to describe yourself, what adjectives would you use
      2. What if someone asked you to describe yourself before you became a Christian?
  2. Consider some characteristics that may be used.
    1. Angry
      1. Person of anger
        1. Anger is one letter short of Danger
        2. Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one. Ben Franklin
      2. Anger does not produce righteousness of God – James 1:20

        3. (James 1:20 KJV) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

      3. Anger and wrath should be put away Eph 4:31

      (Eph 4:31 KJV) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
    2. Envious – contentious
      1. Envy and evil works abide together – James 3:16
      2. Unprofitable – Titus 3:9
    3. Dishonest
      1. The opposite of Dishonest is sound speech
      2. Sound speech can not be condemned – Titus 2:8
      3. Refrain tongue from evil – 1 Peter 3:10
      4. James says
        1. He that doesn’t control his tongue deceives his heart
        2. The tongue is a little fire
    4. Or one who uses Foul Language
      1. Avoid profane speech – 2 Tim 2:16 only makes for more ungodliness
      2. Eph 4:29 – Do not let evil words come forth from you mouth
    6. These Characteristics are given as examples
      1. All may not be used to describe you or me – maybe none of them.
      2. Whether those or others may be used, we all have faults
  3. Remember that a change takes place when we are obedient to God
    1. Examples of such in the NT
      1. 1 Cor 6:11 – "such were some of you"
      2. Titus 3:3 – "we ourselves were sometimes…"
      3. 1 Peter 4:3 – "time past in life…when we walked…"
    2. Example of Paul
      1. His former life
        1. First record of him – Acts 8:1-3
        2. Later recounts acts to Timothy – 1 Tim 1:12-13
      2. Change took place
        1. Road to Damascus
        2. Obedient to words of Lord by Ananias
        3. New Life
          1. Acts 9:20-22
          2. 2 Tim 3:10
      3. Continual process of changing – 1 Cor 9:27
  4. Having those thoughts before us let us consider what Paul wrote to Christians that he may have never visited in Asia Minor (Col 1:4)
    1. New Life in Christ – Col 3:1,2
      1. New Goals – v1
      2. New Love – v2
    2. First, what these people were – Col 3:5-7
      1. Mortify – Put to death, not to be raised again
      2. Wrath of God
      3. Children of Disobedience
    3. Secondly, What they need to change – Col 3:8-9
      1. "now" – At present time
      2. "Also"
      3. "All" – not just some of the following
      4. Characteristics
        1. Anger, Wrath, Malice
        2. Blasphemy, Filthy Communication, Lies
    5. Third, Paul tells them what they should be – Col 3:12-14
      1. Characteristics Christians, the elect of God, are to have
      2. Bowels of Mercies, Meekness
        1. Ex – good Samaritan
      3. Kindness, Humbleness of Mind
        1. Serving others
        2. Seeking their needs
      4. Longsuffering, Forbearing (patience)
      5. Above all – Charity
        1. Love
        2. 1 Cor 13:4-7
    6. Take note of words used through out passage
      1. Putting off – old man v 8-9
      2. Putting on – New man v 10,12
      3. Change from old to new is to take place
      4. Continue to perfect the new man
  5. Application for us
    1. Rom. 3:23 – All have sinned – We all need to make corrections in our life.
    2. Think again about questions asked at the beginning
      1. If asked how would you describe yourself
        1. most will say good things about ourselves
        2. That is what the wise man said in Prov 20:6

        (Prov 20:6 KJV) Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

      2. Now think honestly, what if someone else was asked to describe you
        1. The "someone else" was your enemy
        2. Probably would not get a glowing recommendation
    3. Important to realize that it is not just how we describe ourselves, or even what others may say about us
      1. The ultimate question is how does God see us.
        1. It is not my opinion
        2. It is not your opinion
        3. Rom 14:4 – to His own master he stands or falls
        4. God is the master of all, he will judge and will do it justly and truthfully
  7. Conclusion
    1. Good news is that He has told us how to live to be accepted of Him.
      1. What to put off – Col 3:8-9
      2. What to put on – Col 3:12-14
    2. Using the bible as the standard
      1. Are you changing things that are wrong in life?
      2. If not a Christian, the first change to make is to become a child of God
        1. By believing
        2. Repenting
        3. Confessing
        4. Being baptized
        5. Remaining faithful
      3. If a Christian, constantly growing and maturing each day.