As we are starting off this new year, we need to remember there are some things we must put on and some things we must put off.

When we first come to God, we put off our “old man” of sin, (our old sinful nature). We did this when we repented of our sins. (Repent – to be sorrowful for the sin in our life and making a commitment to God to turn our life completely to Him and away from sin.)

We buried our old sinful nature in a watery grave of baptism “in the name of Jesus.” By our baptism in Jesus name, our sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus. (Acts 2:38, Acts 24:47, Acts 10:43).

We then put on the “new man,” our new nature. By our baptism, we have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27). By our water baptism in Jesus name, we took on the name of Jesus and applied His blood to our life. (James 2:7, Exodus 12:13, 1 Corinthians 5:7). By our baptism of the Holy Ghost, we were filled with the Spirit of Jesus. (John 14:17-18). We are renewed in the Spirit, learning to become more like Jesus. (Colossians 3:10, Romans 12:12, Romans 13:14).

These are some sins we put off when we put off our old nature:

"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" - Colossians 3:8-10 KJV

By our transformation by His Spirit, we become more and more the image of our Creator. [“As you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.” (Colossians 3:10)]

What do we put on?

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness [which binds us all together in perfect harmony]." - Colossians 3:12-14