Rebuilt: Putting off, Putting On

Intro: Looking at Reno Projects

There’s probably only two types of people when it comes to tackling renovations: Absolute overwhelm or Giddy Excitement. I most likely fall into the first category. I admire those who love the work of it. Some get excited about tearing down old, worn out parts and then there’s putting up the new things!

What if it was like the modern day tik tok videos or reels? You simply clap and the project is done. Our monthly update video was just that. Rob and I mixed a cake, ran out of time to bake so he snapped his fingers. Ding. It was done. The magic of video.

When it comes to our life in Christ there are parts or elements that are a snap of the finger and others that you need to dig in for. Let’s take a look:

Rebuilt in Christ

Craig: He is Your Life (Raised & hidden with Christ, so seek him and where he is with your mind and heart)

Wade: Putting to death/destroying the old to make way for the new.

Today: Putting off and putting on: Renewed in Christ’s Image. That is what we mean by being rebuilt.

Our life Needs a Reno

I don’t know about you but I often look at my life and think, I could use a renovation. I renovation of my mind and my heart. I see my actions and think woah, that’s not good. Or my negative or angry inner thoughts take over. As a sleep deprived Father of 3 growing girls, there were many days when anger bubbled up and out.

Then, I look at what it means to be a Christian and I say, that’s not what Jesus looks like. I’m certainly a work in progress. Here’s our passage for today:

Colossians 3:8–10 CSB

But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.

When we are raised and hidden with Christ we begin to practice putting off and putting on, allowing Christ to renovate us into his image.

Being rebuilt means we put away a few things.

Anger: Not just a thought but a festering. Festering reminds me of some veggies in the fridge past the expiry date. Soon the rotten food spreads to other food and soon my nose.

Anger turns to rage, malice, evil intent in the heart, turns to slander:

We need to deal with the thoughts of anger or malice before they turn to harmful actions or words.

Filthy Language is simply damaging language to others and and to God.

Lies get its own category here. Nothing destroys relationships faster than a lie. One thing hidden becomes something even greater.

My story of lying that I have seen that show or movie just to be relevant and in the conversation…soon im trying to mimic the quote or laugh a fake laugh. What does that do? Everyone can see it.

Lies become slander and the damage is done, relationship and trust are broken. No one feels good with slander.

Listen to NT Wright: “Words do not merely convey information or let off steam. They change situations and relationships, often irrevocably. They can wound as well as heal. Like wild plants [dandelions] blown in the wind, hateful words can scatter their seeds far and wide, giving birth to more anger wherever they land.” NT Wright

We need to put these things away, put the off.

Imagery here is clothing: taking off of dirty, ripped clothes and put on some new, fresh clothes. NO better smell! You feel renewed! Which is exactly what our passage says.

Being Rebuilt means being renewed.

You are being renewed. Did you notice that language? It’s passive which means it is happening to you. It’s Christ who renews.

“This does not merely mean that Christ demands a new standard of life from his redeemed people. The new self is being renewed.” NT Wright

It’s like these reno videos or project videos. They tell you what’s gonna happen then and to save time, they clap or snap their fingers and with the magic of video editing, the project is done. God is the master editor of our lives.

This isn’t always at a clap, otherwise Paul here would have not had to even write the church, Christians, about it. Its a continuous reno. As things come up, we deal with them, we put them off.

Renewal happens because of the resurrection. Jesus raised from the dead and being saved means we have that same resurrected life in us. (Colossians 3:1 “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”).

All of these on the list are not simply behaviour modification, but as NT Wright calls them, a “reflex . . . of God’s action in grace by the Spirit.

You have been raised to Christ and so putting off the old self with this vices like rage and malice is living into the life we have been given.

What are we being renewed into?

Rebuilt into Christ’s image:

These “put off” vice lists distort humanity. They make things out of shape and twisted, like a bowed or warped board. The end result looks nothing like it was intended to look like and doesn’t then function like it should.

Humanity is meant to be in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.” We are made in the image of God.

We missed the mark and broke that image.

Now God, step by step, is renewing us back into his image, to our beautiful, intended purpose.

It began with his resurrection and continues with us perpetually letting go of every aspect of life so he can make it new.

When we are raised and hidden with Christ we begin to practice putting off and putting on, allowing Christ to renovate us into his image.

This is how we get the self-renovation we want and need.

What action do we need to take.

Being Rebuilt means Intentionally Letting Go.

The language is put off. Let Go!!

Think of baptism, the act where we are showing the world that I folow Jesus now. That I have died to my old self and putting on the new. I go down into the refining waters and come up …well, wet.

Physically, when we wash with water, dirt comes off. SO in Christ, we fall into the waters and the old self comes off and we come up drenched in the new life. Intentional letting go. “It is far easier to drift into a sin which one does not know by name” NT Wright. Recognizing, naming that angry thought or action, giving it to Jesus, moving on. That is the daily hard work of becoming like Christ.

Practices of putting off & putting on: ie. Wood planer? Constant renovation: Choosing lumber. bowed, not matching, big knots, then take it off and put on a new one. ie building my fence in Vegreville.

response

Invitation of baptism: To take an intentional step of letting Go so God can renew you.

When we are raised and hidden with Christ we begin to practice putting off and putting on, allowing Christ to renovate us into his image.