Scripture: Colossians 3:8-11 & 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

I. You reflect God’s image by remembering that you have taken off Adam.

A. In Colossians 3:8-9 we see commands for the church to put away angry attitudes and the bad words that come with rage. If Jesus lives in you, your words will necessarily change. The commands of the New Testament are to be who you already are. And who are you as a Christian according to Colossians 3:9-10? You are someone who has in the past put off the old self of Adam. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, you put on Jesus at that time. Since we are now wearing our Jesus clothes, we now have the power to live a righteous life.

B. After Adam and Eve sinned, we read in Genesis 3:7: “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” But these clothes they made were unacceptable to God to cover their sin and shame. So, God in His grace made His own clothes and gave them to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21: “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Only by wearing the new clothes of Jesus can we live in the presence of God.

II. You reflect God’s image by remembering that you have put on Jesus.

A. Christians have already in the past put on the new self of Jesus (Colossians 3:10). Who is Jesus? Colossians 1:15: “(Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Jesus is the mirror image of God. If you are wearing Jesus clothes now, you also reflect the image of God. When God made Adam and Eve, they perfectly reflected God’s image. Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

B. Your new self that you are wearing in Christ “is (present tense) being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10). We are being renewed along with other Christians (vs. 11) to look more and more like the God who created us and the Jesus who is the perfect reflection of God. And one great day Jesus will give us a glorified resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). This body will be better than Adam and Eve’s bodies in the Garden of Eden. Our resurrection bodies will not be able to sin and not be able to die.

Application:
Put on Jesus and take off Adam so that you can reflect God’s image.

Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by G.K. Beale, Doug Moo and Mark Meynell.

Sermon Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to take off the old self? How is our old self represented by Adam? Can we take off this old self in our own power? Can we then live a godly life in our own power?
2. Why are we Christians still fighting a battle with sin? Do we have two selves living within us? What has Jesus already done with our old self?
3. What does it mean to put on the new self? How is our new self represented by Jesus? If Christ lives in us, what kind of power do we have to defeat sin? What kind of body will Jesus give us when He returns to earth?