Colossians 3:10

This is a conclusion of the previous verse, where we were told what we have put off lying.

He gave two basis for this: 1. we have put off the old man with its practices, and 2. are clothed with the new man renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.

Lying

Let’s understand the foundational sin of lying

Paul is representing lying as the hallmark of the old man. Jesus diagnosed the human condition when he said that humans do not want to come to the light so that it would not be known that their work is evil (John 3:19-21).

That is the contradiction of the human experience: being unable to stop doing evil and still trying to cover it up with lies.

That is clearly an echo of Eden, where Adam and Eve did wrong, and there was a coverup, so to speak.

And in Christ, we can choose differently: confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed (James 5:16), live your life like an open book, disavow what Paul calls the unfruitful deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), what he calls shameful passion (Colossians 3:15).

The solution is Christ, who is able to break the cycle of sin as we are invited to come out of the shadow with a confession to God (1 John 1:8-10).

We are not supposed to ignore sin and act as if we have not done anything wrong, but we are supposed to be able to confess our sins.

There is only upside to sin confession: just ask the tax collector who said, “God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am.” Jesus said he went home with the smile on God on him (my words) (Luke 18:9-14).

We must resolve that no amount of spiritual maturity would lead us to be self-deceived into thinking we are now beyond confession of sin.

Again, the foundation of the old man is deception. Somehow, we want to ignore that God is looking at us; at least, that is what both Adam and Cain thought.

Adam (passively) hides from God, and Cain (actively) lies to God about not knowing what happened. We can see the old man, the old formatting of man, the kind of expressions that are now seen as okay, as normal.

How seriously should we take the commandment not to lie? Very seriously. That makes you strange, but that is the point: It's not called the new creature for nothing.

…the new man renewed according to the image of the one who created it.

This is the point where Christianity is an experience, not a piece of information; it’s something that happens at the core of your being and where you have a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), a heart of flesh replacing a heart of stone. This is Christianity that cannot be inherited or taught; rather, God reveals his son in you (Ephesians 1:15-16), and we are made alive by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:18).

This is us bearing the image of Christ who created us when he said, "Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22)."

You have been clothed with the new man. This is something done to you. This is you receiving the new life from God.

That is what it means to be born again (John 3:16). The old is gone, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You have been clothed with the new man. Breathed that in for a moment.

The point is you cannot change yourself; rather, for some reason, God has decided to change you.

What joy that brings that God has chosen you! You have been chosen to be his, to be with him. And like Paul, you have also been chosen to suffer for his name, and what a privilege that is because, as Paul said, that suffering is working a greater weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16). He took the initiative to choose you from among your family, nation, and friends to pour his grace on you.

This is not the fate of everyone; you are among the elect. You are special; you have been chosen to both live for him and suffer for him. You have been created to bear the image of the man of heaven and put off the image of the earthly.