Colossians 3

“ ... you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self” (9-10). Since our old lives “died” when we turned to Christ (1-4), Paul tells us to embrace the “new self” by new behaviors. The old life was characterized by sexual immorality, greed, and anger (5-9), but the new life is about compassion, kindness, and patience (12). The old life divided people into ‘us and them,’ but in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free (11).

As God’s “holy and dearly loved” people (12), we are called to live differently. Rather than be ruled by our emotions or circumstances, “the peace of Christ” rules in our hearts (15).