‘Put to death’ (v 5). No stronger image is possible to describe what our attitude needs to be about the changes needed as we seek to live for Jesus. Paul provides a depressingly familiar list of behaviours that seem to make up most of the daily news about celebrities and politicians. We need a total makeover in how we think, act, speak and handle the truth. The saying is true: ‘Old habits die hard.’  

We are all skilled and familiar with anger, status-seeking, mistruths, selfishness and prejudice. We need to unlearn these patterns and reprogramme our lives to mimic Jesus. We are all work-in-progress in this regard (v 10). God loves us so much that he accepts us just the way we are. And that same love drives him to change us into the image of his Son. He could not leave us as we were. 

Prejudice is baked into our nature. We want to look down on someone in order to feel better about ourselves. Jesus blows that away. Verse 11 has been a challenge to Christians for centuries. It continues to be a challenge today.

Lord, I know that a sinner lives in sin and loves it; a saint lapses into sin and loathes it. Help me to live the new way with Jesus.

These next two readings provide a startlingly simple picture – two wardrobes in which to hang clothes. Rather than clothes, however, these are behaviour/character wardrobes. The verbs ‘take off’ (v 9), ‘put on’ (v 10), ‘clothe yourselves’ (v 12), ‘put on’ (v 14) emphasise choices that face us each day. Like daily clothes, living with Jesus beyond normal calls for choices every day. 

One wardrobe is full of our old clothes, our old selves (v 9), easy and comfortable to wear. First, there is a group of sensual sins including sexual immorality and greed, which are idolatry – sins against God. People may argue, for example, that sex outside marriage is harmless if no one is hurt. From God’s point of view this behaviour defiles what God intended to be good. Chastity was the one completely new virtue that Christ brought into the world. Living the old way comes so easily and the commands to ‘put to death’ and ‘rid yourselves’ (v 8) are necessarily strong. Jesus died so that we too should die to the old way. Second, there are five social sins – sins of attitude and speech: anger, rage (violent and sudden), malice, slander and filthy language with added emphasis on ‘do not lie’ (v 9). These are in the present – clothes still being worn, because they are so much part of ordinary human living. 

One of the challenging aspects of today’s church is the potential for compromise with the world, allowing normal human behaviour (the old wardrobe) to be considered acceptable conduct. No. Jesus not only sets high standards but he enables us to live a whole new way in a community of new selves (v 10), belonging with others, with all barriers removed (v 11): ‘Christ is all, and is in all.’

I like the definition: a Christian is someone with whom it is easy to be good. Reflect on how our community (see v 11) can influence our behaviour.