Questions on Application

1. How do we ‘put on’ and ‘put off’ things in our walk as believers?
A simple example: A saint who has been walking after the flesh can ‘put off’ the flesh by ‘putting on’ God’s way of thinking, to manifest Christ. The mind is renewed and transformed with godliness by thinking on wisdom. This sound teaching ‘puts off’ (displaces) worldly thinking. It’s a work of God in us as we dwell on/live the Word.

This is the renewing process needed to be a living sacrifice: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom, 12:2) Worldly, carnal, fleshly ways are put away as we choose to ‘put on’ or be renewed in our mind by sound doctrine. Romans 13:12 & 14 can provide clarity: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light… But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Our responsibility is to realize the time is short and “cast off” unrighteousness and anything that is aligned with the works of darkness by yielding to the power and wisdom of the Word of Christ and its work in us. As we focus on the doctrine Paul teaches to walk it out in the details of life, we will not provide a place for the flesh “to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 also teach on this topic and are worthy of further study. We are no longer to live as we used to in our former way of life; in darkness and deceit: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” (Eph. 4:22) We are to realize that the old man has been crucified with Christ and set aside its thinking with its fleshly ways. As we are renewed in our spirit, “… put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (vs.24) Reflect on this.

2. What is to be my motive to serve God rather than staying in my flesh?
The reason is living for God in love and thankfulness, knowing this: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Rom. 5:8-10)

II Corinthians 5:14-15 states the clarity in our motive for living as who we are in Christ: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” In other words, we are compelled or motivated by all God through Christ did for us, a glimpse of the great love bestowed upon us by God, sending His own Son to die in our place. Christ took upon himself our sin and fully paid the penalty we deserved. It was His great love for us: “For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Cor. 5:21) Christ was a “propitiation,” that is, a fully satisfying sacrifice to God: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Rom. 3:25)

Our motive to serve is to be godly thankfulness and love for the One who died in our place and took our sin so we can be made righteous and live forever with Him. He is the great God and our Father. So then, we are constrained by this love, which motivates and empowers us to serve. In this way the flesh is set aside as we focus above and, on His Word, to serve Him in love.