SINCE YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS
8 BUT NOW YOU YOURSELVES ARE TO PUT OFF ALL THESE: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 AND HAVE PUT ON THE NEW MAN WHO IS RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF HIM WHO CREATED HIM."
Colossians 3:8-10 (NKJV)
This piece is sequel to, or the continuation of, the teaching titled PUT OFF ALL THESE (Colossians 3:8).
The above passage says, believers should not lie to one another, since they have put off the old man with his deeds (Colossians 3:9).
At times one would need to see how some believers lying without any remorse, including ministers. You would see some of such people lying and still justifying their lying.
Lying is lying, there is neither a big nor small lying.
And, remember, all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17).
Also know that all liars would end in hell: " . . . AND ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE" (Revelation 21:8 NKJV).
It is nowadays that a believer would be seen and known only through profession, what he or she says about the self. One would not see any change in such a person's life whatsoever, physically or outwardly and character-wise (Titus 2:16).
In those days, If someone became born-again, It would show or be seen in the character or attitude of the person, even in his or her outlook or demeanour—outward manner, but reverse is the case today.
You will see someone who claims to be born-again without any difference between such and the unbelievers.
How would someone claim to be born-again without any difference in his or her life compared to that of the unbelievers? (1 Corinthians 3:3)
In some cases, the life of such so-called believers, what they do, used to be dirtier than that of the unbelievers—things they do should not even be mentioned or heard among the unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 5:3).
Thus, the admonition is: "DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER, SINCE YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN [the sinful or fleshly or adamic nature] WITH HIS DEEDS" (Colossians 3:9).
The putting off of the old man, the sinful nature, should be done immediately in the life of a believer. It should not be a thing that is procrastinated or dragged, being waited for a number of years, No; it should be worked on immediately after being born-again.
If this is done immediately, then, the new man should be put on successively (Colossians 3:10).
What does it mean to put on the new man?
The new man is put on when you allowed the newly recreated human spirit on the inside of you taken over your life, your soul or mind and the flesh, and be controlled by him—the recreated human spirit.
This putting on is sequel to putting off in the verse No 8 of that same Colossians 3.
This new man is renewed in knowledge: " . . . THE NEW MAN WHO IS RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF HIM [God] WHO CREATED HIM" (Colossians 3:10).
Your recreated human spirit is of God, he has the nature of God, no longer the old adamic nature which is called the old man in the verse No 9 of the Colossians 3.
"WHOEVER HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD DOES NOT SIN, FOR HIS [God's] SEED REMAINS IN HIM; AND HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD."
1 John 3:9 (NKJV)
This passage above is not referring to physical human body when It says whoever is born of God or born-again does not sin, for His seed remains in him or her (1 John 3:9).
Of course, whoever is born of God or born-again could still commit sins, If they yielded to the flesh to do so.
The passage was referring to the recreated human spirit of the believer who has been reborn or born-again or regenerated on the inside.
In other words, the newly recreated human spirit does not crave for sin or commit sin because the nature of God, being referred to as His seed in the passage, remains in him or her—the believer.
The recreated human spirit of whoever is born-again is born of God, that is, has God's nature, thus, he would not be craving or desiring to commit sin—the spirit would at all not be inclined to sin, because he is of God, has God's nature or seed.
This newly recreated human spirit is renewed in the knowledge of God (Colossians 3:10). In other words, the newly recreated human spirit has the knowledge or the knowing of God—has the mind of God.
In other words, the spirit knows what God wants and what He does not want.
He, the recreated spirit, knows what could make God angry and what could delight Him.
This is the reason why, when you did anything wrong as a believer in Christ Jesus, It is the voice of your recreated human spirit, the conscience, that would start reproving or condemning you.
It is not the Holy Spirit perse Who usually condemns or reproves when a believer misses it, but the recreated human spirit of the person, the believer; because he has the nature or seed of God.
If believers would totally submit to the leadership of their newly recreated human spirit, which is also known as walking in the spirit, they would always do what is pleasing to God (Galatians 5:16,17).
Are you walking in the spirit?
Peace.