Clothed in Christ: Transforming Our Identity and Actions

Today’s focus was on Colossians chapter 3, where Paul gives us one of the most practical pictures of what it means to live as a follower of Jesus. The heart of the passage is about identity—who we are in Christ—and how that identity should radically transform our daily lives. If Christ is truly supreme, if He lives in us, and if we are rooted in Him, then our lives should look different. Our character, our responses, and our priorities should reflect the reality of Christ within us.

Paul begins by commanding us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a call to shift our perspective from the temporary to the eternal. Just as Abraham left behind comfort and certainty for the promises of God, we are called to live with our eyes fixed on Christ, letting His reality shape how we see everything else. When our perspective changes, our responses change—earthly frustrations lose their power when viewed through the lens of eternity.

Next, Paul tells us to put off the old self. This isn’t about managing or excusing our old ways; it’s about putting them to death. The old self—marked by sin, anger, greed, and impurity—no longer fits who we are in Christ. Like stripping off filthy clothes after a long day, we are called to throw away what no longer belongs to us. The story of Zacchaeus is a powerful example: when he encountered Jesus, his old life of greed was replaced by generosity and justice. True transformation means leaving behind what once defined us.

But it’s not enough to just put off the old; we must also put on the new self. Paul describes this as clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love. Our identity as God’s chosen, holy, and dearly loved people fuels this new character. Forgiveness is central—not measured by the depth of our hurt, but by the depth of Christ’s forgiveness for us. Love is the bond that holds all these virtues together, and peace is to rule in our hearts like an umpire, guiding our decisions and responses.

Ultimately, whatever we do—in word or deed—should be done in the name of Jesus, reflecting His character to the world. The world may never read Colossians, but it reads our lives every day. The question is: what do people see? Are we still wearing the rags of our old nature, or are we clothed in the beauty of Christ? Each day, we have a choice: to put on Christ, so that the world might see Him in us.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Setting your mind on things above is a daily, intentional act that shifts your perspective from the temporary to the eternal. When you view life through Christ’s vantage point, earthly frustrations and anxieties lose their grip, and your responses are shaped by peace rather than panic. Your direction in life will always follow your focus—so fix your eyes on Jesus, and let His reality define your priorities. [61:30]
• 2. Putting off the old self is not about self-improvement or behavior management; it’s about a decisive break with the patterns, attitudes, and sins that no longer fit your new identity in Christ. Like stripping off filthy clothes, you are called to throw away what once defined you—anger, lust, greed, and dishonesty—so that your new life can shine. True transformation requires death to the old, not just a surface-level change. [70:00]
• 3. Putting on the new self means intentionally clothing yourself each day with the character of Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. These virtues are not earned to gain God’s love; they flow from knowing you are already chosen, holy, and dearly loved. The measure of your forgiveness is not how much you’ve been hurt, but how much you’ve been forgiven by Christ. [77:00]
• 4. Love is the perfect bond that holds every other virtue in place. Without love, compassion becomes mere pity, kindness becomes shallow, and humility becomes fake. Letting the peace of Christ rule in your heart means allowing His presence to be the umpire in your decisions—if peace calls something out of bounds, honor that boundary and trust His guidance. [82:00]
• 5. Your spiritual “uniform” should make you recognizable as belonging to Jesus, not by outward appearance but by the character you display in everyday life. The world is not convinced by your church attendance or biblical knowledge, but by seeing Christ’s compassion, humility, and forgiveness in you—especially when the world expects the opposite. Each day, ask yourself: what am I wearing? Am I clothed in Christ, or still holding on to the rags of my old self? [89:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:00] - Announcements and Mission Updates
• [04:30] - Introduction to Colossians Series
• [07:45] - Recap: Christ’s Supremacy and Our Identity
• [12:10] - The Context of Colossians 3
• [15:00] - Set Your Mind on Things Above
• [22:30] - The Power of Perspective: Abraham’s Example
• [28:00] - Earthly Frustrations vs. Eternal Focus
• [33:00] - Put Off the Old Self
• [41:00] - The Wardrobe Change: Stripping Off the Old
• [46:30] - Zacchaeus: A Life Transformed
• [51:00] - Put On the New Self
• [57:00] - Clothed in Compassion, Kindness, and Love
• [65:00] - Forgiveness and the Bond of Love
• [72:00] - Letting Peace Rule and the Word Dwell
• [77:00] - Joseph: Forgiveness in Action
• [82:00] - The World Reads Your Life
• [89:17] - Practical Application: What Are You Wearing?
• [95:38] - Declaration and Prayer
• [100:00] - Worship and Ministry Time
• [112:28] - Closing Blessing

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:1-17 (ESV) —
> 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
> 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
> 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
> 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
> 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
> 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
> 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
> 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
> 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
> 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
> 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
> 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
> 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
> 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
> 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
> 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
> 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Observation Questions

1. According to Colossians 3:1-2, what does Paul command believers to do with their minds and focus?
2. What are some specific examples Paul gives of the “old self” that we are to put off?
3. What new qualities or “clothes” does Paul say we should put on as God’s chosen people?
4. In the sermon, what illustration did the pastor use to explain how our perspective changes when we set our minds on things above? ([22:30])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul connect our identity (“chosen, holy, and dearly loved”) to the way we live and the character we display? ([57:00])
2. The sermon says putting off the old self is not about self-improvement but about a decisive break. What does this mean for someone struggling with a recurring sin or habit? ([41:00])
3. How does the story of Zacchaeus help us understand what true transformation looks like? ([46:30])
4. Why is love described as the “perfect bond” that holds all the other virtues together? What happens if love is missing? ([01:22:00])

Application Questions

1. The sermon said, “Your direction in life will always follow your focus—so fix your eyes on Jesus.” What is one area of your life where you need to shift your focus from earthly things to things above? What practical step can you take this week? ([22:30])
2. Is there an “old self” attitude, habit, or sin that you know doesn’t fit who you are in Christ? What would it look like to “throw it away” instead of just managing it? ([41:00])
3. The pastor gave everyone a clothing tag and asked them to write down one Christlike quality to “put on” this week. If you had to pick one—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, or love—which would you choose and why? ([01:29:17])
4. Think of a recent situation where you reacted out of your “old self” (anger, impatience, gossip, etc.). How could you have responded differently if you were “clothed in Christ”? ([01:29:17])
5. The sermon said, “The world may never read Colossians, but it reads our lives every day.” What do you think people see when they “read” your life? Is there anything you want to change about the “uniform” you’re wearing? ([01:22:00])
6. Forgiveness is central to the new self, and the measure is not how much you’ve been hurt, but how much you’ve been forgiven by Christ. Is there someone you need to forgive, or a hurt you need to let go of? What’s holding you back? ([01:17:00])
7. The peace of Christ is supposed to “rule” in our hearts like an umpire. Is there a decision or situation in your life right now where you need to let Christ’s peace call something “out of bounds”? What would it look like to honor that boundary? ([01:22:00])