Put on the New // Pastor Justin Collett

Colossians 3 calls us to a radical transformation: to put off the old self and put on the new, to live as those who are hidden with Christ in God, and to set our minds on things above. Our identity is not in our past, our failures, or even our present struggles, but in the reality that we have died, been buried, and raised with Christ. This new life is not just about behavior modification or managing sin at the surface level; it’s about uprooting sin at its source, refusing to compromise, and allowing Christ to form us from the inside out.

Paul’s instructions are clear and uncompromising: put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. These are not just external actions but internal motivations and desires that, if left unchecked, will bear destructive fruit. Sin is not satisfied with a corner of your life; it always seeks more ground. Like the story of Neville Chamberlain’s failed compromise with Hitler, any attempt to appease sin will ultimately lead to greater destruction. Instead, we are called to the resolve of Churchill: to fight sin everywhere it appears, with unwavering determination.

But the call is not only to put off the old; it is to put on the new. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and above all, love—these are not sentimental virtues but the armor of God, the true strength of a life rooted in Christ. Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control, modeled perfectly in Jesus. Love is the binding force that integrates our desires, actions, and relationships, reflecting the sacredness God intended for us.

This journey is not one of self-effort or solitary striving. Christ is our advocate, our encourager, and our refuge. When we stumble, He is not condemning us but cheering us on, inviting us to trust Him for something better. Growth comes as we practice gratitude, let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, worship wholeheartedly, and walk in honest community with others. Every root of sin is ultimately rooted in idolatry—seeking in something or someone else what only God can provide. The invitation is to bring those roots into the light and pray, “God, help me find in You what I am looking for elsewhere.” Christ offers us a new garment, a new identity, and a new way to live—fully adorned in His righteousness.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True transformation requires more than cutting off sinful behaviors; it demands uprooting the internal motivations and desires that give rise to them. Sin is like a tree—if you only cut off the branches, it will grow back. Only by finding and removing the root can lasting change occur. [13:05]
• 2. Compromise with sin is never safe. Like Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler, any attempt to manage or contain sin will ultimately fail, as sin always seeks to expand its territory in our lives. We are called to a Churchill-like resolve: to fight sin everywhere, never surrendering ground. [15:45]
• 3. The virtues Paul calls us to put on—compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love—are not mere niceties but the true armor of God. These qualities are the evidence of real strength, rooted in Christ, and they enable us to stand firm when the world shakes around us. [22:42]
• 4. Love is the integrating force that binds all virtues together and restores what sin fragments. Sexual immorality, and all sin, distorts and divides, but love—rooted in Christ—brings wholeness, sacredness, and true intimacy, reflecting God’s design for our lives and relationships. [24:43]
• 5. Growth in Christ is not a solitary or self-driven journey. Jesus is our advocate and encourager, walking with us through every stumble and struggle. We are called to practice gratitude, let the word dwell in us, worship, and walk in honest community, exposing the roots of sin and seeking our deepest needs in God alone. [29:14]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:29] - Setting Our Minds on Things Above
• [01:05] - Hidden with Christ and Our Future Glory
• [02:17] - Reading Colossians 3:1-17
• [02:52] - Putting to Death What Is Earthly
• [03:31] - Putting On the New Self
• [04:14] - Letting the Word Dwell Richly
• [06:08] - The Anatomy of Lust and Internal Motivations
• [08:33] - From Anger to Outward Actions
• [09:50] - The Seed and Root of Sin
• [11:02] - Jesus on the Heart’s Condition
• [13:05] - Uprooting Sin, Not Just Cutting Branches
• [14:23] - The Danger of Compromising with Sin
• [17:39] - Churchill’s Resolve: Never Surrender
• [19:36] - The Armor of Compassion, Kindness, and Strength
• [22:42] - Meekness, Patience, and True Strength
• [24:43] - Love as the Binding Force
• [27:53] - Hidden in Christ: A Picture of Security
• [29:14] - Christ as Advocate and Encourager
• [30:44] - Practicing Gratitude and Letting the Word Dwell
• [32:01] - Worship as Alignment
• [33:20] - Community and Confession
• [33:57] - The Root of Sin: Idolatry
• [35:17] - Final Encouragement and Prayer
• [36:31] - Closing and Next Steps

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. What are the specific things Paul tells us to “put to death” and “put away” in Colossians 3:5-8? How does he describe the difference between the old self and the new self? ([02:17])
2. According to the passage, what are the qualities or virtues that believers are called to “put on” as God’s chosen people? ([03:31])
3. In the sermon, what illustration does the pastor use to describe the danger of compromising with sin? ([15:01])
4. How does Paul describe the role of love in the life of a believer? What does it do for all the other virtues? ([24:43])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul focus not just on outward actions, but also on internal motivations and desires when talking about sin? How does this change the way we think about transformation? ([07:21])
2. The pastor compares compromise with sin to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler. What does this analogy suggest about the nature of sin and our approach to it? ([15:45])
3. The virtues Paul lists—compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love—are described as the “armor of God” in the sermon. How does this understanding challenge the idea that these are just “nice” or “soft” qualities? ([22:42])
4. The sermon says that every root of sin is ultimately rooted in idolatry—seeking in something or someone else what only God can provide. How does this perspective help us identify and address the deeper issues behind our struggles? ([33:57])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says that true transformation is about uprooting sin at its source, not just cutting off the branches. Is there an area in your life where you’ve been trying to manage or contain sin rather than dealing with its root? What would it look like to address the root cause? ([13:05])
2. Have you ever tried to “compromise” with a sin, thinking you could keep it under control? What happened? How does the Churchill illustration motivate you to take a different approach? ([15:45])
3. Of the virtues Paul calls us to put on (compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, love), which one do you find most challenging? Why? What is one practical step you could take this week to “put on” that virtue? ([22:42])
4. The sermon says that love is the binding force that restores what sin fragments. Is there a relationship in your life that needs to be restored or made whole? How could you take a step toward that this week? ([24:43])
5. The pastor described Jesus as our advocate and encourager, not our condemner, when we stumble. How does this truth affect the way you respond to your own failures? Do you tend to hide, shame yourself, or run to Jesus? ([29:14])
6. The sermon encourages us to practice gratitude, let the word of Christ dwell in us, worship, and walk in honest community. Which of these practices do you need to grow in most right now? What is one specific way you can take a step forward this week? ([30:44])
7. The pastor shared a prayer: “God, help me find in You what I am looking for elsewhere.” What is one thing you are tempted to seek outside of God? How can you bring this to God in prayer and community? ([34:38])