Who am I? In Christ, I am a new creation. The old sinful distorted way of life is past. I have been made new with news desires and a new ability to be like God and reflect God. And yet while I am new, I am also being renewed. I have entered a process of becoming more and more like God, of reflecting God more and more. I am like a prisoner who has been set free. I am free, but I must learn to live out my new freedom. I must learn to live as a new creation. And Colossians 3 gives me very specific instructions on what this looks like:
• God made me to think, and as a new creation I am being renewed in knowledge (v10). No longer conformed to the thinking of this fallen world, I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). And this takes places as I immerse myself in God’s Word – as it dwells in me richly (v16).
• God made me to love, and as a new creation I must put on love in all its fullness. I must begin to practice compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with others, and forgiving others (v12-14).
• God made me to work, and as a new creation I begin to work heartily as unto the Lord (v22-24). No longer simply trying to keep the boss happy, or thinking only of what I can get out of it, or being as lazy as I can get away with, now I am to work heartily in service to God. My work becomes an opportunity to serve God all week long.
• God made me to rest, and as a new creation I begin to learn what it means to rest. Colossians doesn’t address this, but Jesus does in Luke 10:38-42. While Martha is busy serving, Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. There is a time to work and a time to rest. And one reason we rest is to simply sit at the feet of Jesus to learn and grow in him.
• God made me to live uprightly, and as a new creation I begin to put off sin and put on what is right. I clothe myself with love (v12-14), which Jesus said is the sum of righteousness (Matthew 22:37-40). And I put off sexual immorality and all that goes with it, anger and all its sisters, and wrong ways of speaking: slander, obscenity, and lying (v5-9).
• Finally, God made me to reflect him, and as a new creation I seek to do just that. In whatever I do, I am to do it in the name of Jesus (v17) – as his ambassador, as his representative. Every word and every deed to reflect him.
In Christ, I am a new creation. May we grow in living out this wonderful new identity.
Also in this series:
Brian J. Mikul 
….in Christ I am a new creation!