NOV 29

Colossians 3:10
Memorise Philippians 3:14
“…renewed in knowledge…”

Paul exhorts in Colossians 3:10 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Paul uses the phrase “put on” to contrast with the “put off” in the previous verse, as well as “new man” to contrast with the “old man”. The tense used for the word ‘put on’ is the same as ‘put off’ in verse 8 to show that the new man we have is put on once and for all, and the old man should no longer be with us anymore. The most interesting phrase here though is “renewed in knowledge”: the charismatics would perhaps expect ‘renewed in spirit’ as the process of sanctification, but it is renewal in knowledge instead. In Greek, the word for knowledge here is “epignosis”, describing experiential knowledge. Sanctification therefore involves knowing more and more about Christ each day through our walk with him. Christ is “the image of him that created him”, the image of God who created the new man. Paul deliberately uses this phrase to once again point out the error of the Gnostics in Chapter 2 that they should be seeking this knowledge rather than the hidden knowledge they claim must be sought. Finally, note that the word for “new” in Greek here is “neos”, meaning new in time, while the word for “renewed” in Greek here is the compound of the word “kainos”, meaning new in quality. The point is that this new man must still undergo renewal and growth to someone better.

Are you spiritually growing? You know you are spiritually growing if you are becoming more and more like Christ in terms of experiential knowledge, and less and less of your old man. When I started attending Calvary Pandan, I had opposition from my non-Christian parents, which reached its peak when I refused to attend university revision classes that were held on Sundays. I soon learnt that by so honouring God, He would deliver me through trial. When my exam results improved despite not attending the Sunday revision sessions, my parents stopped opposing my attendance at church. Christ always honoured His Father, and so I am still learning more and more in knowledge and experience about how I should honour my Father, patterned after how Christ did so.

Thought: Am I more like Christ or more like my old man?
Prayer: May I press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.