and that you put on the new man which, according to God, was created in true righteousness and holiness.
Truth to Learn
We have a choice in how we live our lives.
Behind the Words
The words “put on” are the translation of the Greek verb enduō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and a derivative of dunō, meaning “to sink.” So, literally, enduō means “to sink into,” in the sense of sinking into a garment. It means “to invest” with clothing, or “to put on” clothing, as we have in our translation here. It is expressed here in the middle voice, indicating action which we are to do to ourselves.
The word “new” in this verse is from kainos, which means “new” in the sense of being fresh or “brand-new.” There is another Greek word translated “new.” It is neos, which means “new” with respect to age. Neos is often translated as “young” or “younger.”
“Holiness” is from the Greek word hosiotēs, which refers to “being pious” or “being holy.” It is a reference primarily to the outward conduct and performance of religious duties. In the original Greek, the end of this verse actually reads: “in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Meaning Explained
The Apostle Paul has some clearly identifiable characteristics in his writing and teaching. He is very fond of using a word repeatedly in different forms to drive home a point. He also is very careful in teaching what to do directly after he has taught what not to do. It is good for us to learn what we shouldn’t do, but it is even more important for us to learn what we should do instead. We are not supposed to focus on the bad, but on the good. If we were told not to think of an elephant, we would immediately think of an elephant. If, however, we are told to not think of an elephant and, instead, to think of an eagle, we can easily transfer our thoughts to the new object of focus.
That’s how Paul is teaching us in this verse. Two verses back he told us to “put off” our old man (our sin nature) and in today’s verse he tells us to “put on” the new man. Instead of us focusing on what we shouldn’t be doing, he instructs us to focus on what we should do. This new man that we are to put on is not just a cleaned-up version of our old man, and it’s not our old man before he got so old and corrupt. The new man is a completely new creation. Paul told the Corinthians:
So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
This new creation is our new nature, it is our spiritual nature which was created in Christ and, therefore, is Christ-like. Those who are not saved do not have this new nature; they are still under the control of their sin nature (their old man). We, on the other hand, have a choice; we can choose to let our sin nature control our thoughts and actions, or we can choose to live in a Christ-like manner because of our new man. And, in the current verse we are told the two primary characteristics of this new man: righteousness and piety (holy living).
Application
As a Christian you have a choice. You can choose to live like all of the unsaved people around you. Or, you can choose to live like Christ, as a witness to all those around you. How do you want to live your life?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved