In with the New: Living the Identity Christ Gives Us
In sports, a team can redefine its entire identity. Take the 1999 St. Louis Rams, for instance. In 1998, they were one of the worst teams in the league, finishing 4–12. A year later, they went from worst to first—winning the Super Bowl, clinching their first division title in 14 years, going undefeated at home, and earning the nickname “The Greatest Show on Turf.” They achieved this by embracing a new identity, committing to disciplined training, and playing with renewed purpose.
That is a powerful picture of what the Apostle Paul teaches in Colossians 3:9–17. The Christian life is not merely about changing a few habits or behaving better. It is about transformation at the core—a complete replacement of the old with the new. Paul shows us that in Christ, we are not who we once were. Jesus does not merely improve us. He replaces our identity with His own.
We Are Not Who We Were (Colossians 3:9–11)
Paul begins by reminding believers that the old self has been laid aside. In Christ, our past does not define us—our new identity does. This isn’t self-help or personal betterment. It is the gospel truth that salvation is not self-improvement but self-replacement.
Think about how we expect children to grow and mature as they get older. We understand that physical maturity is inevitable, even as our bodies slowly age. But Paul is inviting us to consider our spiritual maturity—that while our outer self is decaying, our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).
This new self is relational and communal. In Christ, cultural, social, and economic distinctions do not divide us (v.11). We are all equal at the foot of the cross. The transformation Paul speaks of leads us not only to love God more but also to love people more. As we grow in Christ, we reflect His image more clearly (Galatians 4:19).
Christ Has Called Us to More (Colossians 3:12–13)
We are not just saved from something—we are saved for something. In these verses, Paul reminds the Colossians of their new position: chosen, holy, and beloved. That is a privileged identity! And with it comes the call to live differently—to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
This is not something we produce on our own. It is what Christ clothes us with. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) is not a to-do list, but a result of abiding in Him. We are called to forgive others just as the Lord forgave us—not out of duty, but out of the overflow of what He has done in us.
Christ has not only forgiven us; He is actively reshaping us to look like Himself. We are being made new in knowledge, righteousness, and love.
Christ Has Called Us—and We Can Become Who We Were Made to Be (Colossians 3:14–16)
These verses take the transformation even further. The love of Christ binds all things together in perfect unity. The peace of Christ rules our hearts. The Word of Christ dwells richly within us. This is not a call to religion or external moralism. It is an invitation to wholeness—a life saturated in the presence and power of Jesus.
Yes, transformation is hard. Yes, we fail. But in Christ, we are not left alone. We are not being asked to manufacture righteousness; we are being invited to receive it and live in it.
Philippians 2:13 reminds us that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” This means the pressure is off our performance. God is the one doing the transforming. We were created to reflect Christ, redeemed to rejoice in Him, and now released to run in His grace.
A New Life Made Possible
The Christian life is not just about living for Jesus—it is about letting Jesus live through us. This truth redefines everything. We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), and through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are now being remade into that image.
This new life is only possible because of the sacrifice of the old. Jesus gave His body and His blood—something we remember in the Lord’s Supper—not simply so we could go to heaven someday, but so we could be made new today.
Christ does not simply want to change what we do; He wants to change who we are.
If the Rams could rewrite their identity with discipline and teamwork, how much more can we, through Christ’s Spirit, live as new creations—fully alive, fully loved, and fully transformed. Let us put off the old and step into the new, walking in the victory Jesus already won for us.