Colossians 3:9-10 - Who Are You?

Colossians 3:9-10

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

When you interact with other people, who are you? How would you describe yourself?

Are you the Person of Mystery? The person who never lets anyone see the "real you," instead creating a facade that only shows others what you want them to see – not your true self inside?

Are you the Chameleon? Are you like the color-changing lizard that matches its surroundings, adapting to people, shifting your personality based on who you are with at the moment?

Are you the "What You See Is What You Get" person? Do you say, "I am who I am and I won’t change," and equate honesty with being coarse and abrasive, refusing to adjust your behavior to avoid “hypocrisy”?

Ask yourself this question:  What does the way you interact with others have to do with being a Christian? Colossians 3:9-10 calls us to be authentic and true, reflecting the transformation and renewal that comes from Christ.

Some think being a Christian means belonging to a Church. They equate their faith with their church attendance, not by any personal identity or transformation. Others think being a Christian is the same thing as being a good person. They see Christianity as being all about moral behavior. So, they avoid major sins, are generally good neighbors, and they believe in God—but without any deeper personal change. Also, for many today, Christianity is only about beliefs and actions, not identity. To them, it is about doing the right things at the right times, and not about their own personal transformation.

Jesus faced a similar issue with the Jewish people of the first century. His ministry was primarily to the Jews, who believed their ancestry (themselves, being descendants of Abraham) assured their status as God’s People. John the Baptist warned them against relying on their lineage, urging genuine repentance and transformation (Luke 3:8). Jesus echoed this in John 8:31-33, challenging their misplaced confidence in their ancestry.

If we were asked if we are sure we are Christians, and we answered, "Because we are members of the Church of Christ," would that answer be any better than the Jews of the first century? The true mark of belonging to God is a changed life. Two prominent New Testament figures illustrate this.

The apostle Peter vowed never to deny Jesus, yet he did three times -- but. after Jesus’ resurrection, he reaffirmed his love for Jesus, and Peter proved to be a powerful leader, as we see in the book of Acts (John 21:15-17).

The apostle Paul started out as a violent enemy of Christians, but his encounter with the resurrected Jesus changed him completely. He went from arresting and imprisoning Christians to nurturing and cherishing them like a nursing mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12).

God loves you and wants to bless you beyond your comprehension, but His ability to bless you depends on your willingness to repent, change, grow, and mature. The transformation begins with baptism, which unites us with Christ and brings us into a relationship with God. As Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

This leads back to the fundamental question: "Who am I?" If you are not happy with your answer, let God change you!