The moment someone puts their faith in Christ they pass from death to life, from enslavement to freedom, from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of Christ. Justification is instantaneous while sanctification is a life long endeavor. Though we’ve been made new creations in Christ at the time of our new birth, we must learn how to live out these new lives in Christ. One commentator puts it this way, “Believers are like immigrants to a new country, not yet completely habituated to its way of life. They have accepted its citizenship in a new world and must learn to live in it.” We learn to live the new life by being guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. In Colossians 3:5-11 God reveals to us specific commands to live out as new creations in Christ—put off the old and put on the new. The Lord makes the categories clear for us, but applying it in our lives is a different story. Being enamored with Christ, being filled up in Him, and actively engaging in putting sin to death is a good start in conquering the old man and putting him aside everyday.
