Colossians 3:10

My Notes

What Does Colossians 3:10 Mean?

Paul describes the new identity of the believer as something you put on — like a garment. And the garment isn't static. It's being renewed. The new self you wear is alive and changing.

"And have put on the new man" — the verb (endyō) means to clothe yourself, to dress in something. The new man isn't something you grow into slowly from the inside alone. It's something you put on — decisively, actively, like putting on a coat. There's a deliberateness to it. You choose to wear the new identity. You take it off the hanger and put it on your body.

"Which is renewed" — the new man isn't a finished product you received once and never changes. It's being renewed (anakainoumenon) — present tense, passive voice, continuous action. Someone is renewing it. Not you. The renewal is being done to you. The garment you put on is being redesigned while you wear it. The new self is living, dynamic, constantly being made fresher.

"In knowledge" — the renewal happens in a specific domain: knowledge (epignōsis). Not just information — full knowledge, deep understanding, the kind of knowing that transforms perception and behavior. The new man is renewed as you know more — as your understanding of God, of yourself, of reality deepens. The knowing drives the renewal. The more accurately you see, the more thoroughly you're transformed.

"After the image of him that created him" — the template for the renewal is the Creator's image. The new man is being remade to look like God. The renewal isn't random improvement. It's targeted restoration — back to the original design. The image of God that was distorted by sin is being re-formed in you. You're being renewed after the pattern of the One who made you in the first place.

Genesis 1:27 said you were created in God's image. Sin distorted that image. Colossians 3:10 says the image is being restored — not to the original unfallen state, but to something even better: the image of Christ, the perfect human, the second Adam.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does it look like to 'put on' the new self each morning — to deliberately choose the new identity rather than defaulting to the old?
• 2.How has growing in knowledge of God tangibly changed who you are — not just what you believe, but how you live?
• 3.What aspect of the image of God is being most actively renewed in you right now? Where do you see the transformation happening?
• 4.How does understanding the new self as a 'living garment' — being renewed while you wear it — change the way you think about spiritual growth?

Devotional

You put on the new self like a garment. That metaphor tells you something important: identity in Christ is something you choose to wear. Not something you wait to feel. Not something that happens automatically while you sleep. You get up in the morning and you put it on. You choose to live in the new identity rather than the old one — the way you choose to wear clean clothes rather than yesterday's dirty ones.

But the garment is alive. That's what separates this metaphor from mere fashion. The new self you put on is being renewed — continuously, dynamically, by a power outside yourself. God is redesigning the garment while you wear it. The new identity isn't a finished product you received at conversion and maintain through willpower. It's a living thing being transformed by the Spirit as you grow in knowledge of God.

The renewal is in knowledge. Not in feelings. Not in experiences. Knowledge. The more deeply you understand God — His character, His purposes, His ways — the more thoroughly the new self is renewed. The transformation follows the knowing. Change your understanding and your identity follows. This is why Scripture matters so much. It's not just information. It's the mechanism of renewal. Every true thing you learn about God reshapes the garment you're wearing.

After the image of Him that created you. The target isn't generic improvement. It's specific restoration — back to the image of the Creator. The you that God intended from the beginning. The you that sin distorted but couldn't destroy. The renewal is taking you somewhere: toward the original design, the image of God, the person you were always meant to be. You're being remade. And the blueprint is the Creator Himself.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture