Put Off Put On

The Paradigm for Living the Christian Life

Christian parents have a challenging task in raising children today. But parents need not despair. There is hope and a divinely inspired resource available to turn to from the very start.

The apostle Paul has provided a paradigm, designed for us to live the Christian life victoriously from day-to-day. That paradigm is the “put-off-the-old-person-we-used-to-be” and “put-on-the-new person-we-are-in-Christ.” Paul unpacks this paradigm in various places and using various terms in his letters. Many adults, it seems were never taught how to implement this paradigm in their personal lives. Either they did not see it in operation in their own parents or it was not addressed in their churches or youth groups. As a result, many are still enslaved to life dominating habits.

The Paradigm is Overlooked in Parenting

But ironically, the paradigm is overlooked when it comes to raising children. What normally happens is that parents emphasize an action or attitude that the child should stop doing, but then fail to include the replacement attitude or action that the child ought to adopt in practice. Parents teach the put-off action or attitude, but forget about the put-on action that should replace it. The put-off and put-on-paradigm come as a package, not in separate parts.  

The child, for example, learns that he or she must stop being mean to others, but fails to learn how to replace the old habit with the new habit, of be kind and loving. The paradigm of putting-off and putting-on must be learned early in life for it to become a holy-habit throughout life. Start the paradigm while children are young and they will know how to implement it when they are adults.

The Paradigm is Essential for Harmonious Marriages

It is a paradigm essential to be practiced regularly to maintain unity in marriage. But when men and women, especially those raised in legalistic churches and homes, environments chock full of rules, enter marriage, they may know the rules, but they often lack the Christ-like character, attitudes, and graces that enable them to genuinely love their spouse. In other words, they are unable to put the interests of their spouses above their own interests. They remain selfish and entitled, a child living in an adult body. Married to a spoiled child in an adult body. Can you imagine how difficult that would be?

So, in the interests of husbands and wives leaving life-dominating habits behind and replacing such tendencies with Christ-like virtues, and in the interests of raising children Christ’s way with God’s resources, our upcoming mid-week, Adult Bible Study will address this life-changing paradigm.

Join us on Wednesday evening, October 26, 2022, at 6:30 pm for pizza at David and Sarah Dare’s home, and the Bible study, 7:00 pm, at Bob and Beth Dare’s home. Child-care provided for all ages.

redeemerbible.org