New Life

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
~Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)

Colossians 3:1-17 almost seems like the introduction to being a Christian, to me.  It could be labeled "Following Christ 101: Beginner's Guide to Holy Living" (Hey, I like the sound of that) But in all seriousness, it is pretty straight-forward with how we are supposed to live, behave, conduct ourselves now that we know Christ.
Here are the do's and don't's, the yes's and no's of what to do/not do:

YES

• tenderhearted mercy
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• forgiveness
• love
• peace
• thankfulness

NO

• sexual sin
• impurity
• lust
• shameful desires
• greed
• anger
• rage
• maliciousness
• slander
• dirty language
• lies

This list is in no way the definitive, all inclusive list to righteousness. But, it is a really good starting point.  The main theme is stripping your life of the former way, the way you lived before knowing Christ, and clothing yourself in attributes that are fitting/becoming of someone who knows and recognizes the holiness, righteousness, and purity of Jesus. It's about acknowledging that we are sinners. You know how they say that the first step is admitting you have a problem? Admit it. You are human. You are fallible. You need Jesus! And you need to live in such a way that others cannot accuse you of anything other than loving Jesus and living for Him. It's not easy. You will try and you will fail. But the important thing is to keep trying! Keep striving to be more and more like Him. Don't let your flesh get the best of you! You can do it! You can do ALL things through Christ! So, start here. Exhibit love and patience and kindness, etc. Let go of anger and rage and dirty language, etc. Try your best to be an example of Christ's love. Be that little part of Jesus that someone sees today.