Matt 9:16 – No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment…
When I was a boy and we would get a hole in our jeans my mother would put a patch on them so I could keep them. If there were too many holes the jeans would be discarded. Now days, kids pay good money for jeans with holes in them!
The bottles (vs. 17) in the passage were made out of goatskins. If they were old and new wine was put into them they would eventually bust because the skins would be too weak to hold the pressure when the wine began fermenting.
Many people make the same mistakes with their lives. When they get saved they keep their old garment and old bottles hoping they can just patch them up. They try to add Jesus to their lives instead of letting Him control their lives.
The foolishness of it is clear. Who would change the oil in their car and not change the oil filter? Who would cook food in dirty pans? Yet many people get saved and bring old sins and habits into their new life in Christ! It is no wonder that in a few years their garments and rent and their lives broken in shambles. Jesus is not a patch you can put over your garments so you can keep living your wicked lifestyle. He is the sinless Son of God that deserves all of our worship and devotion.
The fatality of it is also evident. If you keep the old garments and old bottles and try to mix your faith with the old life, things will only get “worse” (vs. 16).
You need to “put off the old” (Eph. 4:22-24) garments. Discard them. You should have done it long ago. Do it now. After you get rid of them you are ready to put on the new garments (Col. 3:8-10) and live your life for Jesus Christ and His glory instead of living your life for yourself!