July 22, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

So, now you know what a follower of Christ is supposed to wear! 

You need to know how to clothe yourself in those virtues of Christian love. Before you can put on the new you must take off the old:

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:5-10

How can you put on compassion if you don't take off these things?

You can't!

How can you put on kindness if you don't take off these things?

You can't!

How can you clothe yourself in humility unless you take off these things?

You can't!

How can you put on gentleness if you don't take off these filthy things?

You can't!

How can you put on patience it you are wearing these dirty rags?

You can't!

I remember playing tackle football in the lot next to the E.U.B. Church on Sunday afternoons when I was a kid. We would play in the rain or in the snow but even on a fair weather day I would come home so filthy dirty I wasn't allowed in the house. I was sent to the back porch where I was told to take off the soiled clothes and handed some suitable to entering the house. So, I couldn't get in the house until I had clean clothing and I couldn't put on clean clothing until I took off the dirty ones.

That's how it is in God's house. You must take off the old and put on the new so you can enter in.

July 21, 2016

The dress code for Jesus followers has changed over the years. Original Christ followers wore robes and sandals just as He did. But if Jesus followers of 2016 were to dress like that it would be weird.

When I first started following Jesus the prevailing style was long-sleeved blouses and ankle-length skirts for ladies and long sleeved white shirts with skinny black neckties and black slacks. That's how serious believers dressed.

Shortly thereafter came a period of revival that reached all the way into the counter culture of the day giving birth to the "Jesus People" movement. Their dress of choice was often bell bottomed jeans, a t-shirt and either sandals or boots.

Not long after that came the advent of the double-knit leisure suit complemented by polyester wide collared shirts. Of course, you had to have a wide white belt to hitch up your trousers and platform shoes to compete your stylish statement.

Three piece suits became popular for awhile which meant a jacket with wide lapels, matching slacks and a vest. Match that with a nice dress shirt and wide tie and you were dressed for church or anything else worth going to.

Nowadays you can wear whatever matches your mood at the moment and no one really cares. Few even notice.

The point is the fickleness of the fashion world. Clothing styles change almost as quickly as hairstyles. If you have something that goes out of style store it in the attic because it will likely be stylish again.

But the wardrobe prescribed for Christ-followers in the first century by the Apostle Paul has never gone out of style. Nor will it ever!

Here's why:

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

Regardless of what's hanging in your closet or on the racks at Macy's if you are a follower of Christ you MUST choose to clothe yourself EVERY DAY with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Paul dressed that way.

The disciples dressed that way.

All the saints of the ages have clothed themselves that way.

Now all of them are clothed in the Glory of God in their eternal home!

Anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ but refuses or neglects to clothe himself with these Christ-like virtues is either misguided or mistaken.

So, how will you clothe yourself today?

July 20, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

When you are invited by someone famous to be part of something significant you are flattered but you also wonder what you should wear.

The Apostle Paul answered that question for all Christ-followers for all time. Because of the love that God has for His followers they are to express that love to others by clothing themselves with compassion, kindness, humility AND "gentleness" AND "patience".

"Gentleness" in this verse means "to adjust your strength to meet another at his weakness". Gentleness is the ability to help another who is struggling but and do it sensitively so he doesn't feel shamed or embarrassed.

A person clothed in gentleness does not help others from a position of strength or superiority.

"Patience" literally means "to slow down to the speed of another". A patient person is willing to move at the speed of the one he is trying to help. An impatient people by nature becomes irritated with one who cannot keep up with him. But rather than giving into the irritation and the impatience, the patience person adjusts to the slower pace for the sake of relationship.

Jesus came to call people into relationship with Him and with one another. To make that possible He expressed His great love by having compassion, showing kindness, being humble, dealing gently and demonstrating extraordinary patience.

Aren't you thankful for how He loves you? Are you grateful that He calls you away from rule-keeping, religious ritual and life-less traditions?

If you are you must clothe yourself with those same virtues as you build relationships with others.

July 19, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility......" Colossians 3:12

So what is a Christ-follower supposed to wear in order to be readily identified as a Christian?

Paul told the believers at Colossi to "clothe yourself" with" compassion, kindness and HUMILITY.

What did He mean by that?

The word used for "humility" implies that you see yourself and others honestly in light of God's grace. No matter what position or status or celebrity you have attained in your life, you are a product of what God is doing for you through Christ. 

Regardless of how little another person has accomplished or possesses or how low his status might be, he too, is a product of God's grace.

Clothe yourself in that humble awareness that as fellow recipients of God's grace you are on common ground with every other believer.

The longer you follow Christ and the closer you follow Christ the more aware you should be of how precious and vast God's grace is!

So, a true Christ-follower puts on the garment of grace and grows increasingly more humble the longer he follows.

A Christ-follower takes his eyes off the mirror and focuses upward to Jesus and outward to others. A properly clothed follower of Jesus is so amazed by the grace of God in his life he humbly honors others as objects of God's grace as well.

My I humbly suggest you clothe yourself in His humility?

July 18, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness....." Colossians 3:12

Jesus once told His followers not to be overly concerned about what they wear but trust the Heavenly Father to provide for them.

Obviously, God is concerned enough about our physical well-being and according to the Apostle Paul, He cares how we adorn ourselves spiritually as well.

As Christ-followers we are to put on compassion AND kindness.

Kindness has a good connotation in English but an even more powerful one in Greek. The Greek rendering has the idea of "loaning your strength" someone who is struggling. But when you loan your strength to one who is weak you are careful not to do it from a position of superiority.

Kindness is helping someone else at a time they need some extra strength and loaning them strength in a way you would want to be strengthened if you were having a weak moment. When you are weak you feel vulnerable and afraid and you don't need someone who wants to help you to make himself feel better. So, when you loan your strength to someone else do it to help them not for selfish reasons.

I'm sure there has been a time or two in your life when you were feeling weak and someone stronger came beside loaning you the strength you needed. 

Kindness is what Jesus extends to you on a daily basis as you acknowledge your weakness to Him. He does it generously and yet graciously.

He calls you to do the same! Clothe yourself with kindness.

July 17, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion....." Colossians 3:12

Christ-followers are to clothe themselves in the virtues of Jesus. The more a Christ-follower resembles Christ, the better!

Jesus wore a robe and sandals, so obviously that is not what I am suggesting. This admonition was written well before the invention of Velcro, buttons or zippers so it is apparent we aren't talking about literal clothing.

Paul's message here is that Christ-followers in their attitudes, actions and demeanor should resemble the nature of Jesus. If you are around others regularly over a period of time, they should recognize you as a Christ-follower without you having to mention it.

One Christ-like virtue is compassion. In the Greek language in which this was written, compassion had the idea of "feeling it in your gut". The word literally is translated "bowels". You are to feel the sorrow or pain of another person deep in your "gut".

Isn't it true that when you are suddenly sorrowful that is where it hits you? Haven't you heard distressing news and felt it in the pit of your stomach?

What should a Christ-follower wear?

He should put on compassion!

But to put on a new article of "clothing" what must you do? You go into the fitting room and you take off the shirt you are wearing so you can try on the one you want to get.

In the same way, you cannot put on compassion until you take off what you are wearing. You can't be clothed with compassion if you are wearing a critical spirit. You can't put on compassion until you take off your prejudice. You can't be clothed with compassion if you are judgmental.

A Christ-follower takes off anything that keep him from putting on compassion for others.

Will you be clothed with the compassion of Christ today?

What must you put off in order to put on compassion?

July 16, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

When I played ball in high school and later in college, I was not allowed to wear whatever I wanted to wear to our ballgames. I was told what to wear by my coach and my school.

They provided uniforms for us to wear so our fans, the officials and even other team mates would know which team they belonged to.

When I was in high school we had a dress code for daily classes. The school did not tell us exactly what we had to wear but the told us what we couldn't wear.

What you wear is significant in that people identify you or even judge you based on what you wear. Your wardrobe can reveal who you are.

No wonder the Apostle Paul admonished the Christians at Colossi (and modern Christians by extension) to "clothe themselves"in a way that identifies you as a follower of Christ.

Since other teams identify themselves by how they're dressed, Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says they must be able to be readily identified as a Christ-follower by the attitudes and virtues that adorn their lives.

So, how should a Christ-follower dress? What should you put on so that everyone can recognize you as a Christ-follower without you having to say a word or quote a verse?

Paul identifies five attitudes that when tailored from the fabric of love will "clothe" you as a follower of Christ!

Over the next several I will give you more detail on each of these five "clothing characteristics" of a Christ follower. For now, I will list them.

Compassion is commanded of those who follow Christ. 

Are you a compassionate person? If not, keep following!

Kindness is commanded of those who follow Christ.

If kindness is not your nature, keep following Christ.

Humility is is a must for those who claim to follow Christ. If you struggle with humility keep following Christ!

Christ followers must be gentle people. If you are not always gentle or if you are afraid of being gentle, keep following Jesus!

Paul insists on patience for those who are followers of Christ. Do you struggle with patience?

If you struggle with patience keep following Jesus!

If you want to be clothed like Jesus stay close to Jesus!

Follow!