Put On Christ

“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:13-14).

Like Changing Outfits

Some people love to shop. They buy things for others as well as for themselves.  Smart shoppers know how to find quality items at a fraction of the regular price. They are bargain-driven. When they find something they like, they try it on. If they discover, for instance, a signature jacket at a low price, they take off their old coat and put on the new jacket. Like changing outfits, every time we properly repent from a sinful behavior, we take off the old and put on the new. We throw off the deeds of the flesh and put on Christ.

As a lizard sheds his skin and then boasts of his new scaly coat, we can rid ourselves of sinful living by renouncing it and putting on the characteristics of Jesus. After making this change, we can boast in the Lord. We can do this because our identity rests in Christ. As born-again believers, we no longer belong to the old nature because our identity has changed. Sin does not define us. We now have a new nature.  This reality is ours because of Christ’s cross.

Our New Identity

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” This describes our identity in Christ. The scripture says we are complete in him (Colossians 2:10). When we enter God’s family, our spirit transitions from darkness to light, and our spirits become completely righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our soul (mind, will, and emotions) must be sanctified through the process of renewing our minds with God’s Word. Our bodies will one day be made new. Then, we will put on perfect incorruptible bodies.

In Isaiah 61:10, the prophet instructs us to put on righteousness like a robe. In the New Testament, we are told that we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).  God’s qualities cannot be manufactured. Instead, God “gifts” them to us. As we yield to the Holy Spirit and as we saturate ourselves in God’s Word, we will bear His fruit.

By Grace, Not Self-Will

These fruits find their source not in self-will but in the power of God’s grace flowing from our spirit within us that has become one with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

In our daily walk, we may find that we often stumble. When we fall, we can confess our sin and begin again. We do not have to wallow in self-pity. Instead, we can quickly embrace the forgiveness God extends to us. We can renounce our fleshly tendencies and put on Christ. This can become our continual habit. With those actions, we start over. With God’s help, we can gain greater maturity. Our trust should be in God’s spiritual provision and not in our own effort. We can learn to depend on him. In this spirit of leaning on Him, we can practice the habit of throwing off the old garments and putting on the attributes of Jesus. This is sometimes referred to as the great exchange, which is only possible because of the cross. Jesus exchanged our sin for His righteousness.

Like Joseph

God’s grace is sufficient for us. As we abide in Him, we will bear life-giving fruit, and with God’s help, we can become more consistent in our walk. Over time, we can grow and display more of God’s glory.  Like Joseph who wore his coat of many colors given to him by his father, Jacob, let’s put on the beautiful robe of righteousness that God, our Father provides. Let’s throw away the old and joyfully put on Christ!

 

Tom Toya

Tom lives with his beautiful wife, Lou, his mother-in-law, Virginia, and his handsome Maltese, Muy-Muy, in the Chicagoland area. He has published articles in several magazines, e-zines and newspapers. He authored Ancient Songs for Today: Discovering Life Changing Truths from the Psalms.

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