Clothed with Christ

One of my favorite theologians is the renowned Bugs Bunny. In one of his cartoons it speaks volumes to the fact that what we choose to wear is key to who we are and whose we are.  We fulfill what we believe to be true about us, what we choose wear every day. In a cartoon, Elmer Fudd is relentlessly chasing Bugs through the woods firing his gun as he goes, when off in the distance a delivery van carrying various costume hats hits a bump in the road the back door flies open and out comes the many hats floating randomly in the breeze. The chase continues but now one of the hats lands on Bug’s head and he becomes a game warden and proceeds to bust Elmer for a hunting violation. As the cartoon unfolds the various costume hats land on the two characters and with each landing transforming our characters into the person that particular hat represents. When the hat blows off they go back to the chase.

Wouldn’t it be cool if that happened in our lives? When our kids get sick, we could just put on a doctor’s hat and cure them, or put on a banker’s hat when we need money, a clown suit when we are sad. (Ok, scratch the creepy clown suit!) You get the idea.  

I have good news for you. God says that we are “clothed with Christ”, which means we are transformed into being just like Jesus. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes. Galatians 3:26-27 (NLT). We see this “spiritual undressing and dressing” in the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossian church:  (3:5-9, 10; 12-14) So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. ⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. (This is your biblical verse for stripping) ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— ¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

We are also told to put on the full armor or God, meaning we are to receive what is promised for those of us who dress themselves Christ by faith. (See Ephesians 6:10-17) We are declared holy, righteous, free, and powerful, a royal priesthood, dead to sin, God’s inheritance and much more. We don’t have to wait until random hats plop on our heads to be transformed into who we really are. We as followers of Christ have the mighty hand of God to clothes us with Himself and to anoint us with his truth because his word is truth. We have a choice as to how much like Jesus we will become. Jesus was put on, dressed with the cross so that he could be our covering from sin and death so that we too could cover others with this same love, grace and power. We simply need to receive what God’s word already declares is ours and dress accordingly. We will receive the crown of life (See James 1:12) meaning eternal life with Him starting here on earth and even better in Heaven. That is the “hat” I want God to place on my head someday, but until then I want to be immersed in Christ, completely covered, clothed if you will with Him so that I can be Him incarnate for this lost and broken world.

So let me ask you:

·        What does your “spiritual closet” look like?

·        What do you need to take off (put to death) in your life?

·        What “spiritual armor” do you wear often and what do you need to start wearing? See Eph. 6

·        What biblical truths do you need to live in order to have a more Christ-like wardrobe?

 

Anyone want to join me and get dressed? (Separate rooms of course!)