What is the first thing you notice in this picture? If you’re anything like me, it’s the bride’s stunning dress.
This morning I was reading a devotional which included Galatians 3:27 in the Amplified Version. A part of that verse REALLY struck me. — “…in Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] . . .have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values.]”. I got to thinking about how, when you see someone dressed to the nines —a king, a queen, or like the bride above, what grabs your initial attention is the attire, not the person.
Galatians tells me that I AM dressed to the nines — I am clothed with CHRIST, the very Son of God. So the first thing people should notice about me is my “Clothes” — my Jesus.
PAUSE TO PONDER. When you come in contact with people, what do they see? Do they see someone who has taken on Jesus’ characteristics and values, or do they see someone who blends in with the culture around me? Oh dear, huh?
So here’s another question for you… what if the bride’s dress in the picture above was tattered and dirty? Then what would you notice? If you’re like me, it would be the tatter, the dirt.
So we know that at salvation, we are clothed with Christ, but what if we have taken on the characteristics and values of the culture around us? A little profanity here (rip…), a “little white lie” there (dirt …), a little too much alcohol here (rip…), a little losing of the temper there (dirt…), a little gossip here…you get my drift.
So back to the question, “when people look at me, what do they see?” Wow, and ouch…huh?
“. . .just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water
through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church,
without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
~~Ephesians 5:25b-27~~
One Comment on “Clothes”
WOW! This goes along perfectly with our dinner table discussion last night… the night before the first day of school, talking about how we are the fragrance of Christ to others… (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) (Hopefully, “warm cinnamon rolls” life, and not “cat pee” death… kind of fragrance, high school edition…). Our words and actions are going to have an effect on those around us, whether we like it or not. People are watching how we live our lives. Let them see (and “smell”…) Christ!