What Are You Wearing?

I’ve often told the story of my late wife Piper’s and my first official date, when she and I had prearranged to meet at the first school dance during our senior year in high school.  We had only been hanging out together for a short period of time when the dance occurred and most everything about our potential relationship was still pretty new and untested… But then… she walked across the dance floor and came over to me.  To say that she looked stunning in her short skirt, white long sleeve sweater and that all engaging smile of hers… would do a great injustice to the moment!  From that point on… there was never a question about my affection, devotion and love toward her… or her toward me.

What I quickly ascertained about Piper was that she was a very joyful, giving and confident young lady… who never tried to be anyone else… but herself!  One could say that she always “put on” or “clothed” herself as Piper… who was a happy, strong Christian woman. 

Whether it was the unusual way in which she felt the beat and danced at that first dance that night, or how she was comfortable wearing her athletic shoes with a long dress* as we walked around the campus at Chico State University a few years later, during the school’s Pioneer Days Celebration… she was never one to fall for the many passing clothing fads throughout the years, nor for some of the unbiblical trends that popped up during the Charismatic Movement that we were actively involved with in the 70’s and 80’s. Piper always tended to present all that she did by what she believed was morally, ethically and biblically right for her.  And while she also had a very adventurous side to her… there were definite lines that she would NEVER cross.

The Apostle Paul in our foundational scripture from our last blog post, declared in Galatians 3:17 that,

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (KJV) 

I like the way, the somewhat recently published Remedy New Testament states this particular verse by saying,

“for all of you who have immersed your minds and hearts into the truth of God as revealed by Christ, have had your characters changed, and—like a new set of clothing—replaced with the character of Christ.” 

And in Hebrews 3:14, the author goes into a little more detail explaining,

“We have become partakers of Christ’s character if we hold firmly till the end to the confidence we initially had in the truth about God, revealed by Christ. (The Remedy)

As Piper was comfortable and confident to put on clothes that best suited her personal character, tended to best present her petite size and stature, as well as her fit figure... we Christians are encouraged by the Word of God, to “put on” or “clothe ourselves” with the “character of Christ.”

In regards to this thought, Albert Barnes in his 1832 commentary entitled “Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible” wrote,

“We are spiritually united to the Saviour. We become one with Him. We partake of His spirit and His allotments.”

What these portions of scripture (in agreement with many others throughout the New Testament) are telling us… is… that as we clothe ourselves with the character of Christ, we have all of the “allotments” or resources and duties** of Christ at our disposal!  And as was Paul’s overriding message to the church in Galatia, we access and/or activate those resources into our daily lives just as we did our salvation and baptism… “by GRACE through FAITH alone”***

You see… these are spiritual giftings that can only be received through God’s spiritual portal of GRACE and our active, expectant and now FAITH**** that we stand on throughout the course of our lives.  And while there will be times when everything in the natural looks, sounds and feels exactly opposite to what you are believing for (that is in agreement with God’s Word) we can stand confidently in the truth of God and His Word, and eventually see the working of His resources manifested into our lives!

Isn’t God Good!  (psst… the answer to that statement is a resounding YES!)

So… What are you going to wear today? 

One of my ALL–TIME favorite scriptures (probably the very first one I ever memorized) is found in Paul’s letter to a young struggling Pastor in 2 Timothy 1:7 where Paul boldly encouraged his son-in-the-Lord declaring,

“For God did not give you a character of insecurity, doubt and fear, but a mind and character of confidence, power in the truth, love, and self-control.”           (The Remedy) 

I can’t tell you how many times in which I have stood on the truth of that scripture from the Word of God, since I first discovered it when participating in a men’s Bible Study at Piper’s American Baptist Church in the mid-1970’s!  And you know what?  It has NEVER failed me yet! 

And God will do the same for you!

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are today!  We are in the midst of a beautiful, sunny and deep blue skied day out here in northeastern Oklahoma!  Except for the blustery wind… it kind of reminds me of our weather where Piper and I grew up and raised our family in northern California! 

So… as you enjoy your weekend, remember to clothe yourselves with the character of Christ… and thereby walk victoriously through every situation that presents itself to you!

 

*Although this is a common practice today, it was quite unusual back in 1974.

**Oxford Online Dictionaries

*** Introduction to the book of Galatians in the NIV Study Bible, © 2002, Zondervan

****See: Hebrews 11:1 - KJV