To Encourage You

Colossians 3:5-14 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. . . Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Do you like new stuff?  I remember when I was a young child.  My mother always made sure my sisters and I had new clothes come the beginning of every new school year. Part of that was because of the fact we were out-growing the old stuff. But regardless, it was nice to be out with the old and in with the new.  It’s not much different now, but my inclination for new at this point in my life is geared more to new hunting camo or a new fishing shirt. 

The Scripture above talks in language typical of changing our behavior from old to new in terms that parallel a change of clothes.  It says that all of us at one time walked in dirty old behaviors, e.g., sexual immorality, evil desire, covetousness, obscenity, and lying.  But then, when a person becomes a Christian, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  He or she receives a new wardrobe, so to speak, and is now able to make a change into the clothing befitting a new self. It’s a newness that can do away with the behavior that once was, and live a new life of love. But this is only made possible when Christ gives one a new heart. 

Still, it’s very possible for a Christian to keep wearing the same old clothes, so to speak.  It’s very inconsistent with the new person that they’ve become, but it is possible.  The good news is that it is now also possible to change, because God has made it possible. However, for the unbeliever this is impossible, even if he or she wants to.  They’ve not been given the new nature.  Although they may make an effort to “turn over a new leaf,” there is actually no “new leaf” available to them.  Without repentance and trust in the Savior, the motives of behavior are always old, no matter what they may look like from the outside. You see, unless one’s behavior is motivated by a love for God, it is only motivated by a love for something else, which is really nothing other than idolatry, one of those same old sins. 

So, do you want new clothes, spiritually speaking?  If you do, there’s only one way to get it – and that is to go to the Master Weaver, for He’s the only one with a supply of “fine linen, bright and pure” with which He can and will adorn, the Church, which is also called His Bride.  You see, it is granted unto this Bride, alone, to clothe herself with that linen, which is also known as “the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). And as for any impostors who try to look the part, Jesus told us the parable of the wedding feast, a feast that will be provided by a king (God the Father) for His Son (Jesus, the Son of God). It is in this parable we are told that “when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 22:11-13).

May God help us to take seriously this warning and be dressed in the garments that the King has made available to those who believe.