watching them blow in the breeze! And the smell...there is nothing like the freshness of
the clothes that have been dried in the sun and wind. Putting your dirty clothes in the
hamper and putting on freshly washed and dried clothes...ummm, so nice!
Do you stink spiritually? Are you still wearing the old clothes that belong to the old
nature? If you're a child of God, those clothes should have been thrown out and fresh
new ones put on. We find a list in Colossians of what should have been taken off.
Colossians 3:8 - 10 "But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds: And have put on the new
man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him that created him:"
This is quite a list that is associated with the old nature. All of these things would come
from an unregenerated heart. However when you remove the old you have to replace
it with new.
Colossians 3:12 - 14 "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel
against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these
things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."
Don't we have a lovely array of heavenly clothes to adorn! If we wore what we were
suppose to, there would certainly be no guessing as to who were the real Christians
were. It is a shame that people don't know that we are the King's children. They don't
know because we are "dressed" the same way as the world is. We blend in when we
should be standing apart. The worlds ways are the exact opposite of what a Christian
should be like.
As a Christian we should be exhibiting:
Mercy NOT Harshness
Kindness Cruelty
Humbleness Conceit
Meekness Fierceness
Longsuffering Impatience
Forbearance Wrath
Forgiveness Unforgiveness
Charity Hatred
How does the world view you? Most peoples reputations are made from what they put
forth...what are you known for? Are you known for being impatient with people? Maybe
people know you because of your conceit, or perhaps for the harsh way you deal with
others. If you are a child of God and this is how the world knows you...shame on you!
You are not only a disgrace to your earthly family, but you are bringing a reproach upon
God's family. As a child of God you should be known by His characteristics, He is
your Father after all, you should take after Him. If you will notice carefully, the above
left sided list ARE the characteristics of God. That is why we are told to "put on" the
new man, "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of Him that created him:" vs 10. Are you dressing correctly, or are you
taking the clothes out of the dirty clothes hamper to wear?
It says in verse 14 from above, that above all these things we are to put on charity, or
love.
1 John 4:7 - 11 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knowth not
God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through
Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love
one another."
I want you to take a close look at who John is speaking to here...it is the beloved, in
other words other Christians. Yes, we are to love the unsaved, for that is how they will
first experience God's love, is through us. However, this passage is written for believers.
Why is John telling Christians to love each other, wouldn't that seem to be obvious? If
you take a close look at the churches around today, you will find that there is a lot of
backbiting and fighting among God's children! This should not be so. As children of
God we need to be holding each other up and loving each other in these uncertain days.
We get plenty of hatred and judgement from the world, our churches should be a place
of refuge for us.
It is also a way that the unsaved know who we are!
John 13:34 & 35 "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if have love one to another."
Love is opposite to the working of this world. There is a chorus that goes, "They will
know we are Christians by our love, by our love; they will know we are Christians by
our love."
Does the world know that you are a Christian? What about your co-worker, neighbors,
perhaps even your family and friends...do they know? Are you actions different because
you are saved? If you are still wearing the same old worldly clothes that you always did,
may I suggest that it's time you put on the new clothes that come with being in the family
of God! Why would you still want to wear those stinky old rotten clothes of the world,
when what God offers is so much nicer!
Ephesians 5:1 & 2 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children: And walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."
Lost in the darkness I stumbled alone,
Far from the sunlight of day,
Then Jesus found me and made me His own;
He drove my darkness away.
Chilled in the shadows, I wandered in sin,
Far from the warmth of the light.
Then Jesus found me and changed me with in,
Kindled His love in the night.
Now in the sunlight I follow His Word
Through every trial and test.
He is my Savior and He is my Lord,
Gladly I give Him my best.
Before I loved Him, He loved me,
Before I found Him, He found me.
Before I sought Him He sought me,
Yes, Jesus cares for me.
Ron Hamilton
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