It was a sad morning! For the first time in many months, I felt obliged to put on a pair of working jeans instead of the shorts that have been my attire in the garden, and the house, for a long time. It was simply the case that, although there was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun was beaming, there was a wee chill in the air. Mind you, by lunchtime I was ready to revert to shorts, as we sat outside for our mid-day meal!
Clothes! We all use them - basically because of culture and climate! They do have uses. As I dug out some old rose bushes, I was glad that I was still wearing the jeans. Those thorns can be quite sharp!
I was reminded of a verse in Paul's letter to the Christian believers in ancient Rome. He encourages his readers (and that includes disciples of Jesus, today!) to: "... put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Rom 13:14).
The word translated "put on" (endusasthe) refers to putting on of clothes. But why
would Paul tell us to put on Jesus as we put on our clothes?! Well, here are some of the reasons why we put on clothes, that
might provide some clues. We put on clothes, first of all, in order to
cover our bodies. In Gen.3:1-7, we read about the entrance of sin into the perfect world that Almighty God had created. When they realised what they had done, Adam and Eve "... sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." (v.7). This action is often interpreted to refer to nudity, as if that was the great sin! Not so! It has really to do with sin. This was man's attempt to cover his sin by his own works – sewing the fig leaves
together. But Heb.9:22 makes clear that
“... without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” and, in Gen 3:21 we read that: "... YHWH Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them." In order for that to have been done, an animal had to die - the first death in creation!
You and I born
as sinful human beings. Like Adam and
Eve, we need to have a covering for our sin.
Like them, we often try to make up our own covering. But it's of no use.
Father God sees right through us!
So how can my sin be covered?
“... put on the Lord Jesus Christ ...”!
I need to be covered with His righteousness; I need to be so surrounded
by His presence so that, when the Father, in judgement, looks at me, He sees, not
my sinfulness, but the Son’s sacrifice and shed blood. I need to “... put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
...”
But we also put on clothes in order to protect our bodies. Father God’s
words, after mankind had allowed sin to enter, and spoil, His good creation
were, concerning the earth, “... the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a
living from it. It will grow thorns and
thistles for you, ‘though you will eat of its grains.” (Gen 3:17-18). And so, man
found that an apron of leaves that was the work of his own hands, would not be
sufficient. They might have covered his
immediate nakedness; they might have satisfied his desire to cover up his
sinfulness; but they would do nothing to protect him from the thorns and
thistles that now surrounded him or, as his descendants migrated to colder
climates, from the lower temperatures.
He discovered that he needed not only covering, but also protection.
And so it is
with Jesus. We don’t just need to be
covered with His righteousness; but also protected by His power. We need to be, not just saved; but also
sanctified. We don’t just need
forgiveness for all of our past sin, but also the strength to resist the
temptations that we meet, day after day – the spiritual thorns and thistles
that crowd into our lives. We need to
“... put on the Lord Jesus Christ ...”
Covered;
protected; and then a third reason for putting on clothes occurred to me. For is it not true that we also put on clothes
in order to enhance
our bodies – to make us ‘look better’? Even a person of very plain looks may, if
well and properly dressed, look more attractive. Just think of the popularity of various ‘makeover’ reality
shows on TV! And, of course, even a person
endowed with natural good looks can be strikingly beautiful, or handsome, when
dressed with equally good taste.
“Clothes maketh a man” (Shakespeare) – and there is more than a grain of truth in
that!
Of course, it would be unfair to directly compare me
with, say, Tom Cruise (he wouldn’t stand a chance!!). The only valid comparison is between me
poorly-dressed, and me well-dressed. It's the same in the spiritual realm. The life of
one who having confessed their sin, and repented, is following Jesus, changes – and does so for the
better. Putting on Lord Jesus Christ has
made that life more attractive than it was before; the person is different. But beware of making a comparison with someone else!
Clothing: something with which each of us
very familiar: used to cover; to protect; to enhance our bodies.
The Lord Jesus Christ: One of Whom we
are all so very much in need – the need to be covered with His righteousness;
protected by His power; enhanced with His beauty.
Have you “... put on the Lord Jesus
Christ ...”? Have you?