Still 'fine-tuning' our process. You can get to the original article HERE
NOTE: THIS ARTICLE is a reprint from the blog of reverend Kevin Rogers of New Song Church in Windsor, Ontario and is reproduced here for your convenience. You can visit the his blog called "The Orphan Age" HERE.
I don’t know if you care or not, but today I decided to get
dressed. I put on some fresh underwear and socks, shirt, pants, belt, and shoes.
It may be obvious to state that it was the right thing to do, and I would be in
trouble if I forgot to do so.
Is it dishonest or disingenuous of me to want to put clothes
on before I come out in public? If I want to be my authentic self and live
transparently, wouldn’t putting on clothes make me a hypocrite?
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and suddenly realized
they were naked and ashamed, they tried to cover themselves by sewing together
fig leaves. But it was not enough to cover up with their own designs. God
fashioned them clothes from animal skins so they could be properly dressed and
cover up what was now embarrassing to them.
For God to make the right clothes, some animals had to die.
The shedding of blood meant that humanity’s nakedness could be covered.
Have you ever tried sewing leaves together? It is way too
easy for a wardrobe malfunction to occur. You need clothes that won’t fall
apart and are made to fit.
This is what Jesus does when he clothes us in His
righteousness. He was naked on a cross so that he could give us his clothes. Our
filthy rags made poorly from our own designs gets replaced by Jesus’ robe of
righteousness.
Only God can give you this new set of clothes.
Colossians 3:
12 Therefore,
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear
with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these
virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Do not settle for your shame in the name of being authentic.
It is good to be honest about your condition apart from Jesus’ gift, but do not
wear your shame as though that is how you want to be recognized.
Do not choose your greatest temptation and weakness as the
uniform that identifies you. Instead, be identified by God’s image that is
hard-wired into you. Bring your nakedness and shame to the only one you can
dress you right.
You might say, ‘I’m not very compassionate, kind, humble,
gentle or patient.’ That is true of our sinful nature. So, is it phony to
put on these virtues in the same way you put on clothes? Isn’t that what the
hypocrites do? They pretend to be something that they are not. Jesus had lots
to say about religious leaders who appeared one way and inwardly were dead
men’s bones.
What they failed to do was tend to their inward world. They
were so focused on how they looked to others, that they ignored their true
state.
Getting dressed in the virtues of Jesus is something that
you can agree to. God can change your inner nature so that you want to be
virtuous. You don’t have to fake it. When you act in gentleness or any other
virtue, you are submitting to God’s belief that you are made to be this way.
Try it on. Don’t run around naked all the time and for goodness sake, lose that
fig leaf wardrobe you can’t seem to look good in.
You belong to Heaven’s choir, and we have robes. Adorn
yourself with Jesus’ attitude and behaviour. It’s okay that you are imitating
the One that you most admire. That’s what loving children do.