Therefore, as God’s chosen people . . . clothe yourselves. Colossians 3:12
Because God has called us His own, and because our identity is in Him, we are called to clothe ourselves accordingly. Clothing always seems to identify the person.
When our older daughters were in their early years, they took it upon themselves during an evening of boredom to raid my closet with the intention of dressing up like me. They enlisted my wife to step into the den and make a public announcement to the audience (that would be me) that there were two miniature “Pastor Ken’s” being introduced. They each had put on a suit coat over a baggy dress shirt that humorously dwarfed their body. They had also found two briefcases that seemed to adequately complete their ensemble. Each adorned with one of my ties (tied by my daughters, which took me months to unknot), they proudly made their entrance. Laughter ensued as we enjoyed their childlike rendering of “dad”. Clothing! In their attempt to mimic me, my daughters offered the simple reminder that our clothing makes up a significant part of our identity.
Spiritually, the Bible reveals clothing for the child of God. Because we are identified with God, we should clothe ourselves in the likeness of His character. Colossians 3:12 offers specifics of our spiritual clothing:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These articles of clothing, spiritually speaking, are the results of having put on the new self:
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:9-10)
Putting on the new self represents the Christian’s way of agreeing in attitude and action with the new life Jesus has created in us by way of His death and resurrection. As a part of this new life, we should so live that compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience identifies us as distinctly as the clothes we wear.
So today, as you enter a new year, are your wearing your new identity in the form of such godly character traits as those mentioned above. By the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus has placed these in you through your new birth (your salvation, or conversion). Now, wear them as genuine articles of your new identity as a child of God.
What we put on is a heart of compassion (sympathy and mercy), kindness (mercy that pervades the whole person), humility (an interest in others that contrasts pride and self-love), gentleness (a willingness to serve and sacrifice for another), and patience (long suffering with another). These are but five of the many traits of our new life we are to wear (daily put on as a genuine expression of our identity in Christ).
So, far beyond playing dress up, are we wearing the identity of our Heavenly Father? Are we genuinely living out our identity in Christ? We have new clothes. Let’s wear them!
Blessings.
READ
Today, spend time studying and reading Colossians 3:1-17.
