But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14)
The above is a fairly common phrase. It is used to express disbelief and astonishment at being fooled or surprised. It says, "You're joking, right?" or "You have GOT to be kidding!"
It is usually spoken with a look of startled disbelief and gaping jaw. Paul used this expression in a different way. Well OK, he said it in Greek and in a foreign context too but notice what he said,
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts there of.
The words slapped me again this morning while in Romans 13. It woke me up. The question popped into my brain, "How does one 'put on' Jesus Christ?"
When you put ME on, you are fooling me. When you put Christ on you imitate Him. To put on Christ is to put on perfection. You mimic his actions, attitudes and goals.
Way back in Job 29 I read Job's words in verse 14, I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
Job in his anguish knew that righteousness was like clothing. It had to be put on. His word picture gives the idea of being completely clothed, from his long rob to his turbaned head.
Righteousness is similar you have to take a hold of it and step into it like you do your pants. Just try falling into your trousers. Sometimes while trying to put my pants on, usually in the dark, I will catch my toe in the belt loop or waistband. Disaster ensues as I tumble to the floor in a heap.
Just as getting dressed takes effort, I'm noticing that more and more these days, so putting on Christ takes even more effort. Salvation clothes me with His righteousness. But sanctification is hard work. It is a joint effort. God holds one side of my spiritual pants and guides me past the belt loop. I need to lift my legs and place them in the holes.
How does that look? Paul again gives us a snap-shot in Colossians 3.10-25. He begins with,
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering (Col 3:10-12).
You need to read and memorize that whole text along with Romans 12 so that you don't catch your spiritual toe on your spiritual belt-loop in the future.
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