Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Who Are You Wearing?
“Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:14 NLT).
Most of the time I like to wear jeans and a T-shirt or some sort of comfortable shirt. I don’t like shirts that are stiff or too heavy. Instead, I like clothing that moves where I move.
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:14 NLT).
The J. B. Phillips translation puts it as follows: “Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling.”
Paul was saying, in effect, that putting on the Lord Jesus is like putting on clothes. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re making Christ a part of our lives every day.
When Jesus said to Matthew the tax collector, “Follow me” (Mark 2:14 NLT), it also could be translated, “Follow with me,” which speaks of companionship, relationship, and friendship. In other words, “Let’s enter into a friendship. Let’s enter into a relationship together.”
Yes, the Lord wants our obedience, but He also wants our companionship. Jesus was saying to Matthew, “I don’t want you to just be one of my disciples; I want you to be one of my friends.” And He offers that same invitation to us.
We often view God as harsh, austere, and angry, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is loving, God is compassionate, and God is caring. And He wants to enter into a friendship with us.
Jesus said, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (NLT). So follow Jesus every day throughout your life until the end. And wherever you go, put on Jesus.
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