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To "Put On"
by Steve Countryman Job 29:14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Romans 13:12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Ephesians 4:23-24 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. As Christians the Bible tells us to "put on" the mind of Christ just as the above verses do. To put on requires a decision to be made. When you get dressed in the morning you have to decide, make choices, what you will wear or "put on" that day according to your destination. Then you also have to consider the weather conditions outside. You decide to put on your clothes to go to a wedding that is appropriate for weddings. Failure to choose wisely can cause you embarrassment. Poor choice of clothes in bad weather can also cause you harm. The Bible says that we are to put on these attributes or characteristics daily. That means that you MUST decide everyday to put on these righteous things. You choose, not your friends, not your family not your pastor, not your teachers but you decide which character traits that YOU will wear today. Just like clothes that you put on, your character traits and attributes are those things that are seen and noticed by both friends and strangers alike. Part of Christian integrity is the consistency that you display daily by your righteous living. But you ask how do I do that? How do I "put on" those things that are not tangible? By declaring the Word of the Lord out-loud, practicing those attributes all day. By declaring God's promises over you. By declaring who you are in Christ and who Christ is in you. "Put off" or take off or remove the old you, your old sinful habits, sinful routines, sinful conversations and jokes and anything that is contrary to the Word of God and contrary to the new you! "Let us be alert and self-controlled." These two bits of advice are very important in maintaining your clothes that you are trying to wear. There are things out in this world that will try to strip you of your clothes to embarrass or discredit you. To remove the power that comes with your new clothes that God has given you. It is the distraction of sin that is meant to derail you and throw you off of God's path. Sin veils your eyes and dulls your senses. It will put you into a fog and try to keep you there so finding your way out becomes very difficult. Be alert to avoid the pit and it's slippery slopes. If a drunk suffers from dull senses, how can he be alert and self-controlled? The sin of being drunk then becomes the distraction. A drunk has no defense. Drinking a glass of wine or alcohol is not a sin, getting drunk is. You drop your defenses and are vulnerable when you are drunk. You cannot make half way good decisions when you are drunk. Any addiction can be a sin if it leads you away from following God. All addictions bring the promises of LIES. Being a child of the Most High God means you have the freedom that God brings, walk in it! Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |