"PUT
OFF--PUT ON"
"That
you put off, concerning the former conversation the old man, which
is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in
the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"-Ephesians
4:22-24.
The apostle Paul tells us that there are some things that need
to be put off and some things that need to be added to our faith.
It has been said that clothes do not make the man...however, this
certainly is not true in the spiritual realm. What man is in the
sight of God is determined by what he had put off and what he
has put on.
Unless one is clothed in Christ, he will be lost. In Matthew 22:12,
God said to the man who had come into the marriage feast: "How
did you get in here without a wedding garment"? The man was
speechless. He was cast out because he was not properly clothed.
Jesus taught this parable to show the importance of being clothed
in the right garment when we come to Judgment. When we are clothed
with Christ, we become "New Creatures" (2 Corinthians
5:17). When we are born again, we put on Christ in Baptism (John
3:3-5; Galatians 3:27).
This is not the end of the process, however. When we come into
Christ--there is much to be Put On and much to Put Off. One does
not grow to physical maturity overnight--neither does one become
spiritual mature in a short period of time. We are told to add
to our faith: Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness,
Brotherly Kindness and Love (2 Peter 1:5-11). It takes time to
add new things to our life. It takes time to get remove many old
habits that stand in our way of growing up in Christ.
We must ask God for help. Pray and work that you might achieve
the objective...Put off the Old Man--Put on the New Man. We can
do it with God's help.
