Jesus Clothes

 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  Galatians 3:27

The merchandising of sports apparel for pro and college teams is a billion dollar business. We are a sports crazy culture and we love our favorite teams. We love them so much that we proudly wear their shirts, jerseys, jackets, hats, and just about every other piece of clothing, and we do so even in the midst of others who don't care for or even despise our team in favor of their own. That's why you'll see fans in a crowded stadium proudly displaying their "colors" even in the midst of a sea of apparel favoring the other team. Why is it then that we who say we fully identify with Christ, are so shy, even fearful, of letting that show forth in our day to day public lives? The Bible exhorts us to "put on Christ." We "put on" for our teams. Why won't we do it for Him?

We can come up with a myriad of reasons why we do this. We don't want to "push" our beliefs on others. We say our beliefs and faith are a "private" thing and we think it wrong to freely tell others not only what we believe, but who we believe in and why. We don't mind offending others over our loyalty to our teams and our players. We even enjoy it. Yet when it comes to Jesus, we suddenly become super sensitive to the beliefs of others and avoid, or at best, weakly let it be known whose we are. Strangely, we never see this as a public denial of Him. I believe He does.

Jesus said that whoever is ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of them when He comes. In our silence about being His, especially in light of a culture that is growing increasingly hostile to Him and His followers, aren't we at root, displaying a kind embarrassment concerning our belonging to Him? Not just embarrassment, but worse, a real fear of being identified as a follower of Jesus Christ.

In too many ways we have been denying Him in our public lives. Events are unfolding where we will have to "go public" as to whether we are His....or whether we're not. Choices, decisions, are going to be thrust upon us and we will not be able to avoid them. Whose we are, or are not is going to be known. May it be that we, in every aspect of our lives and witness, put on Christ. Be clothed in Him. It may offend many, but there will also be many who are drawn to Him by it. Whatever the cost, may we humbly but boldly proclaim in every way, we are His. Clothed in the glory of His name.

Blessings,

Pastor O