Only Jesus: Put On Jesus | Colossians 3:12-17
How important are clothes to you? The average family of four in America spends around $161 a month or $1,800 a year on clothing and $400 on shoes. I am sure the most of us in here are above average. Clothing is important to us. Mark Twain said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little to no influence in society.” Hans Christian Andersen wrote an old story called the “Emperor’s New Clothes.” The story goes like this: there was an Emperor that was very obsessed with himself and loved to impress everyone by what he wore. One day, he met two men and who wanted to rip him off. They said that they were going to make him the most beautiful, expensive robe made from a mysterious cloth. They said that the robe could only be seen by those who were “wise.” The emperor had to have his robe, so he paid the money to get it. The day came for him to put on his new clothes, but he was horrified because he couldn’t see it and said to himself, “I must be a fool.” But rather than admit he was a fool; he puts on this invisible robe. He walks out in public with his “new robe” on. The problem was that no one in public was wise either and everyone saw him completely naked. Everyone was afraid to tell him that he was naked, until child said, “you are not wearing any clothes.” He was completely embarrassed. This is NOT a real story, but what if this isn’t as crazy as you think. There is some truth to this tale. There are a lot of believers running around spiritually naked because they are not waking up every morning putting Jesus on.
Paul is writing to a young church that was challenged by the culture around them to abandon or add to Christ. He has warned them against being ripped off by the empty philosophies of the world and religion that are based on what you do, don’t do, and feel. Now Paul is teaching us how we are to live our Christian life in light of who Christ is and what He has done in our lives. He has told that there are some things that we need to put off and some things that need to be put on. The Christian life can be summarized in knowing who you are in Christ and then being who you are in Christ.