Reclothed as God’s Chosen People
Colossians 3:12 – 17
A few of years ago, there was an interview with one of the actors from PBS Series Downton Abbey which was, as you may know, a British historical period drama television series set in the early 20th century. It was set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate between 1912 and 1926 and depicts the lives of an aristocratic family and their domestic servants.
Among the events depicted during the series was the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War. The series showed how these and other historical events in had an impact on the lives of the families at Downton Abbey as well as on the lives of the British social elite.
In the interview the actress described how putting on those amazing period costumes affected her. Her posture changed, even the way she spoke suddenly became more refined. Wearing the costume, the period clothes, automatically put her into the character she was portraying. Putting on different clothes made her into someone new, the new clothes somehow made her a different person.
Have you heard the phrase, “Change the clothes and change the person”? Mark Twain famously said that “Clothes make the man,” we’re often told to dress for success. In fact there is much truth to this adage, which is why there is a nonprofit called “Dress for Success” that provides appropriate clothing for job seekers. By changing our clothes, we can change or maybe more correctly assume a new identity.
Maybe this is why, (Jo Anne Taylor in Clothed in Christ) Paul, who is not identified in the scriptures as a fashion plate, quite the opposite in fact, he was a scraggly, worn and decrepit figure, chooses to use the metaphor of “changing out of old clothes and into new clothes” in his letter to the Colossians as a metaphor for spiritual maturity, spiritual growth. Paul writes today about taking off the old self-image, our old sinful self and clothing ourselves in the new life in Christ. He tells us that we do this only because we, formerly unrepentant sinners, are to be Reclothed as God’s Chosen People, holy and dearly loved.
This taking off the old and putting on the new that Paul describes is the essence of following Jesus and by doing that, we turn away from the old life because we being prepared for a new life, a new life in Christ that is filled with grace and peace. We then begin living for God, not for ourselves, and in the process, we want to become more and more like Christ.
Clearly Paul is not suggesting that becoming a new person in Christ is as easy as going to the store and buy an all-new set of duds and burning the old ones, but rather that we must strip off everything that connects us to the old self, in order that we can become a new person represented by a new image, a new look, a new person. Then, and only then, will the characteristics of Christ begin to make us like someone new.
On that day when you respond to the urging of the Spirit and ask Christ into your heart to make you a new person, your proper response to God is to live as He wants you to live, in the image closely identified as His. Because you have taken Christ into your hearts, you need to behave as though that were true. You need to reveal to the outside, in word, action and deed, the inward changes that have been made to your heart and your soul. You have been changed on the inside therefore you need to let it show on the outside. Get rid of the old clothes and into something more divine.
You know this is not the only time that Paul talks about how our new and growing relationship with Jesus changes us not only inwardly but also outwardly. It is the notion that I have mentioned many times when it comes to baptism. You may recall that the act of baptism doesn’t at least as Methodists know it, do anything to change the person soul, in and of itself does save us.
In Galatians 3:26-27 Paul writes that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have also put on Christ.” Therefore, everyone who has committed their life to Christ by faith has the status of having “put on Christ.” Baptism you see is an announcement to the world around you that you have been changed on the inside, you live for Christ, not yourself, and there your outward image and actions must necessarily change as well!
My friends, you are God’s Chosen and because you chose to become a member of his eternal family, holy and beloved, Paul tells us that there should be outward signs of the inward changes. Reclothed as God’s Chosen People we change the way that we appear to others as Christ might appear, clothed with the same “period” garments, Dressed for Success with the same clothing worn by Jesus himself.
Therefore, because you are God’s Chosen, Paul tells us put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other as Jesus has forgiven you. These are virtues and characteristics that represent of your relationship to others, how you treat other people because of the way God treats you. God has not called you out of the world to be alone but he has chosen you to exist within the context of the community of his church.
You are not a pebble removed from the beach and isolated on shelf but rather you are gathered together with others of the same mind and heart. You are not a single drop of water but rather you are gathered together with others to become an ocean. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Because you are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved, respond to God’s graciousness by putting on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Love is supreme above all the qualities by Paul. Love is the fulfillment of those qualities. You love because God first loved you. Love comes from God to us and filters through us, to others around us. When you put on the love of God as a garment it makes you a new person to all that you touch. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Because you are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved, you should be to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Where before there was a storm in your soul, now there is peace. As Christ commanded the sea, “Peace, be still!” and it was stilled, so also, the peace of Christ will calm your soul when it is stormy in your soul. Peace is a blessing. It is contentment. It is a rest in the assurance and trust of God, belief that He loves you and is working for your good in your life. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Because you are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved, let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. If the word of Christ richly dwells within you, then every thought, word, and deed, will conform to God’s will. If the word of Christ is within you, then it can move upon your heart. It can correct your thoughts. It can shape your attitudes, your behaviors and your dealings with others. It can even shape how you react to difficult situations though the influence of the Holy Spirit. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Because you are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved, you are to be thankful. Cultivate thankfulness in your life through your prayer life and your supplications. Let the Word of Christ have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Paul tells us that, having put off the old sinful self, and having put on Christ, our hearts are transformed by Christ’s peace as we take God’s Word into ourselves. The only response we can offer to such a great gift is our continual thanks and praise. Our lives become lives of worship, so that everything we do or think or say is done in the name of Jesus, even as we give thanks to God through Christ. Jo Anne Taylor Clothed in Christ
And sing your hearts out to God! Sing with thankfulness is with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Praising and thanking God should be a natural result and response to the indwelling word of Christ. It should be a natural response to every Christian who has been chosen and loved of God. Your life is to be a thankful response to God choosing you for sanctification and salvation. You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change!
Hear the Good News my Friends……….
Paul assures us that as people of the church, the Body of Christ, we know that we are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved people. God has chosen you! God has chosen and blessed this place! To be chosen of God means that from the foundations of the world God has chosen you for one of his own. Because you chose to serve him you are eternally secure in His choice; God does not change His mind, nor does He make mistakes. And because of His choosing you, you are made holy by the blood of His Son, Jesus; you are set apart for the Lord and His holy work. And you are loved and cared for by God.
Because you are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved, you are different than you were before. When we put on Christ, we look different, we act differently, we speak differently, because we not only wear Christ on the outside, but because we are filled with Christ on the inside. Please loved ones don’t ever forget how you have been changed and why you have been changed. You are God’s Chosen, holy and beloved! You are being Reclothed as one of God’s Chosen People, reclothed as an outward sign of an inward change! Amen.