Put Him On.

Galatians 3:27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." I love it. The first time I read this verse I nearly jumped through the ceiling. I thought "how can I put on Christ, He lives in me but I definitely don't look like Him." Then the conviction came, "I don't look like Christ. I am supposed to be a CHRISTian, I am supposed to emulate Christ." We as Christians need to be in the word of God because the word of God is God (John 1:1.) Living out the word of God is a way of putting on Christ. What else must we do to put on Christ?

Romans 13:10-15 " Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Now this is where truth is found. We have been charged with this list of things, but it all starts with love. There may not be much effort involved directly towards walking properly with Christ; nor in not making provisions for our flesh or the worldly part of us because if we sincerely love Christ and our neighbor as we are commanded; every thing will flow out of it.

Death to self is a MUST in order to accomplish our calling: Romans 6:3-4 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. " This walking in newness of life follows death to self. This is when we deny ourselves and whatever selfish ambitions and goals and we decide to live for Jesus. Jesus was the sacrifice for our salvation, in emulating Him we need to also deny ourselves and make sacrifices for others... even if they don't deserve it. Who says we deserved salvation, but salvation is because of the Grace of God and His Love. This very same Grace needs to be in our hearts, we need to start doing things for others out of genuine love and not because they deserve it, but just because. When we do these things we become salt to the earth and a light.

The truth is we cannot put on Christ without first dying to self. How can we love our neighbor like we love ourselves if we are relevant. We need to die to self so that our own needs become irrelevant. We need to be standing on the promises of God and know that our needs are already taken care of and live faithfully. In doing this, loving those around us becomes easy and in having strengthened faith we too fall in love with Christ. Thus we are able to shine as we are intended to as a light unto the world.

God bless you and Put on Christ.