In some countries, convicted prisoners have to wear prison clothes while in prison. When a person comes out, they are allowed to remove their prison clothes and they get their old clothes back. Sadly many go back to the old lives that they lived before prison.
When a person becomes a Christian, however, they get new clothes. They become a new person and have a new life.
The Bible speaks of clothes in two ways. One is the clothes that show our position before God. Filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) are taken away and we are clothed with a garment of righteousness (Zechariah 3:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:17). That is salvation.
But today’s scripture speaks of clothing in a different way. Our change of _position_ should lead to a change in our _condition._ In other words, being created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10) leads to a change of direction, a new way of living.
This is illustrated by taking off the clothes of our old life and putting on the new clothes of the Christian life. We are new creations, but we need to respond in faithful obedience and take off the “clothes” of sin. And we are called to put on the “clothes” of obedience.
As I’ve said before, scripture contains both encouragement and challenge, promises and commands. These daily devotionals need to contain both if we are to be true to God’s word.
So today is a challenge: are there parts of your life that haven’t yet changed, are there things that you need to “put off”? Also, are there commands from Jesus that you are not doing, are there things that you need to “put on”?
Let’s pray about these things today and let’s respond in obedience to Him.
The best is yet to come 