God's Fashion Design
It is an understatement to say our culture is fashion-conscious and fashion-driven. It’s mind-boggling how much money is spent every year by fashion designers and clothiers to determine and produce the next wave of style. It is the general expectation that you will get on the fashion train and make the right statement about yourself and the image you want to project.
My daughters (Megan and Annie) have a fashion sense (so I’m told) and they have continually reminded me (over the years) that I do not. Comments like “Dad, are you really going to wear that? I can’t be seen in public with you if you wear that" seem to be heard often. Fashion faux pas always make the fashionistas cringe, and I’m cringe-worthy.
There is only one fashion faux pas with God and that is not following His fashion sense, or more accurately, His fashion expectation. God doesn’t have a corporate, casual, recreational, or social dress code.
So, what is God’s fashion expectation? It all revolves around the spiritual clothing He wants us to wear. He tells us we are all “clothed in Christ” (Gal. 3:27) and as a result, we are to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14) which means taking off the filthy rags of our former life and dressing our new life with the garments of righteous behavior (Eph. 4:24; Col 3:9-10).
Here are God’s wardrobe preferences:
Put off the deeds of darkness (Rom. 13:12), falsehood (Eph 4:25), unwholesome words (Eph. 4:29), anger (Eph. 4:31; Col 3:8), bitterness (Eph. 4:31), wrath (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8), clamor (Eph. 4:31), slander (Eph. 4:31; Col 3:8; 1 Pet. 2:1), malice (Col. 3:8; 1 Pet. 2:1), abusive speech (Col. 3:8), lying (Col. 3:9), every encumbrance (Heb. 12:1), easily entangling sin (Heb. 12:1), filthiness (Jms 1:21), wickedness (Jms 1:21), deceit (1 Pet. 2:1), hypocrisy (1 Pet. 2:1), and envy (1 Pet 2:1).
Put on the armor of light (Rom. 13:12), the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11; 1 Thess. 5:8), truth (Eph. 4:25), honest labor (Eph. 4:28), timely words of grace (Eph. 4:29), kindness (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12), tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32), a heart of compassion (Col. 3:12), humility (Col. 3:12), gentleness (Col. 3:12), patience (Col. 3:12), love (Col. 3:14), the peace of Christ (Col. 3:15), thankfulness (Col. 3:15), and the Word of God (Col. 3:16).
This is God’s fashion statement for all of His children and it never changes or goes out of style.
Pastor Jeff