MELANIE COGDILL | GUEST
Because we are movie buffs, for more than a decade, some friends from church and I have an annual Oscar watch party. We also evaluate the gowns celebrities wear as they present the awards. Why did she pick that dress? Does it look flattering on her—if not, what was she thinking? Even though not all women are fashionistas, we care about what clothes we wear to worship on Sunday. We put some thought into what we will put on. We do not roll out of bed in our pajamas and head to church.
The Seed of Gospel Clothing
Throughout Scripture, we see that what we wear is significant. Not our outward clothing, but how we are clothed with gospel truth. In fact, it is God Himself who makes us a garment of gospel clothes and puts it on us. In Genesis 3:7 after Adam and Eve took and ate the forbidden fruit, “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” After they do that, God comes to them (v.9) and “the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?'” And because the coverings they made for themselves were not sufficient, God clothed them (v. 21), “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” God comes to them after their sin in the Garden, and He makes garments to clothe them. This is the gospel in a nutshell.
Putting on Our Gospel Clothes
Our gospel clothing is much more significant than our physical clothing. After telling the Colossians the worldly things they must put to death (Col. 3:5-10), the Apostle Paul reminds them of the gospel clothing they must wear instead. The context of the gospel clothes they are to put on as the people of God is compassion, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love for one another in the body. Those verses seem straightforward; however, it’s not always easy to love difficult people in our church, forgive a friend or spouse when we think we have been wronged, or be patient with a child’s behavior that is trying our patience. However, Paul’s admonition is to always “put on” these gospel clothes because we are called as God’s beloved people to be holy….
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