Dressed and Ready
Every Saturday evening… I have a little ritual…
If we are going to work… we dress this way
If we are going to cut the grass…
If we are going to the ball game…
If we are going fishing… playing a sport…vacation…
Etc...
Some of us go to the store weeks ahead in order to purchase the perfect ensemble for an occasion…
We dress to “fit” our activities… the purpose for that time, that day…
And we as followers of Christ have … a purpose… a job to do… an assignment…
2 Corinthians 5:17–20 (NIV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
God is the one who accomplishes reconciliation through Christ’s work, but he shares the ministry of reconciliation with people.
Committed: tithēmi- to put or place, appoint, to assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to someone.
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So, how are we to dress??? For that task? For that purpose?
We have been “made alive” in Christ. (born again)
Colossians 3:9–10 (ESV)
9 … you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
We put away the Old…. We put on the new nature…
We have a new mindset … A new heart… A new purpose…
We are described in the Bible as…
· We are God’s chosen people (purpose)
· Holy and dearly loved!
"God regards Christians as special, cherished, and set apart, not because of our actions, but due to His grace and love demonstrated through Christ. These titles, originally applied to Israel in the Old Testament and to Jesus in the New, He is the chosen one, the holy one, and the dearly loved Son. … Now, these same titles are given to the church. They tell us our identity as God's people."
Chosen, holy, dearly loved!
And… We are called to live out our identity… our real identity!!
· In the context of our relationships?
· Our everyday tasks?
That’s our role… That’s our job… that’s our purpose… our task
How should we dress for that?
Well … in Colossians 3 Paul talks about that… He discusses how we are to “dress” for such a task…
As followers of Christ (new creations), we are to "put on" characteristics that reflect our new identity.
Example of Water Baptism of sorts…
· Repent
· Go under (old clothes)
· Baptized (new nature)
· Come up (get dressed- live a new way)
What do these new clothes look like?
Well … in Colossians 3:12 Paul talks about what these clothes look like so we can complete the tasks God has set for us.
So, let’s get dressed and ready…
Colossians 3:12–14 (NIV)
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