Christ put on - Charles H. Spurgeon
www.spurgeongems.org/vols34-36/chs2132.pdf
Romans 13:14
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
What a joy it is to read the wise words of a man who genuinely loves God and understand's His truths.
In this sermon, Spurgeon illustrates the importance of putting on Christ in the same way we put on clothing. Having said that, we cannot merely put on Christ, we must also put off our old self. If we put on Christ's garment over the fleshly garment, we are still wearing the old man! Therefore it is imperative that we take off and put on.
This act of taking off and putting on is not a one time act. As Christians, we are commanded to put on Christ DAILY. Now only in this instance, may men take more than an hour to get dressed. Putting on Christ in the morning should take as much time as needed. This command is not a burden like many perceive it to be. Rather, God commands us to do so because it is for our own good, our own protection. Nothing can touch us when the full armor of the living God is worn. You see, when we wear Christ on our sleeve, He stands between us and the fiery darts of the evil one. He preserves us and sustains us. He starts to transform our motives and our inner being. He allows us to reflect Him all the more through the sway of the Holy Spirit.
Now where do we go for this daily garment? Jesus! He is our everything - our Priest, our Prophet, our Savior, our Coverer. Put him on continually, in every aspect of our lives. We put Him on not in order to impress others but out of the gratitude and desire to please Him. We go to Christ for changed motives!!!
Putting on Christ will display itself in our natural inclinations. Why will God show patience to us if we do not show patience to others? Is one who is angered easily wearing the robes of Christ? Putting on Christ changes our character. A heart of gratitude and love towards others are examples of the transformation of character.
Do not ever take off Christ. When Christ is not put on, we are giving a foothold to the devil, provision for the flesh. Therefore, we must labor daily and methodically to strap in our garments. We must have absolutely no tolerance for sin, not even a hint. Starve the desires of the flesh and ask Christ to take their place.
Now there is a sense of urgency in all of this because we don't know when Christ will be returning. We know something is wrong when we are scared of Christ return. We shouldn't be like the brides than ran out of oil, unprepared for the bridegrooms return. Rather, we ought to be diligently watching and wearing Christ on our backs as we wait for His final return. What great hope there is in Christ's return! When, finally, we will be completely transformed into Christ's likeness from the depths of our hearts into eternity!
