Dress Code

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him Colossians 3:10

Put On – Fashion is a modern invention.  In the ancient world, most people never thought about what they would wear.  Why?  Because what I wore was dictated by my class position, income or profession.  You could tell who was who by the garments.  That’s one of the problems in the parable of the Good Samaritan.  The victim was stripped of identifying marks.  No one knew if the victim was a Jew or a Gentile, rich or poor, employed or a beggar.  And since the culture also dictated how you were to treat each class of people, being stripped of your identifying clothing caused a lot of confusion.

Paul uses an ancient metaphor in his description of the new man.  In fact, the verb he uses is literally about a change of clothes.  We are to put on (in Greek, enduo) new garments that match who we really are.  Why?  Because in Hebrew thought, the outer display is to be a tangible exhibition of the inner character.  I am to look the same on the outside as I am on the inside.

This kind of integrity is one of the most vexing issues in our world.  Men and women can look like just about anything on the outside.  Today, there is very little correspondence between my outer garments and my inner character.  Fashion has obliterated transparency.  Today, I can fool nearly everyone by dressing the part.  What’s true in the fashion world is just as true in the spiritual world.  I can look like the right kind of Christian by putting on the right kind of spiritual garb.  But not for long.

The dress code of Spirit-filled integrity is found in actions that cannot be easily imitated.  Paul gives us a fabric list – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Cut your garments from bolts of this cloth and there will never be a need to worry about the dress code.  Wear clothing of any other kind and you will always be found out, no matter how well tailored the fit.

Did you notice that Paul’s metaphor implies the collection of Spirit-filled transparent garments over time?  You can’t get a closet of these clothes all at once.  They aren’t for sale.  You have to gather them in your wardrobe through action and effort.  In other words, they show up as you are being renewed.  One day you are presented with an opportunity to demonstrate patience.  You didn’t expect to wear that shirt but there it was, hanging right in front of you.  Time to put it on!  The next day, in the middle of real crisis, you discover there is a dress cut from joy and a pair of shoes made from the finest faithfulness.  And so it goes.  Each time you dress with the fruit of the Spirit, the clothes fit a little better and the feel is a little more comfortable, until one day you aren’t even aware of wearing these new outer garments.  They are just who you are.  That’s when you notice the label:  Integrity without effort.

Topical Index:  New Man