New Wardrobe!

It's worth repeating from Galatians 3:26-27 (MSG), "Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe--Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise."

I must confess that this passage is a little deeper Theologically than what I typically tackle in this blog, but these verses are truly freeing once they are understood. When we go to God's Word, and we bite off a passage that seems tough to chew, we need to pray for wisdom and understanding. The book of Proverbs makes it clear that we are to get wisdom in this life even if we get nothing else!

As I read this verse, something clicked in my brain which sent a signal to my heart, and I had immediate joy! Wow!! What God does for us is so much more than give us a fresh start, a clean slate, a do over, a second chance, whatever you may call it...

God saves us, by no work on our own, I might add at this point. Jesus baptizes us into the family of God, and then He says to us, "Now you can start life all over... You can try again... You can find better tools to live by... Now go and make me proud!" NO! NO! NO! That is not what Jesus says. We can not live the Christian life on our own anymore than we can save ourselves.

This is the beauty of the work of Christ. We get so much more than a fresh start or a do over. We get the life of Christ as our life. We get the Spirit of God living the Christian life through us as we yield and surrender our will to the Father. We get a new wardrobe!

Let's be honest, if all we got was a do over, we would end up exactly where we found ourselves to begin with... lost, empty, shamed, sinful. I don't want a do over-- I don't want to try harder-- I want the Spirit of God to fill my Spirit, and live through me-- a new life with a new source! A new wardrobe from a new designer!

Jesus doesn't find us, wash us up, and leave us naked to try to find the right clothes to wear in this new life. He clothes us with everything we need for life and godliness. We don't start with the Thrift store wardrobe and move up to the 5th avenue wardrobe. We are clothed with the life of Christ from day one of our salvation... and just have to walk in it... by walking in step with the Spirit, and dying to our will.

We have more than a fresh start...we have a new identity! We were sinners before... Now we are saints of God... with a brand new wardrobe!! (One that does not have to be laundered... and all the mothers said AMEN!!)

Blessings!