Friday, August 20, 2010

A New Wardrobe and a Smelly Old Coat



A fourteen year old Rebelutionary young lady sent us the following article. We think she beautifully expresses and describes what sanctification looks likes and what the basic challenges of being sanctified are. Thus, we wanted to pass it on to our readers for y'alls benefit. :-)

When you are born again you become a new being (II Corinthians 5:17). You have been washed fresh and clean; however, you are still wearing the smelly old coat of your flesh (Colossians 3:5-8, I Peter 1:14-16). Scripture tells us to put off our flesh, and put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11). Because when you are born again, you have a new nature. When a born again Christian sins, it is not the new nature that causes them to sin but the old nature. As Christians, we have to get rid of that smelly old coat! Just throw it out! It’s not easy, and it will take much time and effort; but it will definitely be worth your while when you throw it out and put on the beautiful robe of Christ! It’s almost as if someone were to take a four hour bubble bath, and after being cleansed and soothed and completely washed clean, goes and puts on that smelly old coat again! It may seem ridiculous, and quite gross, yet we all do it without realizing it!

As a born again Christian, you are called to be set apart. The world hates; yet, you are to be full of love. The world is foolish; yet, you are full of knowledge. The world is proud; yet, you are humble. These are just a few of the many differences between Christian’s and the world. We are a new creation that has been washed COMPLETELY clean! Why on earth would we even WANT to put on that smelly old coat?!

Responding to others wardrobe:

"Why are you wearing that? Its ugly! And as if that wasn't enough to say, it stinks!"

That’s what we say when those around us put on that smelly old coat of the sinful flesh; but, when do we ever look in the mirror and see that we are wearing that SAME coat, just in a different color? It’s easier to condemn others for their sins and their weaknesses, rather than focusing on our own. Now if it’s so easy, why not just do that all the time? Why work to get rid of that? II Corinthians answers that question quite clearly for us:

"Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." ~2 Corinthians 5:16-17.


We are new creations in Christ having been born again of His Spirit, yet we are still in the flesh. The flesh has many weaknesses and there is no doubt about that. God has left us with a weak flesh; but if we only complain about that, we are not fully submitting to His will.

Norm Wakfield excellently illustrates this point in the following quote:

"Don't bite into the skins of an orange. But within, it tastes pretty good! Picture the flesh as the bitter skins of an orange, don't bite into it."


We no longer look to the weakness of the flesh, we have been made new.

When we put on that old smelly coat, God looks down and says "Why are you wearing that? Its ugly! And as if that wasn't enough to say, it stinks!"

Throw off that old smelly coat!

1 comment:

  1. Well said! I heard another friend say something similar, that our Christianity can kind of be like a jacket, one that we wear on Sundays, but once we're home, we thrown on that stinky worldly jacket of the flesh. Praise God for His continuing sanctifying work through the Holy Spirit!

    Camden

    Hebrews 12:1

    Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

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