How You Get Dressed Affects Your Whole Day

How You Get Dressed Affects Your Whole Day!

Colossians 3:8-14

A husband and his wife woke up one Sunday morning and the wife dressed for church. It was just about time for the service when she noticed her husband hadn’t moved a finger toward getting dressed. Perplexed, she asked, “Why aren’t you getting dressed for church?” He said, “Cause I don’t want to go.” She asked, “Do you have any reasons?” He said, “Yes, I have three good reasons. First the congregation is cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don’t want to go.” The wife replied, wisely, “Well honey, I have three reasons why you should go. First the congregation is warm. Second, there are a few people there who like you. And third, you’re the pastor! So get dressed!”

I don’t know about you but getting dressed is one of my least favorite things to do in the morning!!! I like my lounge around time!!!

Starting the process of getting dressed means you have surrendered the idea of staying home!!!

Some of you get right up and get dressed…and then there are those like me who wait til the last minute.

But, this morning we’re not talking about getting our body dressed…we’re talking about our spiritual clothing…

And how we dress ourselves spiritually can mean the difference between a live lived in victory…and a life lived in wanting!!!

Colossians 3:8 - 15 (NKJV) 8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Did you notice something strange in this scripture???

As we get spiritually ready for each day, there are first of all some things that have to be taken off!!!

1. In fact, there are six sins that are to be stripped off. Note: all six have to do with either deep-seated emotions or else the tongue—reactions and feelings against another person.

a. There is the sin of anger (orgen): the believer is to strip away the garment of anger. Men do become angry: note that Scripture recognizes this. There are times when anger is called for, but we are to guard against sinning when we become angry.

Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV) 26“Be angry, and do not sin”:£ do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

b. There is the sin of wrath (thumon): (see note, pt.10—•Galatians 5:19-21 for discussion).

Wrath (thumoi PWS: 4460): bursts of anger; indignation; a violent, explosive temper; quick-tempered explosive reactions that arise from stirred and boiling emotions. But it is anger which fades away just as quickly as it arose. It is not anger that lasts.

c. There is the sin of malice (kakian): deep-seated feelings against a person, hatred that lasts on an on, intense and long-lasting bitterness against a person.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephes. 4:31).

Folks there is absolutely nothing good that comes out of harboring ill will toward anyone, much less a brother or sister in christ.

As a matter of fact, it is impossible for you to experience a life of joy if you are guilty of harboring a grudge…God’s word says…let it go…

d. There is the sin of blasphemy (blasphemia): speech that slanders, insults, hurts, injures, and shows contempt. It is railing at someone.

"But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming" (Acts 13:45).

e. There is the sin of filthy communication (aischrologian PWS: 1496) (see note, pt.1—•Ephes. 5:4 for discussion).

f. There is the sin of lying (pseudesthe PWS: 2337): (see note—•Ephes. 4:25 for discussion).

2. There are three strong reasons as to why we are to strip off the sins of the emotions and tongue.

a. We have put off the old man (see Deeper Study #1, Old Man—Ephes. 4:22 for discussion).

Old Man: the "old man" refers to what a man is before he accepts Christ. It is the very nature of man, the natural, corruptible seed which is passed on from generation to generation and leads to death. It is what is called the nature of Adam. (See note, Natural Man—• 1 Cor. 2:14 for a much more detailed discussion.)