Our Christian Behavior

Illus: For example, Princess Diana, Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan were known for the beautiful clothes they wore.

When Barbara Bush came along, she was a wonderful First Lady, but she was different. In fact, she was so different that many times it looked like she bought her complete wardrobe at Kmart during a blue light special.

Someone asked her what she did with her old clothes and she said, “I wear them!”

Illus: When it comes to fashions, have you ever watched some of these fashion shows on television? These young pretty girls that look like they have not been fed in the last six months, come out wearing things that look like curtains they snatched off the wall. And everyone of them walk like their hip joint is fixing to go any moment!

There are some folks that are considered attractive because they know how to dress, and there are some folks who are attractive, but they do not look attractive because they do not know how to dress.

The way we dress tells a great deal about us.

(1) MANY TIMES OUR CLOTHING IDENTIFIES OUR PROFESSION

Consider the clothing of a baseball player, a football player, a mailman, a delivery man, a nurse, etc. Their uniforms identify their occupation.

Illus: This reminds me of a police officer that, though scheduled for all-night duty at the station, was relieved of duty early and arrived home four hours ahead of schedule, at 2 in the morning. Not wanting to wake his wife, he took his police uniform off in the dark, crept into the bedroom and started to climb into bed. Just then, his wife sleepily sat up and said, "Mike, dearest, would you go down to the all-night drug store on the next block and get me some aspirin? I've got a splitting headache, And please do not turn on the light, it would just cause my head to hurt even more."

"Certainly, honey," he said, and feeling his way across the dark room, he got dressed and drove to the drug store.

As he arrived, the pharmacist looked up in surprise, "Say," said the druggist, "I know you - aren't you a policeman? Officer Fenwick, right?"

"Yeah, so?" said the officer.

"Why are you wearing a UPS uniform?”

Many times our clothing identifies our profession.

(2) MANY TIMES OUR CLOTHING IDENTIFIES OUR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

We all have seen women on the streets (Prostitutes) and we could tell by the way they dressed, they were practicing their trade.

The way folks dress often identifies their sexual behavior. Many of us have seen people on television who were cross-dressers.

• There are some men that make better looking women than real women.

• There are some women that make better looking men than real men.

Paul picks up on this idea of clothing, and tells us that as Christians, we need to be careful what we PUT ON because some things are not becoming to us.

• Many folks do not wear what looks good on them, they dress according to what others wear.

• This is also true among many professing Christians, WHATEVER THE WORLD WEARS, THEY WEAR!

Paul mentions there are some things Christians should never PUT ON. What are these items of clothing? As Christians it is unbecoming to us to be caught wearing:

I. THE GARMENT OF LYING

Look at verse 25, we read, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

Before we were saved we told lies. Listen, there are people who tell lies and they do not even realize they are telling them.

Illus: There is a list of some of the lies that people tell each day, I happened to have the list, they are:

• I gave at the office

• The check is in the mail

• Go ahead, tell me how you feel about me. I promise I won't get mad.

• Having a great time. Wish you were here.

• I can't remember.

• I did it.

• I didn't do it.

• I don’t know who did it

• If it will make you happy, it will make me happy.

• I'll call you later.

• I'll do it in a minute.

• I'm from the government. I'm here to help you.

• I never watch television except for PBS.

• It's delicious, but I can't eat another bite.

• It's not the money; it's the principle of the thing.

• I've never done anything like this before.

• Looks don't matter; it's personality that counts!

• The baby is just beautiful.

• The delivery is on the truck.

• The puppy won't be any trouble, Dad. I promise I'll take care of it myself.

• Then take a left. You can't miss it.