December 12
Thursday
Costume or uniform?
_____________
Read:
Romans 13:11-14
_____________
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill it lusts.--Romans 13:14
_____________
The Bible In One Year:
Hosea 9-11
Revelation 3
_____________
Eunice McGarrahan gave an inspiration talk on Christian discipleship in which she said, "A Costume is something you put on and pretend you are what you are wearing. A Uniform, on the other hand, reminds you that your are, in fact, what you wear."
Her comment sparked memories of my first day in US Army basic training when we were each given a box and ordered to put all our civilian cloths in it. The box was mailed to our home address. Every day after that, the uniforms we put on reminded us that we had entered a period to change our attitudes and actions.
"Cast off the works of darkness " the apostle Paul told the followers of Jesus living in Rome, "and… put on the armor of the light." (Rom. 13:12). He followed this with the command to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to fulfill lust." (v.14). The goal of this "casting off" and "putting on" was a new identity and transformed living.
When we choose to follow Christ as our Lord, He begins the presses of making us more like Him each day. It is not a matter of pretending to be what we aren’t but of becoming more and more what we are in Christ. --(David McCasland)
O to be like Thee, O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep in my heart. -(Chisholm)
____________________________________
Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.-(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
