Colossians 3:1 - 17
Dressing up is probably one of the most exciting game children like to play. There is nothing like watching a little girl walk around in her mother’s heals and putting on makeup. This event even carries over with little boys who like to play with their dad's tool. Even adults like to play dress up, only they do it for real. I don't want to seem sexist, but have you seen the amount of time and planning and energy a woman puts into getting ready for a big event. Personally, it takes up the majority of my weekend and evening leading up to the event trying to find that right dress and shoes for my wife as we prepare for the event. For me just a suit and a white shirt will do.
The main thing about dressing up is that you not only have to have the right clothes for the event, but also must follow the right order of putting them on so everything does what it was designed to do. Stay in place where it supposed to be. Give the aroma that you not only look good but also smells good. This is the point that the Apostle Paul is purposing to drive home in Colossians 3:1-17. He not only gives the instructions about how to dress up, but he also gives the occasion for which we are dressing up.
In verse 4 he says, "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory." He tells of that day when our Lord will return and we are going to appear with him in glory. The event here is not the rapture but the actual Second Coming of Revelation 19 when we will return with him and be presented in His glory. It is what we do now that is going to prepare us to be dressed properly for that occasion. It is also how we dress now that is going to make sure that we are dressed there.
Paul basically gives four principles that we must follow in order to get “dressed up” for that occasion:
** We must maintain our focus on the event. In order to dress up properly, the event must be the number one concern. As I stated before, when we are preparing for an event, it consumes every available moment in our schedule and even takes time from others. To follow Paul's order: We seek (vs. 1), we set (vs 2-4), and we sacrifice (vss. 5-7), mentally, emotionally and physically to prepare for the event.
** We must remove all the old clothes that have displayed in our lives (vss. 8 – 9). On the day of the event, all the preparation and shopping would be to no avail if we don't take off our old clothes. They have to be removed. I am amazed at many Christian who try to live for Christ but keep their old attitudes and mannerism. Paul gives a detailed list of things that must come off.
** We must renew the mind (vss. 10, 11). Paul says we must be renewed in knowledge. What he implies here is that we must take a bath. After we have taken off the old clothes, we have to clean up the minds so we know why and what God is trying to bring us too - to prevent us from wanting to take up the old clothes again. He writes in Romans 12:2 "And be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
** We must put on the new clothes (vss. 12 – 17). After we have shopped for the event, taken off the old clothes, taken a bath, now you must get dressed. Putting on those precious attributes that will display us as children of the kingdom. So when Christ returns you will be ready to put on those clothes which he has prepared for us.
There nothing like playing dress up even when it is for real. We just need to make sure we follow the right steps so we are really ready for the occasion.
"You can change, if you believe you got some where to go."