How Am I Clothed?

November 17, 2017

How Am I Clothed?

Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 13:14a

Read Romans 13:8-14

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another” (Romans 13:8). My parents lived in a culture where close attention was paid to social customs. If friends invited you to dinner or to a party, you had an obligation to return the favor. In this quid pro quo culture, a favor was expected for a favor. Paul envisioned a different way of living where you can accept a grace offered without incurring an obligation to return a grace in kind. This form of culture is possible when we are grounded in a belief of the great commandment to love one another as we love ourselves. Paul continued this teaching by rehearsing several of the Ten Commandments and then summarizes all ten with one commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. Because love does no wrong to others, love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Some people have interpreted the closing passage, verses 11-14, as a prediction that the end of the age was close at hand. I don’t think that was Paul’s intent. I think Paul sensed an impending crisis. The letter to the Romans was written in 57-58 AD. There was much restlessness in the Roman Empire at this time leading to the destruction of Jerusalem about ten years later. Regrettably, Paul’s sense of urgency for our witness for Christ has been lost on the present age.

My Takeaway: Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (NIV). Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (NRSV). Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (NLT). Whichever translation you choose for verse 14a, take time to meditate on this question: How different would my life be if I began everyday with this conscious thought, “I am clothed in the presence of my Lord, Jesus Christ?”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2017 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.