FRIDAY June 25, 2021

Take Off the Grave Clothes

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:20-24

Interesting, once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we immediately become alive in Christ and dead to our sins. We live this metaphor: “take off the grave clothes and put on the grace clothes of God.” The fact is, you have had a change of life. Just like when you have a change of clothes. You now have become a brand new person in Christ. No longer do you talk the way you used to talk––cursing and cussing. People say they have no self-control, but in Christ we do––we have been changed.

If we have been truly changed by the Lord, our public and private life should be the same––living in holiness. We should not be living a double- standard life. Dr. Billy Graham said:

The Christian should stand out like a sparkling diamond against the rough background. He should be more wholesome than anyone else. He should be poised, cultured, courteous, gracious, but firm in the things that he does and does not do. He should laugh and be radiant, but he should refuse to allow the world to pull him down to its level.

Beautiful words. We are the light of the world, the salt of earth (Matthew 5:14-16). In biblical times, they had no refrigeration. Salt was used to preserve meat; it would kill bacteria. Once salt had lost its use, it would be thrown onto the ground, onto weeds, and it would make a path to walk upon. Salt also creates a thirst. As salt is useful as a preservative, so our lives should act as a preservative agent in this world. As we interact with people, we should also create a thirst for Christ.

As Christians, as light and salt, our lives should be of great influence in the darkness of this world.

The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God.
~Robert Murray M’Cheyne~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!