Clothe yourself in Righteousness!
“DOES GOD HAVE A DRESS CODE?”
By: Rev. Dan Minor
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
Colossians 3:12
An old newspaper article dated 1970 caught my attention. It seems that students in one of our Michigan high schools went to the school board with a petition to relax the school’s dress code. They did not wish to abolish the dress code but to determine if the majority of student would agree to a more liberal dress code which would include slacks for girls and longer hair and sideburns (one inch below the ears) for the boys. A 30-day trial period followed and one boy student remarked, “Had to grow those sideburns really fast.”
In the Christian faith, there is only one dress code. Believers are instructed to be clothed in righteousness. To be clothed in righteousness is to be clothed with Jesus Christ. This means taking on the likeness of Christ in our character and witness.
One becomes righteous by having a spiritual hunger and thirst for it (Matthew 5:6). When are not righteous, but become righteousness from God through our faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). Righteousness is demonstrated by our love for God and others. Social justice is another expression of righteousness.
In Heaven we will wear a new wardrobe. Believers, along with the twenty-four elders will be dressed in white (Revelation 3:4; 4:4), the symbol of purity.
Listen again to the words of the hymn writer, “Dressed in his righteousness alone faultless to stand before the throne.”
May this be our prayer. Amen.
