In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of which God had commanded them not to eat.  Genesis 3:7-10 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’” Once Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they knew they were naked so they made themselves coverings and attempted to hide from God.  They realized that it was not good to display their nakedness.  Throughout the Old Testament, seeing another person’s nakedness has not been good.  After the flood, Noah became drunk and became uncovered.  Noah’s son Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his brothers Shem and Japheth; they went backwards into the tent and covered the nakedness of their father.  Noah cursed the descendants of Ham for what Ham had done. Israel was instructed that when they made an altar to God, they were not to make steps to the altar so that the priest’s nakedness would not be exposed (Exodus 20:23).  Seeing another person’s nakedness or exposing your own nakedness was not considered good.

So we need to be clothed.  The apostle Paul gave instructions to Timothy for men and women in the church.  1 Timothy 2:8-10 “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”  Modest apparel would be clothing that is orderly, well arranged, and decent but not costly; propriety and moderation should be considered. 

While how we are clothed physically has some importance, how we are clothed spiritually is perhaps more important. Our outward, physical appearance should not be what draws people to us. We should want people to be drawn to us because we have the spirit of Christ in us.  Through John, Jesus wrote to the church in Laodicea.  Revelation 3:15-18 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”  Jesus condemned the church in Laodicea because they thought they were rich, wealthy and had need of nothing.  Instead, he said that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  He wanted them to buy from Him white garments that they might be clothed and that the shame of their nakedness might not be revealed.  Let us look at some of the things that Christians should be clothed with.

We should clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 13:12-14 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  To put on Christ is to put on His characteristics –  His love, His compassion, His mercy, His righteousness and follow His example to serve others.

We should be clothed with the spiritual armor of God.  Ephesians 6:11; 14-18 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”  The spiritual armor (truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God and prayer) allow us to stand against the wiles of the devil both to defend ourselves as well as to defeat the devil.

The apostle Paul also described the spiritual clothing we should have in Colossians 3:12-14 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” Are you clothed with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, patience, forgiveness, and love? You have this spiritual clothing when you allow the Holy Spirit to bear His fruit within you (Galatians 5:22-23).

When people look at you, they see your face and your hair and the build of your body.  But they also see your clothing.  I encourage you to wear the proper spiritual and physical clothing.  My desire is that through your good spiritual and physical clothing others may be encouraged to follow Jesus Christ and that God will be glorified.