Be Clothed With Christ

What color are your spiritual clothes? Now, there's a question you haven't thought of, I'm sure.

It's kind of an odd question in a way. It's an important question, however. What are the clothes that God sees you wearing each day? What color are they? You ever think about that? They get matters? The commentary, Jamison, Fawcett, and Brown, says the word purple, as used in Scripture, represents the most costly of goods. The most costly, because if you go back and you look at the way that they used to have to make purple, was pretty much you had to dive to the bottom of the ocean and crack out some shellfish that had purple, and you got a little bit of it, and so you got to die a few garments or a little portion of garments with it. That process was so expensive that only those with a lot of money could be seen in purple. So purple has been associated with royalty down through time. If we look in Exodus chapter 26 in verse 1, we also see that it was associated with things of God at one time. Exodus chapter 26 in verse 1, talking about the tabernacle.

Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains, and notice what they're made of. Fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread with artistic designs of carobim, you shall weave them. So these would be beautiful curtains, and wouldn't it be nice to see something like that?

Purple, by the time of the prophets in the Bible, became associated with wealth in society that was obtained through deceit, through sin, through slavery, through force, through types of colonization and extortion. It was purple that was well associated with carnal human nature or a sinful type of nature that physical humans had developed that was all about themselves. And so purple came to represent me and all about me, and I don't care about anybody else.

In Ezekiel 27, for example, verse 24, there's a prophecy against Tyre. You could use this prophecy to think of or represent a civilization, really civilization in general, a sinning civilization, a civilization that had lost any type of godliness or love for other people and rather had succumbed down to all about, say, themselves and all about the focus on humanism, false gods, etc. So Ezekiel 27 and verse 24, part of this culture, he says, these were your merchants in choice items, choice items for you, in purple clothes, in embroidered garments. Now, wait a minute, we just saw that in the temple, in service to God, in honoring God. But now these garments are all about one's self, choice items for oneself that are in their marketplace, as it says. If we drop down to verse 27, your riches, wares, merchandise, your mariners and pilots, your callers and merchandisers, all your men of war who are in you, and the entire company which is in your midst, will fall into the midst of the seas on the days of your ruin. So these things have corrupted them or been part of their corruption, almost emblems of their corruption, and God is going to cast them down. It's going to all be ruinous in the end. Modern Western civilization is a continuum of what we just read about Tyre, coming all the way from Babel and down through Babylon and the captivity of the children of Israel after the deceiving of them and the gristmill that took place in the first century and throughout the Roman Empire and down through time. We come to our civilization today, and what's it like? Well, again, it's a continuum of this focus on self, on luxury, on wealth, on what one can own and what one can do.

We find that is also done through a type of extortion or colonization, a using of those who have the power and the wealth of others who don't, in order to extract from them the purple, the good things, the fine things to pile around themselves. I think at times that you and I are not guilt-free in these regards, because sometimes you and I can buy into this mindset and call it God's blessings if we extort or if we use or if we close our eyes to those who are oppressed and those who are being mind, as it were, so that we can have the luxuries of this life. You have to be careful. Be very, very careful that we are not on a fence with one foot on one side and one foot on the other and claiming that, oh, we're the people of God, as we take from these, but we subscribe to that and somehow ride the fence and think that it's all sort of okay. We're to come out of this world. We see in Revelation chapter 18 and verse 2 that this society is going to fall just as sure as Tyre fell, and we are not to have anything to do with it. Revelation 18 and verse 2, an angel cried mightily with a loud voice saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen. Verse 16 says, Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple. What color are your clothes in God's eyes? The fine linen of the potential bride of Christ? What color is it? What are we wearing? What kind of Christians are we?

See, we can get it all mixed up if we're not careful. We can buy from this and choose from that and select from this. We can mix our religion with that of Babylon the Great because the terminology is so similar. We can have a mindset that is as greedy and as lustful and as self-fulfilling as society and yet declare ourselves righteous and blessed while we're in the church. You see, at some point in time, God looks at you and me and says, okay, what color are your clothes? What color are our clothes in the eyes of God?

We find that fine linen and purple, as we've just read, tapestries and gold and things like that, these are similar symbols that appear in God's temple, similar symbols that are attributed to Christ's church, to His bride, and also New Jerusalem that's coming in the future. But we also know that there are counterfeits of all of the true things that can appear so similar on the outside that even the very elect could be deceived. And we could think that we are wearing the right garments and have therefore the right deeds and the right mindset. And so today, I have to ask myself, and you can ask yourself, are we really coming out of this world? Are we really separating ourselves from this society? Or are we kind of riding the fence, trying to have it both ways, enhancing ourselves and our lives through the ways of Babylon, and yet somehow giving God the credit?

We are told to not be joined together with unbelievers. We're told not to pair Christ up with Satan. It says in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 15, 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 15, what accord has Christ with Belial? What part has a believer with an unbeliever?

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. And as God has said, I will dwell in them, I will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

So let's ask the question, what color are our clothes? And we can only answer that individually, because it's not a group color. Sometimes it's maybe a little different on each person day by day.

Sometimes we tend to purple up a bit, you know, and then we catch ourselves and we have to repent.

The title of the sermon today is, Clothed with Christ. Clothed with Christ. God should see us clothed the way Jesus Christ, his Son, is in his eyes. He should see a reflection of his Son in you and me. He should see the outer garment of righteousness, sinlessness, in us, because we are following the one who is righteous and sinless. And so we should be clothed with Christ in the eyes of God.

How much purple is there in my garment?

Jesus Christ is concerned about that, believe it or not. He warns us before it's too late to be preparing to get the right garments on and be ready for this wedding supper, because the bride groom is coming and purple actually is not an acceptable color for the wedding.

If you look in Luke 16 in verse 19, beginning in verse 19, here's what Jesus said.

There was a certain rich man. Uh-oh.

Rich. You might think, well, I'm not rich. That doesn't apply to me.

The problem with the rich isn't how much money they had. Jesus Christ was fairly well off. David was very well off. Abraham was what we might call filthy rich. It wasn't how much money you have.

The problem with the rich person is, in Jesus's parables, is they're so self-focused. It's all about themselves. They're building this and tearing down that, and it's all about me, you see?

And that too often depicts us. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. Does that describe you and me? You know, in a sense, it does. Just come back from another part of the world, or actually a couple of parts of the world, where you fare sumptuously every day. And you are clothed in things, mechanical things, possessions, an environment that really treats you well, keeps you comfortable right down to the temperature of the room that you're in. So, clothed in purple and fine linen, fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus who was full of source, who was laid at his gate. Now, the whole point here is to show that this rich man was thinking of himself when he had the opportunity to help others. Lazarus desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. All he had to do was, you know, do that! And the guy was happy. He wouldn't even do that.

So the beggar died. He was carried to Abram's bosom.

And the rich man also died and was buried. Being in torments in the grave, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abram afar off, and Lazarus was holding him. Now, what we have here is a parable. It's a story. You can look at the end of the Bible and you can find a time when everybody's resurrected and there's a lake of fire there. And if you're physical, you're going to burn. If you're spiritual, you're going to burn. If you're spiritual, you're fine. We know Abraham will be made of spirit. And we see the poor Lazarus is being hugged by Abraham. So somehow, he in this parable is a spirit being.

So he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. Send that beggar. I'm burning up here. Send that beggar guy. We don't care about it. Just bring some water over here. See what his mind is thinking here. See? I'm tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus evil things. But now he's comforted and you are tormented. Besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed. Spirit versus physical.

Physical can't get into the spirit world. So in this sort of a visionary parable, there's no way that he can get out of an earth that is disintegrating in heat.

Then he said, I beg you therefore, send him to my father. Go warn somebody. Go tell him to be ready. Redeem the time. Make use of every minute. Verse 31, but he said to him, if they don't hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded the one rise from the dead.

The lesson here is we have to be clothed, not in purple. We have to be clothed in righteousness. We have to be clothed in loving God and loving our fellow man, in the actual doing of that. Not just thinking about it, but actually doing it.

To have Christ living in us, directing us, guiding us to live like he did, to be like he is, sinless and also righteous. Jesus gave seven warnings to his church for those who will hear. I see too many times in the church ears that will not hear, ears that refuse to hear the seven lessons of the church, ears that demand that those do not apply to me.

Oh, well, one does. Church number six, the good church, the one that says I don't have to do anything. Those other ones, that's about somebody else, some other time, not about me. So my ears are shut. Well, are you listening to him? Time is getting shorter. Society is growing more selfish. It's growing more anxious.

You know, the whole world right now is starting to get ready. Is Asia going to go to war? Not quite sure yet. Fingers are on the buttons. Japanese have the fingers against the Chinese.

The North Koreans have it against the U.S. and the South Koreans. What's happening over in the Middle East? We're not sure yet, but tensions are really sharpening up. Pressure is on. What's going to happen in Europe with the Arab world? We're not sure. A lot of pushing. Even in this country, there's beginning to be some pushing. What's going to happen? Well, as time gets short, things are going to get worse. In Romans chapter 13 verses 11 through 14, Apostle Paul talks about this.

He tells us that we ought to be getting ready. We ought to be getting dressed. We ought to be putting on Christ and be clothed in Christ every day. Romans 13 verse 11. And do this, knowing the time. Brethren, you should know the time. Let me tell you something. You might be wondering how long it will be until Christ returns. Well, let me tell you. It will be about three years after the church is decimated.

After Daniel said, the power of the holy people will be completely shattered. After the Bible says the church will be given into the false prophet leader's hand. About three years after, Satan goes to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep his commandments.

About three years after, the famine of the Word shuts down any opportunity to preach the gospel. Alright? So, the point is, don't be thinking about when Christ is going to return. Think three years the side of that, and when is that going to take place? When is the man of sin, the man of lawlessness, going to stand up and declare himself to be Jesus Christ, the Messiah, coming in His name, declaring that He is God, and performing wonders and signs?

When will that happen? How soon are we? And forget that for a minute and just think, when will a nuclear weapon go off in San Francisco Bay? You know, from a ship that just comes from anywhere in the world and pulls up into the bay without clearing customs, you don't have to. It just gets close to the bridge and goes off, because that's the last time that you and I may ever communicate between now and the time we stand on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ. You know, when EMT, electrical magnetic pulse, hits the backbone of the internet in San Francisco and hits the satellites overhead and knocks out all communication and fries everything with a transistor in it, you and I may lose it all at that point.

What kind of an individual would you be if you were on your own? What kind of clothes would you wear? What kind of clothing will you wear? What kind of person will you be in God's eyes for those three years? God is very merciful. Revelation 3 talks about a portion of the church going to a place of safety. Revelation 13 speaks of the same thing.

We see through a glass darkly. This isn't some easy little game where you connect two pieces and you're a winner. This is the challenging part of life, of doing what we're called to do. So Romans 13 verse 11 says, knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.

For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 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 and not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. Verse 14, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Again, if we're putting on Jesus Christ, we're being clothed as it were in Him. And what does that mean, put on Jesus Christ? Well, He is the new man. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 4 and verses 17 through 24. Ephesians 4 verses 17 through 24.

I know that we're to put off the old man and become a new man, but if you think about who the new man is, you and I aren't righteous of and by ourself, are we? You and I don't have the mind of God by ourself. We really do have to put on Christ, as we just said, as we just read there in Romans, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4, 17. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of society walks in the futility of their mind. You know, they're all about purple. They're all about me. They're all about things I can see and do and have and possess and enjoy.

Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that's in them, because of the blindness that is in their heart.

Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work uncleanness with greediness. Is that where we want to go? Do we want to start painting that on ourselves?

But you have not so learned Christ, indeed, if you have heard Him and 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 deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Renewed with what? Renewed with God's Holy Spirit. Let that come in, Christ's Spirit, the Father's Spirit, and that you put on the new man, what new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. That is what we're looking for, to exemplify what Jesus Christ is, to be discipled by Him, to be copies of the masters, clones, as it were, as close as we can be, of our master. We need to be replacing the first man, our physical Adam, our lineage through our family, our society, with the second man, as the Bible referred to it, Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus Christ, by the way? Who are we being clothed in? Obedience. It's sinless. He never sinned in any way, and that was not the only thing. It's one thing to put leaven out of your home and out of your life and be sin free. It's something else to be righteous, and He was righteous by obeying the laws of love, obeying everything His Father commanded Him, sacrificing, giving Him Himself, serving, serving, stilled us. We need to be doing that as well. Sinless and righteous. Galatians chapter 3, just a few pages back, Galatians chapter 3, verses 26 and 27 is very important in considering this new man, as it were, and what we're supposed to be putting on. What this clothing is supposed to look like. Galatians 3, 26, For you are all sons of God. Now, that's not just a term. Sons of God. Okay, I've got the stamp. I've got the connection. I've got the membership. No, a son of God means godlike. It can also mean that there's a family connection but we have a family connection because we're like our Father. And Jesus said, if you keep my commandments, my Father and I will love you.

Those who do the commandments of God, these are the sons of God, we're told. It's a mindset. It's a participatory mindset. And so, we are all sons of God through faith, and faith only can be present if there are works associated with it. So we're sons through faith with works in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Baptized in Christ means reject the old man, be clean through the blood of Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ, and God the Father, a part of their mindset in us. So we are putting on Christ to follow Him, to imitate Him in being sinless and in being righteous. A disciple was mentored to become like its teacher. It wasn't just a student taking notes and then, you know, well, nice class. No, it was to become like the Master, kind of a copy of the Master. In fact, with Jesus Christ, He called 12 individuals, remember, and He discipled them. Three and a half years, He walked with them, He lived with them, He taught them, He instructed them, He then had them participate, He sent them out and had them do some of the things that He was doing. Then He had them stay in Jerusalem, and when the Holy Spirit really came on them, they went out when He went to heaven, they went out as 12 examples or copies of the Master. What did He tell them to do? Let's go to Matthew 28, verse 19 and 20. Matthew 28, verse 19 and 20.

This is important for us to understand. These are the words of Jesus Christ are not my concept. Just read what He said. He said to those 12 that He had discipled, mentored, would be a modern concept. I think it was even more than just mentoring. He said, now I have discipled you. You now go therefore and make disciples in all the nations. Ah, the 12 of them were to go out and make thousands in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, just keeping the commandments, and lo, I am with you always to the end of the age. What is the goal of the commission to the church? Sometimes we read the commission, we display the commission, and I don't think we ever really get what He said. Let's read His words again. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. The goal, the purpose of the commission, is disciples who obey and perform righteousness, clothed in white, ready for the resurrection at the seventh trumpet. That is what the church is commissioned to do, to go into all the world, to preach the gospel like fishermen casting a net. I will make you fishers of men. Those whom the Father is drawing are discipled and taught to obey. Love your God with all your heart, soul, and might. Love your neighbor as yourself and obey all God's laws. That is what we are to be busy about, finding, discipling, and helping them to wear the clothing that God the Father will accept when His Son returns for the wedding. We are Christ only if we follow, if we imitate Him.

It says in Ephesians 4, 15, that we are to grow up into Him who is the Head. If you grow up into something, it's on the outside of you, the Head, Jesus Christ. We are to be clothed in what He is, in His mind, in His actions, His thoughts. Again, Christ's life was obeying God, works of agape, led by the Holy Spirit, sinless, sacrificing for others. That's what we need to be.

Not the mindset of the world is, oh, how much can I have for myself? Or, oh, I would like this for me, and me, me, me, me, me. And, oh, aren't these wonderful blessings from God? Look how God is blessing me, as all these beggars are being left without crumbs around us, because we don't really care. There's something wrong with that mindset. We've got to come out of this world. Nothing wrong with having things, but we've got to do them ethically, properly, like Jesus Christ did.

All the individuals who are with God have white robes, it turns out. No purple.

In Revelation 4, it says, around the throne were 24 thrones. Around the throne of God, in heaven, were 24 thrones. And on the thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting clothed in white robes.

White robes. Serving elders. Godly individuals in white robes. Revelation 1, verse 13, in the midst of the seven lamb stands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment, down to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden band.

Let's go to Revelation 19, verse 8. Let's see those who are going to be associated with Jesus Christ. Revelation 19, verse 8. And to her, the bride was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Verse 13. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, his name called the Word of God, and the armies in heaven, who we saw described in verse 7 through 9 as the bride, followed him clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. That's the color that God wants us to have. Purified, washed clean, white, not a spot or a wrinkle, we find in Ephesians chapter 4, on our clothing in the eyes of God. We can only have that if we're like God, if not only our thoughts are that way, but our deeds are righteous, and we are considered by God to be righteous, even though we are frail and we're just covered in purple. God will wash us clean. He will scrub the bride. He will clean her and wash her, it says in Ephesians 5. He will take away our sins, 1 John chapter 1 verses 7 and 8, if we confess our sins. He is faithful to wash us and cleanse us from all impurity. We can be white, and we can be growing in those righteous deeds that He does. Now, here's a question. How can I be clothed in Christ?

Well, find the answer in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 5.

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. There's a simple answer. We have to overcome. We have to fight the good fight and win that fight. That's what the term overcome means. It means to champion over, to be victorious. Paul said, I have fought the good fight. I have won the race. We have to win. Then we'll be clothed in white garments. For in that process, and striving hard, struggling hard, and really making progress, God sees you and me in white clothing. That's how He sees us. He sees us as holy and righteous, His people, a special people. But we cannot deceive ourselves or put this off or say, well, for another time, or I'm okay, purple is royalty. You know, it feels good on me. No? He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. And I will not blout out His name from the book of life. But I will confess His name before my Father and before His angels. He who has an ear to hear, let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Where do you get a white garment? What's the source? We've already discussed this, but let's just make sure we're absolutely clear. Where does this white garment come from? Can I make my own white garment? No. You know, I am a person sinned. Paul said, I'm sold under sin. We have been liberated, though. We have been freed from slavery to sin. We need to be marching out of that. Where do you get a white garment from? Here in verse 18, Jesus said, I counsel you to buy from me 24 karat gold, the pure, real thing, refined in the fire, that you may be rich in white garments, that you may be clothed in the eyes of God. We get them from Him. Don't be afraid of reading all the lessons that Christ wrote. They're all good. They're all important. And if you have ears to hear, you and I can apply these things and appreciate them. Gold refined in the fire does not necessarily mean the Great Tribulation. It just means pure gold. Because if I take my gold ring off, this is not pure gold. I could throw this thing away, and the only thing I would miss is sentiment. There's no real value here, because it's half brass.

But 24 karat gold that has actually been purified, as you and I need to be purified and washed clean, is what He's saying here. And we can only get the pure thing from Christ. And white garments that we may be clothed. Notice that the shame of your nakedness in God's eyes may not be revealed. We need to listen. We need to really get engaged while there is time, while there's opportunity, if we're not already, and continue to be engaged for those who are in this process, and not get discouraged, because we have to endure to the end in doing righteousness.

You know what it says in Ephesians 6, verse 10? Put on the whole armor of God. What is that? Be clothed in Christ. In His faith, in His truth, all the things. We're to wear that. We're to look like and be part of the family of God, mentally and in our deeds.

Jesus said that many are called, but few are chosen. I don't think we know how few He's talking about.

How few? When He says few, how few? You know, the church just seems to keep going down in numbers. Every year, the numbers of the church decreases.

It's down there, but we haven't even started yet into what Jesus prophesied for the church, that the love of many would wax cold, that many would abandon the faith, turn in others.

Would there even be anyone of faith when He returns? Many are called. Few are chosen. Will you be one of those chosen to be with God that stands in white garments at the second resurrection? Will I? Revelation 7 and verse 9 speaks of a people who very honorably go through trials and tribulation. Revelation 7 and verse 9, after these things, John said, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number. Of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, we were to go into all the world and make disciples who would obey everything that Christ commanded. And here they are, all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes. There may be few, but there will be, in a sense, many. There may be few from among the 60 or 100 billion that have lived, but there still will be quite a group that would be very difficult to number just looking at them. Now, here's a question. How can I trade in my stained purple robe for a white one?

Where does this topic engage us in doing something? What's the practical application of the concept of being clothed in Christ?

Well, let's go back to Revelation 19 and verse 7. Revelation 19 verse 7 and 8.

It says, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. So we're talking about him as Jesus Christ. He gets the glory for this. His wife has made herself ready. How does this happen? Well, we know that he washes her by the washing of the water of the Word. We know that she repents.

We know that she does what he did. What exactly is that? Let's notice carefully what God says here. His wife has made herself ready, and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. What is that? For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Hear that? The righteous acts of the saints. Oh, it's not just about grace, after all, is it?

White, fine linen is about doing righteous acts. Jesus commanded us to go and do righteous acts. To love, to serve, to give, to sacrifice. This is what a God being does. It's not just a believer. It's a doer. A white robe is a complete package. One who stands in white is a Christ-like individual. It's one who is clothed with the attributes that Christ is clothed in. Not just righteous acts. Also, sinlessness, obedience, and righteous acts. It's a rejection of purple in the mindset, a rejection of Satan and Babylon. It is an embracing and a doing of all that the family of God stands for. And it's then that we truly become the children of God, or in this case, the bride of Christ. It's agape. It's what Elohim is all about.

In conclusion, let's ask this question. What does a person clothed in Christ look like? How would you know an individual if you were looking at yourself and you're wondering, well, am I clothed in white? Am I clothed like Christ? How would I know? Well, let's look at the goal that God has given us and what that would look like if you look into the Word as a mirror and you see yourself. Here's what you should see. Here's what I should see. It's found in Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 9. Beginning in verse 9. Colossians chapter 3. Beginning in verse 9.

Let's take a moment and contemplate what a real clothed in Christ person in a white linen robe looks like through God's eyes. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 9.

Christ is all and in all. He is become our reality, in other words. So what does this look like? Verse 12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy because God is in you, and beloved, put on tender mercies. This is what a person looks like who has Christ as his clothing. Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, just as Christ forgave you. Verse 14. But above all these, even above all of those, put on agape, the mindset of the God family, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you also were called in one body. The peace, the Irene Greek word, it means to stitch together the joining, the unity in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, in hymns, in spiritual songs, singing with graciousness in your hearts to the Lord. Verse 18. Wives submit to your husbands. Nineteen. Husbands love your wives. Twenty. Children obey your parents. Verse 23. And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. Verse 4. Verse 2. Continue earnestly in prayer. Be vigilant in it with thanksgiving. And verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time, making use of all the time to be this type of a godly individual. Verse 6. Let your speech always be seasoned with, or always be with graciousness, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. There we see, then, what you and I need to look like in the eyes of God, what we need to be growing up as, as a child of God and as a potential part of the bride of Christ, which will be coming soon. We only have a certain amount of time to be considered righteous or worthy, as Jesus' words was, to go to a place of safety for that period of time when the rest of the world will go through a horrible tribulation. Now is the time to be looked at as one who is worthy in the eyes of God, or white in white garments in the eyes of God. We only have a certain amount of time in this life to be ready to be seen in white so that we can stand on the Mount of Olives, or we can meet Christ in the air as his bride and be part of the firstfruits who will reign with him for a thousand years. So, brethren, be diligent every day to be clothed with Christ.