Advent-ure December 6: What to Wear

Ephesians chapter 4 teaches us an important principle regarding living out who we truly are in
Christ. We are instructed to:
(22) ...put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Because we have been born again, we have a new life in Christ, and we are declared in 2nd Corinthians 5 to be new creations in Him.  So, in order that our behavior might line up with that identity, we have to release the power of God from within.  From our hearts, which have been regenerated, we can discover the ability to change - our desires are different because we have become one with Him, and our actions can reflect that new person.

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We are continuing our Advent journey, Around the World in 25 Days! on Faith Radio, which hopefully gives us an appreciation of how God is working around the world. We now move to the
continent of Africa, and the nation of Nigeria, where there is a custom called the Christmas Cloth.  According to the website, InAllThings.org, Nigerian children and their parents receive and wear these “Christmas cloths.”

These are expressions of physical fashion, and we can also think about spiritual fashion - how we put on Christ. Romans 13 states:
12 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.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

There's a reality star on the cable channel, VH-1 who has taken a public step of faith.  I'm old enough to remember when that channel offered music videos; a softer, more mature version of MTV, right.  Does either channel do music videos any more?  Well, this show on VH-1 is called, Basketball Wives.  One of the stars, Evelyn Lozada, apparently has a pretty wild reputation.  She has been involved in relationships with famous athletes: Chad Johnson, Antoine Walker, and Carl Crawford, according to The Christian Post, which reported that Lozada had posted on Instagram that she had been baptized recently.  The article says:

“Basketball Wives” star Evelyn Lozada, who's known for being a feisty character, said her life has now changed course and she is committed to living for God.

Lozada shared a photo from her baptism with her 4 million followers on Instagram on Nov. 18.

“This journey, though personal is also about staying true to who I am, who HE is and what truly feeds my soul,” she wrote last Tuesday.

The article also reported that Lozada told another publication that, "I'm done with premarital sex."

She is quoted as saying:

“Whenever we start filming it’s going to be the real true facts because me getting baptized and really wanting to do it for God in the right way, it’s not going to be easy. But I’m determined to pass the test.”

She also said, “I’m not living my life for Instagram, Facebook, I’m living my life for my family, my kids, and God, and the few friends that I genuinely have, and that’s just really it.”  That article also noted that she had made a similar commitment a few years ago.

It can be instructive when a high-profile person makes a bold spiritual statement, and one can hope that she is devoted to following through.  So, let's consider the impact of baptism.  It's an outward expression of the inward work of Christ.  The old person has been buried, and the new has been brought forth - that's the significance of the new creation in Christ, and baptism communicates that - it's an act of obedience that cements the relationship and demonstrates one's devotion to the Lord for those who observe.

But, there is a matter of follow through.  This is apparently an act of re-dedication; and one can hope that this time there is a greater degree of seriousness than before. And, she has boldly declared that she wants to change her relational habits and not be involved in illicit acts any longer and follow God's plan for sexuality.  This is a great reminder of the access that she has, and all of us have to the power of God, who enables us to change the habits in our lives that are not pleasing to Him. We can recognize the morality that comes from a relationship with Christ.

The Nigerian people during this Christmas season wear the "Christmas cloth," and this is a form of celebrating the coming of our Savior. This can conjure a powerful image of what the well-dressed Christian can wear - not in outward physical clothing, but in outward spiritual adornment, which flows from what's inside.  We are called to put on Christ, to be clothed in Him, so that God's presence is seen through His people.