Get Naked! A friend of mine recently went to a men's retreat with a number of men he didn't know. His wife knew he was feeling a little stale in his faith life and that he needed a faith lift. Although, he was grateful for his wifes gesture of love and knew he really did need the faith lift he said, "I just wasn't excited about getting naked in front of a bunch of people I didn't know." By "Getting Naked" he obviously wasn't talking about taking his physical clothes off. He was talking about revealing his personal struggles ... physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual. We all struggle with this kind of "Getting Naked" in front of others ... BUT just like "Getting Naked" is often necessary when we go to the doctor ... "Getting Naked" spiritually with people that know the Savior Jesus we know - THE PEOPLE WE TRUST is really healthy. Getting Naked is not easy... Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, [22] greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. [23] All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " Jesus came to do an INSIDE JOB on us. He came to take these sins away and cleans us and help us DO BATTLE with these ever flowing sinful inclinations so that we could have the GOOD and ABUNDANT life he longs for us to have. This morning I was reading in Revelation and I found two verse that made me think on these things ... Rev. 3:17-18 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. AND Rev. 16:15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." What a gift to know that through repentance and faith in Christ ... God Clothes us in WHITE. He clothes us in Jesus perfect life, death, and resurrection... If you have a few minutes read Galatians 2:15-20 and Galatians 3:10-29. You will be super-abundantly blessed. This section concludes with the beatiful verse Galatians 3:26-27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment