Wake Up and Get Dressed!

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For a discussion on what it means to "Put on Christ" 
check out "the Christian Life." 

                                  


Scripture:

Romans 13:11–14

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (NRSV)

Observation

Paul was most likely speaking to those who were spiritually asleep. There comes a moment when one must wake up — and get up! The New Testament church lived with constant expectation of Jesus’ return. Each day that passes brings us closer to the fullness of salvation, nearer than when we first believed.

As followers of Christ, we are called to live as children of the day. That means turning away from a lifestyle hidden in the shadows. This is a radical shift: stepping out of darkness and putting on “the armor of light.” Paul lists the works of darkness, which are the exact opposite of the life of virtue.

  • Debauchery is overindulgence in activities that destroy virtue. It is life without self-discipline, enslaving a person to pleasures that are immoral or destructive to self and others.

  • Licentiousness is the attitude that says, “I can do whatever I want,” with no concern for holiness, consequences, or others. It is the proud refusal to recognize moral or divine law.

These attitudes inevitably lead to quarreling and jealousy, for there can be no unity when each person insists on doing whatever pleases them.

This is life according to the flesh—the very opposite of the disciplined, Christlike life of virtue and holiness. Instead, Paul urges us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and live as Christlike disciples.

Application

In the Church of the Nazarene, our mission is to “Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations.” Some argue that this mission statement does not emphasize holiness or entire sanctification strongly enough. Yet this only becomes true if we fail to understand what Christlikeness really means. Romans 13 (and Romans 8) make it clear: to be Christlike is to be holy. Christ is holy, and there is no true Christlikeness without holiness.

But what does this look like in daily life? It requires discipline. We must wake up — get up — and get out of bed! We live in a time when many forms of self-discipline have been eroded. Since the COVID pandemic, managing life from home has become common. Many now work remotely, often needing to dress only from the waist up for a Zoom call. The temptation is to stay half in bed, pajama bottoms still on.

What if the same thing is happening spiritually? What if we are becoming spiritually lazy, unaware of the battles raging around us? Every day we face real spiritual struggles, and as followers of Christ we must wake up to that reality. This means practicing spiritual disciplines: spending time in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with a worshiping community.

But Paul doesn’t stop with “wake up.” He also says: get dressed. And not halfway! Not just enough to look good for the outside world, like dressing up only for the visible part of a Zoom call. The temptation is to appear prepared while leaving parts of ourselves unguarded.

No — Paul points us to holiness. We are to put on Christ fully, not partially. We are to be entirely sanctified, filled with the Holy Spirit, clothed completely in Christ. When we are clothed in Him, we will not indulge in wasteful pleasures or reject God’s boundaries. Instead, we will live the holy life Christ sets before us.

So today, don’t just wake up. That is the beginning. But go further: get dressed. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer

Lord, may this be a day dedicated to You in all things. Help me each day to wake up, get up, and put You on before I step into the world. Amen.


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