New to Faith: Bible Reading PlanSample

Christian Character

Another way we are to bear witness of Jesus is by displaying Spirit-empowered transformation in our lives by the way we love and serve others. Following Jesus isn’t about following a bunch of rules, a checklist of dos and don’ts. It's about letting God change you from the inside out. People who follow Jesus aren’t perfect, but the Holy Spirit works to change their character to resemble the character of Jesus.

Using the example of changing clothes, the apostle Paul taught the early church about this transformation process. He urged Christ-followers to “take off” behaviors responsible for division and hurt and “put on” behaviors that promote unity and healing. By doing this, we anticipate the life we will live with Christ in the future when everything is made perfect.

Character change doesn’t happen automatically or passively. Like getting dressed in the morning for a specific job, you have to make repeated, conscious decisions to “put on” the appropriate "clothes” when following Jesus. With the Holy Spirit’s nudging, Bible study, and encouragement from the Christian community, we develop a better sense of recognizing negative characteristics (greed, rage, slander, and lying) that are dehumanizing and destructive to the community and the Christ-like characteristics (kindness, truth-telling, forgiveness, acceptance across barriers of race, culture, and class) that develop unity and healing necessary for the community. Paul continues the clothing metaphor and adds one final accessory, self-giving love, which ties the whole ensemble together and makes it complete. By displaying these Christ-like characteristics, we bear witness to Jesus.

Question: Why do you think Paul describes the character transformation process in changing clothes?