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TAKING OFF THE OLD CLOTHES AND PUTTING ON THE RITZ!

Casual Friday! This was management’s concession to those who wanted to banish the corporate dress code. One day a week, Friday, employees could get a head start on the weekend by dressing down. The allowance was made, I suppose, because it settled an issue that wasn’t worth fighting and, it had the potential of producing a friendly atmosphere which in turn would produce greater cooperation among employees. At least, that was the theory or the hope of management. Besides, management, perhaps more than any other employee, liked the idea as well.

Thirty years later we still have Casual Fridays. The only difference between now and then is that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday look just like Casual Friday. Evidently, Causal Friday felt so good that employees extended the idea to include everyday of the week. Consequently, it is quite common, to see a teacher, or anybody else in the work force, come to work in exactly the same clothes that they wear on Saturday morning!

So what’s the point? The point is that we like the old clothes. We like putting on that which is comfortable. But in putting on the old clothes, we have forgotten the connection, if there ever was one, between what we wear and who we are as representatives of our chosen career. We’ve forgotten that what we wear affects our attitude as well as our performance. At least in the teaching profession, those who dress professionally tend to act professionally, those who don’t . . .

Well maybe the last paragraph is simply my bias and/or an over reaction to Casual Fridays. But, speaking spiritually, as new creatures in Christ we are to put off the old clothes and put on the ritz. We’re to shed the grave clothes of the past and put on that which is more fitting for the children of God.

In a real sense, of course, we did that once-for-all when we repented and invited Christ into our hearts. When Christ raised us from the dead and gave us life the landscape within us changed dramatically. But the change within needs to be reflected outwardly as we’re made “new in the attitude of our minds.” In other words, as we grow up in Christ it will be brought to our attention that we’re still wearing the old clothes; clothes that need to be removed and replaced with more appropriate apparel.

With this in mind, look at Ephesians 4:25 - 5:1. Here we have God’s dress code for his children. We read:
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

In July of this year, Sal, i. e. Sally Forth, once again nudged her boss Ralph in the direction of being better than his usual self. Her comments, suggestions, as always are on the mark. But this time they happened to be line with this section of Scripture.

You will note both in the text and in the comic strip that this issue of putting off the old and putting on the new is, at heart, about relationships. With Ralph it is about how he treats others whether it is in the marketplace, on the highway, in a restaurant, or in the corporate world. Paul, on the other hand, doesn’t mention a particular locality. For our dress is not a matter of location. It is simply a matter of how we treat whoever happens to be our neighbor. In addition, it is about how we treat the Holy Spirit of God.

The second thing we need to notice, as Sal tried to point out to her hardheaded boss, is that putting off the old nature is hardly enough. If a thief is presently not in the act of stealing something that doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t a thief. After all, they may simply be between jobs. Or as Sal explained to Ralph in regards to anger management, “Perhaps you’re mistaking being a good person with not exploding in rage at regular intervals.”

The third thing we need to notice, we see it in Scripture but not in the comic strip, is that a reason for our change in dress is either given or implied. In other words, we put on the ritz, not because it benefits us in some way, though it does, but because it benefits others in some manner. The dress code is not for our sake as much as it is for the sake of others and for the sake of God’s work within the world.

The fourth thing to notice in both Ephesians and Sally Forth is that we have a third party assisting us in this matter of taking off the old and putting on the new. In Ephesians, of course, it is Paul. In the comic strip it is Sal as she nudges her boss in the right direction. It is interesting to note at this point that Jesus, as he called Lazarus from the dead, commissioned Martha, Mary, and others to remove his grave clothes. He could of brought Lazarus out of the tomb in royal attire. Instead, he partnered with those who were present at the tomb. He did his part in bringing Lazarus back to life, he then challenged those present to complete the miracle.

THE DIVINE DRESS CODE
GRAVE CLOTHES GARMENTS OF LIFE THE REASON
Falsehood Truth We’re members of 1 body.
Anger Perspective Don’t aid the enemy.
Theft Work To help those in need.
Foul words Uplifting words To encourage others.
Saying “YES.” Saying “NO.” Don’t grieve the Spirit.
Malice Forgiveness Be imitators of God.

Now let me make a comment on each of these areas. I think it is significant that lying, which is so characteristic of Satan, heads up the list. The others certainly damage our relationship with others, but lying completely severs it. For when someone lies to you day-in and day-out it is impossible to relate to that person in any meaningful manner. We can’t bank on what they say to us. We can’t act upon their words. We can’t share the conversation with anyone else. We can’t even respond to them without risking an argument. All we can do, other than confrontation, is walk away from them.

This is why Paul says, “for we are all members of one body.” We’re all in this boat together by ourselves. So when someone lies on a continuous basis it hurts the whole body for, in effect, that person becomes a noncontributing member. He severs himself from all meaningful associations and thus renders himself useless.

Putting off anger is tough for there is considerable disagreement on this passage. Some believe that Paul is giving us permission to be angry but in such a way that we do not sin. This option maintains that there is such a thing as righteous anger and, if we are careful, we can exercise it. Eugene Peterson evidently takes this view for in The Message he writes, “Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry – but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.”

Others believe that Paul is simply acknowledging that we do get angry, but it is always wrong. Since man’s anger never promotes the righteous life, it is not to be encouraged. When it happens, and it will happen, we need to make sure that it doesn’t fester. The NIV seems to take this position.

Either way, what is clear is that our anger instantly alerts our adversary to an opportunity to wreck havoc in someone’s life. For Satan can take settled anger and nurture it to his advantage. For the sequel of anger, settled anger, is divisiveness bitterness, hatred, rage, and murder. This is why it is one of the seven deadly sins. It is because of its destructive nature that we are encouraged to take care of it before the sun goes down; before the end of the day. When we have this perspective on it, we’re more inclined to be patient with others.

Theft! When is a theif not a theif? When he starts working for a living? Not quite. It is when he starts working so that he can be of benefit to those who are in need. It is when he is no longer a “taker,” even a legitimate “taker,” and has become someone who is anxious to “give” away his resources for the sake of others.

The Greek word that is translated “unwholesome” is the word sapros which was used to describe something that was foul, putrid, decaying, or rotten. It is not simply the words that are foul, in fact, it is usually not the words themselves, but the content of the words. For it is the actual content that tears someone down as opposed to building them up.

We cannot grieve a table or even a dog, though some might argue about the dog. We cannot grieve someone who doesn’t know us from Adam. Nor can we grieve someone who knows us but doesn’t care about us. We can only grieve a real person, someone who not only knows us but cares about us deeply.

So when we’re told not to grieve the Holy Spirit it is, indirectly, good news. It tells us that we have someone within who knows us, and cares so much for us, that he is willing to make himself vulnerable by taking up residence within us. Yes, God himself makes our heart his home and one of the things that he asks of us is that we don’t hurt him.

Today when we hear the word “imitation” we conjure up pictures of inferior products or second-rate copies of the original. But in Paul’s day “imitation” was a commendable enterprise. That’s why Paul could tell the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Imitation, at its best, is an attempt to follow the best examples. So here we are challenged to put away all forms of malice and replace it with the sacrificial and loving act of forgivenss.

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