“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27

Do other people know that you are a Christian? How do they know?  If someone didn’t know that you go to church or read the Bible, how would that person know that you are a Christian?  As the Apostle Paul says, have you “clothed” yourself with Christ?

As Christians, we should work to be clothed in Christ. If our faith has transformed us spiritually, then how we operate in life should be transformed, as well.

For instance, if you believe that your body is a gift from God, then you should wear clothing that reflects that belief. For women, our clothing should be flattering.  It should show that we value our bodies.  As a result, we shouldn’t wear clothing that implies that our bodies are there to be used or abused.  The same holds true for men. Men should dress in a manner that is neat and careful.  They should wear clothing that shows that they respect themselves.

Likewise, we should reflect our faith by how we treat our bodies. Overeating, abusing alcohol and using drugs are abuses of the body that God gave us.  By exercising and eating healthy foods, we show that we know that our bodies are there for one purpose – to serve God.

How we act is the most important way in which we reflect our Christian faith. If you are impatient and rude, no one is going to think that you are a Christian.  The same holds true if you are judgmental and arrogant.

Now why does it matter if we are clothed in Christ? After all, God loves us unconditionally.  He loves us no matter how we look, what we do or how many mistakes we make.  So why do we have to act differently as Christians?

We need to act differently because we have a message to deliver.  We live in a hurting world.  There are so many people who are struggling.  They are depressed.  They are lonely.  They are without hope for the future.  We cannot effectively convey the message of God’s unconditional love if that message hasn’t visibly transformed us.

Your job as a Christian is to be an ambassador of God’s love. You are here to share the good news that God loves every person, and that he has a special purpose for each person’s life.  To be blunt, no one is going to believe your good news if you look like a mess and act like a jerk.

Their response to you will be, “Well, the message of Christianity can’t possibly be true because Bob says he is a Christian, but he is sloppy and he cheats on his wife.” Or they may say, “Christianity is a pointless religion because Sue goes to church every Sunday, but she is mean-spirited and a gossip.”

If you know the power of God’s love, if it has changed your life for the better, then be an ambassador of that love. Look like a Christian in your appearance and in your actions.  Your life should illustrate that a life lived in service to God is the best life possible.

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