Thursday, 19 November 2020

Are You in Style?

 1 Peter 5:5-7  How often do you assess a person by the clothes they wear? My niece used to refer to my brothers and I as a bunch of hill billies 😊.  I don't think it was so much related to what we wore but to how we acted. I guess we embarrassed her.  Back to the point, the Bible metaphorically uses clothing to describe different qualities that should characterize the child of God. Here humility is hailed as the clothing of the believer.  Jesus himself was known by this quality (Phil.2:3-8) and encouraged his followers to be known by it as well (Matt.20:25-27). 

Interestingly Jesus associates two Greek words with this quality, 'diaconos' and 'doulos'. Our word 'deacon' comes from the first, literally meaning 'errand runner'. The second is translated 'slave' (bond-slave).  This slave belonged to another, with no rights of their own.  It is used in the NT of believers who live under Christ's authority as his devoted followers. (Bible hub Greek analysis)

This kind of life is opposite of what we would normally choose or possess, but to the one who obeys this command, God's grace to live it is promised. Going one step further, anxiety (worry)(vs.7) is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself rather than giving them over to God. (ESV Study Bible).

True humility is putting ourselves under the authority of Christ to trust him and live as he taught by example. Let's clothe ourselves with this fashion.

Pastor Paul

No comments:

Post a Comment

Safety in Many Advisers

 Without wise leadership, a nation falls;  there is safety in having many advisers.     (Proverbs 11:14 nlt) I've been reading the Bibli...