Prayer: Jesus, speak to us through your word this day. Amen
Our daughter is getting married in just a couple of weeks! There have been a lot of preparations, which have been a bit tricky for us to be involved in as it’s all happening in Melbourne. But back in January I did have the privilege of going dress shopping with her and saw her try on some beautiful gowns. She chose the first one she tried on.
She is going to look beautiful of course in her new dress. The groom Rob will also be in a new suit.
Their clothes are only outward adornment, but perhaps these new clothes symbolize a celebration of this special new commitment they are making. She will be wearing white, which is a symbol of purity. (And this actually does mean something to this couple – though I don’t think she believes she needs to wear white, for God knows their hearts)
According to the information I found, The practice (of wearing white) likely traces back more than 2,000 years, with roots in the Roman Republic (509 B.C. – 27 B.C.) when brides wore a white tunic. The color white represented purity, symbolizing both a woman’s chastity and her transition to a married Roman matron.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, white marriage attire fell out of fashion. From the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century, most brides simply wore their best dress or purchased a new gown that could be worn again. White was simply not a practical choice in a world without running water – or where laundry was hand-washed.
A royal wedding sparked the modern trend in white bridal wear. Queen Victoria chose to forgo the royal tradition of wearing coronation robes when she married Prince Albert on Feb. 10, 1840. Instead, she wore a fashionable white gown…
The style and color of her gown was copied across continents as women aspired to look like the young, attractive queen. Wearing a white wedding dress became a sign of wealth and status rather than virginity. Only wealthy brides could wear a white silk gown, since they were wed in clean, elegant places that were removed from the muck and grime of life during the mid-19th century Industrial Age.
Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we come into a new relationship with him. And we read in John’s gospel and Revelation that the Church, the body of Christ, is referred to as the bride of Christ.
Paul says in Colossians 3 that as Christians, Christ is our life, that we died to ourselves, were buried with him, and were raised to new life. As a man and woman choose to commit to each other in a lifelong marriage, God has chosen us (v 12) – and in Christ we are holy and dearly loved! We should dress accordingly, taking off our old earthly clothes and wear the new clothes that show that we are in essence married to Christ. In his death, Jesus made it possible for us to always wear a royal white gown (or suit!), he cleaned all the grime and muck of our earthly lives away in the shedding of his blood. We are to wear clothes symbolizing our marriage to him…
Do you put on your royal Christian clothes every day??
So far in his letter to the Colossians, Paul has been assuring them of the truth of the gospel that they had heard. That faith in Jesus Christ and what he had done for them is sufficient for their faith, he has warned them about listening to false teachers who may try and draw them away from the truth of the good news of the gospel. Last week in Colossians 2: 6-7 we read the crux of his message that encouraged them to continue to live their lives in Christ, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith they were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
In chapter 3 Paul exhorts them with imperatives about how their lives should look as they are committed to living for Christ alone. He reminds them that they have been raised with Christ. That in baptism they were buried with Christ, putting to death their earthly life, they have been washed clean. They now need to live like that. And so do we.
How do we do this? By setting our hearts and our minds on things above. It doesn’t mean being so heavenly minded that we are no earthly use…but our thoughts and actions living on this earth should be focused on Christ and our behaviour should emulate our new life in him.
If Christ is ‘our life’ then we should live as Christ. Buried with him should be all the earthly nature. Paul lists a few things here from verse 5. Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Some people look at lists like this and think God is a kill joy. But he’s not, he created sex for us to enjoy – in marriage. Sexual impurity was a bit of a problem in Paul’s day, and it continues to be today! We are called to live differently in this area, not to follow the secular trend of anything goes if you are comfortable with it. In fact, recommendations of sex with various partners, especially a younger one or a sex escort are even advertised and written about in magazines like this one.
Body and Soul comes out every Sunday with the Mercury and so is available for people of all ages to see. The message here is written as something that is good for us – for our body and soul. This article could be very appealing for an older woman like myself! but the best sex is in the context of a loving relationship that is God’s ideal for us and how we should be living.
Paul then moves on to other behaviour that we should kill off – his words are ‘put to death’. We should rid ourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips. And do not lie to each other… (v 8-9)
Perhaps this list is harder for us to put to death – they probably keep trying to rear their ugly heads. It can be so easy to get angry, and we might not think we slander – but do we ever say things about someone that might damage their reputation? Gossip is not in this list, but it is in others…and it’s so easy to do and we need to be careful. What about lying…sometimes just little ones come so readily. We are to rid ourselves of such behaviour. And we will do this when we are living our lives in Christ, setting our hearts and minds on things above. Seeing all people as equal as Christ does, in him there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free, high or low social class, Anglican Catholic Baptist Pentecostal and so on…
Let’s be mindful of continually taking off our old self and practices and putting on our new self, which Paul says is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (v 9) In his letter to the Romans, Paul puts it like this, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Paul then spells out from verse 12 what our behaviour in our new clothes should look like. Paul doesn’t just tell us what not to do, but he spells out what our lives and behaviour should be looking, this is very helpful.
In keeping with the marriage theme, these next verses from 12-17 Michael and I had read at our wedding! (Also, he wore a white suit!)
I love the beginning of verse 12, Paul reminds the Colossians, and us, that we are dearly loved, holy and chosen by God. How does that make you feel? Pretty special, I hope. Then he gives us the positive list of ways we should be behaving and living as God’s holy people. Clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. A good list for a couple about to get married to hear 😊. Michael and I perhaps haven’t always lived every day with those Christlike virtues, but we are still together after 33 years so we have at least followed the next couple of instructions from Paul! Bear with each other and forgive one another…and put on love which binds them all together.
Love conquers all. Love is Christ. We are to put on and live in love.
Finally, Paul reminds us to let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts and again to be thankful.
We need to keep the message of Christ – his word dwelling with us. Read and meditate on his words until they become just a part of how we live, who we live for. With his word living in us we will overflow with thankfulness and joy, teaching and building one another up. I love the image of singing psalms and hymns to one another and to God. You know I love to sing, and you will often find me singing songs of worship. Michael and I sometimes sing to each other, maybe not worship songs, but there is a favourite he will sing from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. You might know it…(Michael to sing out) Do you love me? A reminder that we need to tell one another of our love for each other.
God wants to hear us tell him that we love him, and he wants us to truly love one another and behave like it! With gentleness, compassion, patience and so on!
He finishes this section by saying that whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we should do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. If we keep that thought in our hearts and minds then surely, we will remember to wear our new clothes, keeping our old self dead and buried.
Our daughter and future son in law have chosen each other, and when they get married in a couple of weeks, Beth in her new white gown and Rob in his new green suit, they will vow to love one another as they begin a new life together.
We have been chosen by God; we are dearly loved by him. Let’s remember to wear our new clothes and keep the dirty grimy ones buried.
Let’s pray: Father God, thank you for choosing us and dearly loving us. Thank you for Jesus and all he has done for us, cleansing us that we might live holy lives. I pray that every day we will remember, as Paul puts it, that Christ is our life – that every day we will put on our Royal wedding clothes. (In 1 Peter we read we are a Royal priesthood). May we be transformed with the renewing of our minds, growing more and more into Christ’s likeness, holy and pure, putting on love and growing in love for God and others. In Jesus name. Amen