Put On Christ

Paul Keith Davis and Bob Jones
November 11, 1997

Many people have been receiving visions or dreams of themselves either clothed in their undergarments or nothing at all. Many have misinterpreted this thinking that it was a negative thing showing that they were without covering. However, the true interpretation of this relates to the relinquishing of our fleshly garments in preparation for being clothed with the Lord’s priestly garments. We are to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. By laying aside all of our fleshly desires we then make way to be clothed with qualities, character and attributes of Christ through His anointing.

THIS IS THE PORTION OF A WICKED MAN FROM GOD, AND THE INHERITANCE WHICH TYRANTS RECEIVE FROM THE ALMIGHTY. THOUGH HIS SONS ARE, THEY ARE DESTINED FOR THE SWORD; AND HIS DESCENDANTS WILL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH BREAD. HIS SURVIVORS WILL BE BURIED BECAUSE OF THE PLAGUE, AND THEIR WIDOWS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WEEP. THOUGH HE PILES UP SILVER LIKE DUST AND PREPARES GARMENTS AS PLENTIFUL AS THE CLAY; HE MAY PREPARE IT, BUT THE JUST WILL WEAR IT, AND THE INNOCENT WILL DIVIDE THE SILVER. (JOB 27:13-17)

The Lord is saying that He has stripped us in order to clothe us with Himself. We are not going to be clothed with strikingly beautiful garments to the natural eye, rather it will be with a spirit of humility according to I Peter 5:5. These garments will only be beautiful to the spiritual eye and to the Lord. Being clothed in a spirit of humility will produce meekness or a teachable spirit capable of change into the very image of Christ.

BUT PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH IN REGARD TO ITS LUSTS. (ROMANS 13:14) AND BEYOND ALL THESE THINGS PUT ON LOVE, WHICH IS THE PERFECT BOND OF UNITY. (COLOSSIANS 3:14)

The most important teaching from these scriptures is that we clothe ourselves in love. Through divine love we will then begin to see the bond of unity that will produce the anointing. If we clothe ourselves with the anointing then we will make no provision for the flesh and its lusts. Ultimately, we are being stripped in order to be prepared to inherit the Promises; THEREFORE THE LAW HAS BECOME OUR TUTOR TO LEAD US TO CHRIST, THAT WE MAY BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. BUT NOW THAT FAITH HAS COME, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A TUTOR. FOR YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. AND IF YOU BELONG TO CHRIST, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S OFFSPRING, HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE. (GALATIANS 3:24-29)

That which we have actually been stripping off is the old unregenerate nature. The base nature that was born in the Garden of Eden with the fall of man must perish as we are crucified with Christ, and are raised again to live according to Christ through His anointing and His divine character. We are then being molded into His image according to the true knowledge of Christ given to us through His Word. For it is through the true knowledge of Christ that we receive the precious and magnificent promises by which we become partakers of His divine nature. (II Peter 1:4) Under this new created state all prejudices and distinctions of man vanish. We become one in Christ according to one Spirit through one anointing.

DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER, SINCE YOU LAID ASIDE THE OLD SELF WITH ITS EVIL PRACTICES, AND PUT ON THE NEW SELF WHO IS BEING RENEWED TO A TRUE KNOWLEDGE ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF THE ONE WHO CREATED HIM A RENEWAL IN WHICH THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN GREEK AND JEW, CIRCUMCISED AND UNCIRCUMCISED , BARBARIAN, SCYTHIAN, SLAVE AND FREE MAN, BUT CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL. AND SO, AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, PUT ON A HEART OF COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE; BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING EACH OTHER, WHOEVER HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE; JUST AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU. (COLOSSIANS 3:9-13)

He that is greatest among you let him be the servant of all. Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. Those who are desiring to present themselves in the fore-front with their own agenda are continuing to be motivated by their fleshly nature. Those who have put on Christ will be content to be a servant with little or no open recognition, yet enjoying the sweet fellowship and companionship of the Lord.

If we put on the Holy array then their will be no sin or ambition in our motives. If we do not learn from history then we will be doomed to repeat it. Many anointed leaders fell because they had not completely clothed themselves in Christ. We are being commissioned at this time to strip ourselves so that we can be clothed in His Holy Attire. We are to be “galvanized” with Christ. An iron chain is a very powerful tool, however it is also greatly prone to corruption and rust. When the iron chain links have been galvanized they are coated with a layer of zinc which is non-corruptible. The chain links then become much more powerful because they are not subject to the corruption of rust and will endure even under the most harsh conditions such as salt water. Our spirits are to be galvanized with Christ and our flesh is to be coated with the anointing. Corruption will then be taking on the incorruptible nature.

BUT THE GREATEST AMONG YOU SHALL BE YOUR SERVANT. AND WHOEVER EXALTS HIMSELF SHALL BE HUMBLED; WHOEVER HUMBLES HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED. (MATTHEW 23:11-12)

The Lord Jesus introduced into the world a new conception of greatness. It was to be found in humility and self forgetting service. Even the Lord Himself stated that He did not come into the world to be ministered to, rather He came into the world to minister to others and give His life as a ransom for many. That should also be our motivation as we strip ourselves of the selfish fleshly nature and put on this attitude that was in Christ. Many people in these last days will be given the gifts and the power to go international with their ministries and develop a great name for themselves. They will also be given the choice to take those gifts and become a servant even as the Lord was a servant to His disciples as illustrated in the washing of their feet. The greatest authority on earth with all power in heaven and on earth yet He chose the path of humility and servant-hood and demonstrated this truth to His disciples by taking upon Himself the most lowly of responsibilities, the washing of their feet. Greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven is through humility and service. I AM IN THE MIDST OF YOU AS HE THAT SERVETH (LUKE 22:27)

The greatest evidence of true humility is demonstrated through obedience. Simply doing those things that the Lord has asked us to do. Obedience truly is greater than sacrifice. LET THE WICKED MAN FORSAKE HIS WAYS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HIS THOUGHTS. (Isaiah 55:7) We are challenged to lay aside our own agenda in order to take up the Lord’s agenda. Let us lay aside the reasoning and deliberation of our own thoughts and clothe ourselves with the motivations and purpose of the Holy Spirit.

All of this is given to us as a choice. We can choose this day whom we shall serve. Will we serve our own motives and desires or will we serve Christ by putting on His nature and character? Will we pursue the motivations of His heart through servant-hood or will we allow selfish ambition to continue to rule our thoughts.

THEN THE LORD SAID, BECAUSE THIS PEOPLE DRAW NEAR WITH THEIR WORDS AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIP SERVICE, BUT THEY REMOVE THEIR HEARTS FAR FROM ME, AND THEIR REVERENCE FOR ME CONSISTS OF TRADITION LEARNED BY ROTE (THE MECHANICAL REPETITION OF WORDS WITHOUT REGARD TO THEIR MEANING). THEREFORE BEHOLD, I WILL ONCE AGAIN DEAL MARVELOUSLY WITH THIS PEOPLE, WONDROUSLY MARVELOUS; AND THE WISDOM OF THEIR WISE MEN SHALL PERISH, AND THE DISCERNMENT OF THEIR DISCERNING MEN SHALL BE CONCEALED. (ISAIAH 29:13-14)

Many people have clothed themselves with garments that are actually the traditions of man. Much of the division that exist in the church evolves from doctrinal error that has been taught as truth. As people embrace these truths mingled with tradition they are actually clothing themselves with filthy garments that must be cast aside in order for them to be clothed in truth. His anointing is the Spirit of Truth and we are sanctified through the Spirit of Truth. To be meek means to have a teachable spirit. We must all be willing to relinquish that which is corruptible in order to take on the incorruptible nature. We are cleansed by faith in the truth. We should bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Put on the mind of Christ. When Aaron was commissioned to be High Priest of Israel, He was presented before the entire nation of Israel stripped totally naked and cleansed as a symbolic gesture of the cleansing we are to receive in the Royal Priesthood. As we emerge in this generation as a Royal Priesthood we must experience the humility of being stripped in order for the priestly garments to be placed upon us. Our outer garments should be humility but our inner garment should be love. All that we do should be motivated by love for Christ and those for whom He gave Himself as a ransom.