Pt9--Spirit Walkers: The Clothes Make the Man (or Woman)

March 18, 2018              NOTES NOT EDITED
Spirit Walkers:  The Clothes Make the Man

Galatians 3:26-29

Sermon-in-a-Sentence:  Salvation makes everything new.

The global apparel industry is estimated to be about 3 trillion dollars, or 2% of the total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the world.  To put that in perspective, the global automobile industry grosses about 10tr dollars per year.  So, driving a fancy car and wearing fancy clothes accounts for about 8 cents out of every dollar.  That’s a lot of cash.

Nobody exemplifies the extravagance of “high fashion” (haute couture) more than, Mouna Ayoub.  She was married for 18 years to a wealthy advisor to former Saudi King Fahd.  Ayoub divorced her Saudi husband and began investing in real estate.  She’s considered the Queen of Haute Couture (High Fashion) owning over 1600 pieces at an average value of $400,000 each.  She also has a nice little boat to sail around in called the, Phocéa, the largest sailing yacht in the world prior to 2005.  It stretched over 243 feet!  An online magazine noted a time Ayoub’s yacht almost sank, “…her yacht scraped a rock along Corsica’s coast in 2002, and she nearly drowned. In a panic, she boarded a lifeboat with the bare essentials: a Jean Paul Gaultier gown to look chic for rescue, and a Louis Vuitton bag with $9.6 million of jewels inside.’” (Philadelphia News).  You can almost hear the Captain crying out, “Man the lifeboats.  Women and jewels first!”  The major fashion houses, Chanel, Gaultier, and others have a lifesize mannequin of Ms. Ayoub, for those times she cannot make it to a fitting.

High fashion is high business.  It has been said, “The clothes don’t make a man,” but that’s really not true in real life, as Extravagant Fashionistas like, Mouna Ayoub, and all the hub-bub of red carpet events in Hollywood attest. 

In fact, even the Bible speaks of how “clothes do make a man or woman,” that is, make them sons or daughters of God.  Let’s read about how, “Clothes Make the Man,” in Galatians 3:26-29.

There are four significant ways justification changes our lives.

1.  We become part of a New FAMILY (v26)

²⁶ for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Verse 26 begins with the conjunction, “for,” which also can be translated, “because.”  It completes the thought of verse 25, “we are no longer under a guardian.”  An extremely powerful and profound transformation has taken place.  “Through faith in Christ, we are now full-grown sons of God, taking our rightful place as adults in God’s family.”

The KJV and some other modern versions translate the word, huioi (+υἱόi), as “children,” to suggest that it is an inclusive word meaning both sons and daughters.  While it is true that huioi, in the plural can refer inclusively to both male and female, as in “mankind,” in this text “sons” has a very significant cultural and theological reference.

In the ancient world, daughters could not inherit property.  They were “second-class” citizens in many ways.  Christianity greatly enhanced the social status of women.  It would be correct to translate this phrase as “for all those in Christ through faith, whether male or female, have the status as sons.”  Paul will get to this idea again in verse 28.  

Another bit of Greek grammar is also very enlightening in this verse.  Paul says that this transformation from “ward of the guardian” to a son in full standing comes “through faith in Jesus Christ.”  In the original it literally says “through the faith.”  In English the word, “the” is called the definite article, as opposed to “a” which is the indefinite article.  The word, “a” can refer to any generic item, such as “a” faith.  In Greek, there is no indefinite article.  All nouns are generic unless the definite article is added (as a general rule).  When a Greek writer wanted to emphasize a “special” item, as opposed to a generic idea, they added the definite article, “the.”  In this way, Paul is denying that “any” faith, as long as it is genuine, is saving faith.  Paul is emphasizing that the only faith that makes one an eternal son or daughter of God, is “the” faith in Jesus Christ. 

Justification by grace alone through faith alone creates a completely “NEW” family situation for a believer.  By grace through faith, a person becomes part of God’s forever family.  Paul will have more to say about this “adoption” process in our next sermon.

2.  Justification by grace through faith gives us NEW FASHION.

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment.

Once again Paul uses the conjunction “for” (gar), to continue elaborating on the idea of a transformation from a “ward of the guardian” under the Law, to a full-fledged son under grace.  This happens through a “total life transformation.” 

Paul represents this transformation using the metaphor of “putting on new clothes.”  Paul likes this metaphor and uses it again in both Ephesians and Colossians.

^{Eph 4:24} you put on  the new self, the one created  according to God’s likeness  in righteousness and purity of the truth.

^{Col 3:9} Do not lie  to one another, since you have put off  the old self  ^a with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on  the new self.

Paul gives us a very special “fashion tip” as believers when he tells us to “accessorize with the armor of God” (Eph. 6:11).

Little kids understand the importance of the right kind of fashion when it comes to “super heroes.”  Batman, Ironman, Spiderman and others, all have their important super hero fashion.  This week our school celebrated “Super Hero Day.”  The kids all came dressed like their favorite super hero.  All of our students had unique super hero outfits.  One student had a very, very special super hero.  Super Andrew!  [Show Pic]. 

When, by grace through faith, we become sons of God, we take on a whole “new fashion.”  “We put on the righteousness of Christ like we would put on new wardrobe.”  This is not merely an “imitation” of Christ, but a full “assimilation” into Christ in which we become the very “body of Christ.”  As sons and daughters of Christ we imitate Christ in our behavior because that is who we are—or at least who we should be.  It is not merely an “outer garment” we wear, but it is our personal identity.

The Bible describes this “transformation” by grace through faith in this way:  ²¹ He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us,  so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2Cor. 5:21).

Paul’s readers would be familiar with the common practice of changing from the “crimson bordered dress-like garment of childhood and putting on the toga virilism (man’s toga) of adulthood.  This image vividly displayed the passing from bondage of the Law to freedom of adulthood, or the curse of the Law to the blessing of grace.

To further demonstrate that this NEW FASHION was more than a “surface change,” Paul uses another term.  Paul declares we are baptized into Christ (v27).

Only in this verse does Paul make explicit reference to baptism in Galatians.  He doesn’t want baptism to become the new circumcision.  He is not simply talking about the “act” of baptism, but more so Paul is describing the meaning of baptism, as an absolute, total immersion into our new birth that brings about our new fashion, or way of living.  One scholar really describes well Paul’s meaning here:

Baptism in the New Testament invariably implies a radical personal commitment involving a decisive no to one’s former way of life and an equally emphatic yes to Jesus Christ.

Using the word, “baptized” (βαπτίζω), in connection with the total transformation that comes through justification by grace through faith, is very instructive.  The word, “baptized,” means “to be fully immersed.”  It could describe a sunken ship, or it described how dye penetrates the fabric of a cloth—a stain if you will.  Justification is a complete and absolute transformation—or it is not a saving experience.

The connection in this passage between baptism and the changing of clothing is not coincidental.  Very early in church practice, when persons were baptized, they would change out of their old clothing and into a white robe.  Some in the early church even baptized in the nude (men and women did not worship together).  In our over-sexed age it is dangerous to even mention this in church, but removing all earthly vestiges symbolized a complete renunciation of this world and a total commitment to Jesus Christ.

There is an old saying, “Clothes don’t make the man.”  In W.Va., our version was, “Put a tuxedo on a pig and its still a pig.”  In our text, Paul turns that idea around.  When we are covered by the blood of Jesus (nothing permeates or stains more than blood), then we not only look different and act different, but we ARE different.  We are changed at the very core of our being.

We put on a whole new FASHION.

3.  Salvation also gives us a NEW FELLOWSHIP.

²⁸ There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free,  male or female;  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I’m sure that the phrase, “you are one” has a familiar ring to it.  You will recall that last week our text declared, “but God is one” (v20).  You will recall that Paul was no doubt drawing on the most significant verse in the O.T., Deu. 6:4:  “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” 

The unity of the Godhead, “One God in Three Persons,” is the foundation for Christian thought.  We now refer to this idea as the doctrine of the Trinity.  We know this doctrine is true, not because we can comprehend it, but because the Bible explicitly teaches it throughout.  Unity is as important as a virtue of God as “love.”

Unity is a major theme in the New Testament and it is admonished by Jesus, Himself.  There are too many verses exhorting God’s people to be “one” for me to cover.  We will let the Lord’s words suffice in this regard (John 17:21-22).

²¹ May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.

May they also be one  in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.

²² I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of unity in the church, though most churches in the U.S. seem to be in a perpetual mode of bickering and bitterness.  This is a damnable attitude.  Prv. 6 states:

¹⁶ The Lord hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to Him:

¹⁷ arrogant eyes,  a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸ a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,

¹⁹ a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.

People do not realize the awesome power of unity.  For example, who would run from a little snowflake?  Of course, no one.  They are so fragile that they melt in one’s hand before one even has an opportunity to admire them.  But, what happens if a few snowflakes get together and form an avalanche?  Same snowflakes, but now they have the power of unity.

Perhaps my favorite book besides the Bible is Aesop’s Fables.  Aesop is one of the most well-known names of ancient Greece.  For 2500 years now, people have been reading his, “fables.”  Aristotle tells us he was a slave, and other sources indicates he must have been freed and become a diplomat.  He certainly possessed wisdom.  He had several stories on the theme of unity.  One, involved four oxen.

A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.

It has been a common tactic in war to “divide and conquer.”  WW2 was eventually won because the Allies made Hitler fight on two major fronts.  The Devil knows this “art of war” also.  Unity is powerful.  We are ONE in Jesus Christ (v28).

This passage can be easily misapplied, especially by those that have a particular political agenda.  I’ve heard this verse quoted by “transsexuals” to justify their lifestyle of rebellion.  I’ve heard feminists use this text (and several others in the N.T. using similar language) to bolster their call for “equal rights.”  As I said, this verse is coopted out of context to provide a pretext for someone’s presumption—in other words, it is often misinterpreted for political reasons.

Here’s the simple truth:  this verse is not talking about anthropological, sociological, or political equality, but this verse is talking about theological reality.  The theological reality is that when it comes to the salvation of one’s soul:  no outward condition or manifestation matters.  That means no cultural issue matters in salvation; no class issue matters in salvation; and no gender issue matters in regard to receiving the grace of God.  The Bibles says,

Romans 2^:11 There is no favoritism with God.  And also, Acts 10 ³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,  ³⁵ but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.

Many people confuse “uniformity” for “unity.”  The Bible is not erasing our “cultural differences,” but through the NEW FELLOWSHIP of grace, we are able to tear down “cultural barriers.”  The same is true of other anthropological differences, like class and gender.  The NEW FELLOWSHIP we experience through grace is a matter of building bridges not building barriers.  Equality does not mean “sameness.”  We live in an insane culture today where “gender equality has become gender insanity!”

There is real beauty in “unity with diversity.”  Let’s not pretend there are no cultural issues in our society, or class issues, or gender issues.  But, the Biblical principle is to not let those issues become barriers to fellowship.  As the little song goes, Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world!

There is one more new way in which salvation by grace alone through faith alone radically changes our lives:

4.  A NEW FUTURE

²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs  according to the promise.

Paul comes back to the example of Abraham time and time again.  Abraham was significantly blessed materially.  God promised that his legacy or progeny would be as the “the dust of the earth” (Gen. 13:16).  Have you ever considered how many “dust” particles there are on earth?  I know how many dust particles there are behind our bedroom dresser—and I hate to try counting each one!

What does the NEW FUTURE hold when one becomes a “son of God though faith in Jesus Christ?”  I don’t know exactly what the future holds for you and I as believers, but I know who holds the future.

I know that the blessings we have in store for us in our NEW FUTURE is greater than the “dust of the earth.”  I don’t think that the phrase “dust of the earth” merely means we will have spiritual blessings.  I believe there are many, many, many, many blessings from God “right here, right now!”

We must also realize that our greatest blessings lie beyond this life of “dust and earth.”  Two chapters after describing Abraham’s future blessings as “dust of the earth,”  we read this (Gen. 15:5):

⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.”

I think there is something metaphorically significant moving the discussion from the “earth to the sky.”  If there is any issue holding churches back more than any other, it is that believers are too attached to this world—they are not driven by the prospects of a NEW FUTURE.

I read a story this week about a discussion in a six years old Sunday School class.  I was about heaven, specifically how to get in.  The teacher asked, “If I sold all my possessions and gave the money to the poor, could I get into heaven?”  The kids all shouted, “No!”  He said, If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the church lawn, and swept all the side-walks, could I get into heaven.”  Again, the kids shouted, “No!”  The teacher continued, “If I was kind to animals and gave candy to children, and loved my wife, could I get in?”  Once again, the kids shouted, “No!”  Finally, the teacher asked, “Then, how can I get to heaven?”  A boy in the back row (every class has one), stood up and shouted, “Ya’ got to be dead!”
Well, that’s certainly true.  Death is the doorway.

But, to what does the “doorway of death” lead?  That’s the real issue with salvation.  When we are saved, we are set on a course for a brand NEW FUTURE—“heirs according to the promise” (v29).

I don’t have much chance of becoming a “fashion model.”  I’m comfortable in blue jeans and a T-shirt.  I’m not even your coat and tie kind of guy.  Unlike Mouna Ayoub, I won’t collect over 1600 articles of haute couture worth millions, or a 250 foot yacht. 

But, I do have one article of clothing that has given me A NEW FAMILY, NEW FASHION, NEW FELLOWSHIP, and a NEW FUTURE:

[I] have put on Christ like a garment (v27).