It's everyone's worst nightmare. You're speaking in front of a large crowd when you suddenly realize, you're on the platform in just your underwear.
That nightmare came true--only worse--while speaking at a district camp. Because of the short supply of hot water at camp, I had skipped the afternoon service--my first mistake--to take a nice, hot shower. I carefully placed my underwear on the shelf above the sink, before showering. When I returned, I found that some mysterious force--some would say "divine judgment"--had pushed my skivvies into the sink which unfortunately was plagued with a slow drip. My underwear was soaked. But priding myself as a resourceful person, I wrung them out, laid them on my towel on the shelf, and proceeded to dry them with my blow drier.
So, there I was in Adam's pre-fall condition when the female custodian decided the afternoon service would be a good time to clean the men's rest rooms. Needless to say, we were both shocked and embarrassed. And I never missed another afternoon session!
Paul, writing in Colossians, claims that sin should make us feel equally shocked and embarrassed. However, in our culture "sexual immorality, impurity, lust . . . anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language" (Colossians 3:5, 8) are what the "well-dressed" person is wearing today. And even believers can get numbed to the moral immodesty of our culture. Sin no longer shocks us like it should!
Colossians was written during a similar time of ethical indecency. And it was also written to the church in Laodecia (Colossians 4:16) which Christ assess in Revelation. "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me . . . white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness" (Revelation 3:17-18).
Paul provides a list of spiritual clothing to wear in the camp bathrooms of life and in our culture.
Compassion
While the King James Version translates splanchna by the literal Greek meaning of "bowels," the New International Version paraphrases the phrase as "compassion." Perhaps a combination of these words provides a more accurate meaning.
Does my love and concern for someone cause my stomach muscles to tighten? Does someone's desperate need make me "sick to my stomach"? This is what Paul means by "bowels of mercy." If someone's need doesn't create a sort of spiritual "spastic colon," my level of "compassion" may be falling short of God's intent.
And anyone who suffers with a spastic colon knows that an attack demands movement! In the same way, "compassion" moves us to action. Are you "wearing" compassion?
Kindness
The Greek word chrestoteta originally meant "goodness" or "uprightness," but came to mean, in Paul's time, "kindness" or "generosity," The early church leader Origen translated chrestoteta as "sweet to all." Twentieth century Bible scholar J. H. Bernard describes it as "a spontaneous disposition to bless."
Unfortunately, church history provides ample examples of "good" Christians--those with strong moral values--who were naked in regard to "kindness": the torturing of "heretics" during the Inquisition to unloving legalism of the early holiness movement to the murdering of abortionists today.
Paul emphasizes this point in 1 Corinthians 13 where he claims "good" preachers, prophets, and martyrs are "nothing" without chrestoteta (13:1-4). True "holiness" is a blend of both goodness and kindness.
Are you "wearing" kindness?
Humility
Humility (tapeinophrosyne) is truly an "undergarment." When one wears it outwardly, it quickly becomes thread bare! Bible commentator J. B. Lightfoot observes, "Humility, when it becomes self-conscious, ceases to have any value."
Earlier in his letter to the Colossians, Paul warns against "anyone who delights in false humility . . . . He has lost connection with the Head [Christ] from whom the whole body [the church] . . . grows . . . " (2:17, 18). True humility, then is not putting myself down, but lifting Christ and others up. Anything else is false and self-conscious.
Are you "wearing" humility?
Gentleness
The Greek word prautes occurs eleven times in the New Testament and is translated "meekness" in the King James Version and most often as "gentleness" in the New International Version.
Greek scholar Ralph Earle makes a correlation between these two definitions. "Certainly, there is no meekness which does not manifest itself in gentleness. The Christian must make sure that his inward grace of meekness, implanted by the Holy Spirit, manifests itself in the outward graciousness of 'gentleness.'"
Are you "wearing" gentleness?
Patience
The archaic King James phrase "long suffering" is closer to the intent of makrothymia than many modern translations. The Greek word implies having a "long temper"--as opposed to a "short temper."
Today, we might paraphrase it as having a "long fuse." We all know those people who have a short fuse. The slightest provocation and they immediate explode. While the most saintly of humans do have a flash point, it takes much more aggravation and much more time to reach it.
Are you "wearing" patience?
Forgiveness
The Greek word here is charizomai, coming from charis which means "grace." So, Paul is not taking about a forced forgiveness such as a parent demanding, "You tell your brother you're sorry for hitting him over the head with your dump truck!" "Okay, I forgive you," the sibling mutters. (The adult version of this is only more subtle in tone and attitude!)
Gracious forgiveness given gladly, not grudgingly, is the attribute Paul is asking us to put on.
Are you "wearing" forgiveness?
These are the spiritual skivvies that make up a holy wardrobe. But Paul continues, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Love
Paul returns to his favorite theme of agape' love.
While English has only one word to describe our affection for pizza, family, friends, and church, the Greek's had four:
Eros described a love of things (such as pizza and my wife's appearance). It did not refer to "lust" ("epithymia") which scripture condemns.
Storge characterized a love for one's family.
Phileo was reserved for friends and humankind.
Agape' is best illustrated in Paul's famous "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13. It was a willful, deliberate, "I choose to love you" love.
Are you "wearing" love over everything else?
Paul includes at least two other lists of holy wardrobe in his letters (1 Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22). But holiness is not a list of virtues, a philosophy, or a righteous "to do" list, but a relationship. In Romans 13, Paul commands Christians to simply "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."
The only way we can receive these gifts of spiritual clothing, is to live in relationship with the manufacturer of these designer clothes. Any other attempt to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love will be "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful" (Colossians 3:15) Christ must be Lord of our thoughts.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" (3:16). Christ must be Lord of our words.
"And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (3:17). Christ must be Lord of our deeds.
So, in this scantly clad culture we find ourselves living, make sure you're fully dressed. (And do attend afternoon services at camp meetings.)
© 1988 James Watkins
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