Clothed With Christ

“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

clothed in christ

When a Moravian pastor officiates at Holy Communion he or she often wears a specially made white robe (surplice). Its flowing white design with wide sleeves calls to mind the white robes in the book of Revelation. Its purpose is to remind worshipers of heaven and to show that the pastor is representing Christ when administering the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion. The ritual of robing reminds pastors that they, together with all baptized believers, are to “clothe themselves with Christ.”

In offering himself as a willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of all humanity, Jesus fulfilled the demands of righteous justice while embodying divine grace. Clothing ourselves with Christ means that, in spite of our sinful nature we are able to approach God without fear of rejection, trusting in God’s forgiveness of sin through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of Jesus. A hymn in the Moravian liturgy for burial expresses this well:

The Savior’s blood and righteousness, my beauty is, my glorious dress; thus well-arrayed I need not fear when in his presence I appear.

Because our lives, our souls, have been redeemed by God, we are free to respond by choosing a new focus for our lives. We clothe ourselves with Christ as disciples of the Lord. Our goal should be to become just a bit more Jesus-like each day. Therefore …

  • We exhibit love for others, even those with whom we vehemently disagree, because “God is love,” and “Whoever does not love does not know God,” (I John 4:8)
  • Knowing ourselves to be less than perfect and in need of God’s forgiveness, we forgive others’ sins, as we trust God will forgive our sins. (Matthew 6:12)
  • Similarly, we refrain from judgment for that is God’s task. The Apostle James echoes our Savior’s teaching when he writes: “So who then, are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12)
  • In speaking with others, we choose our words carefully knowing that “a harsh word stirs up anger,” and that only a “perverse person spreads strife” through gossip. (Proverbs 15:1, 16:28)
  • Whatever material goods God has entrusted to us as individuals or a congregation, we invest to build up the Kingdom of God and help draw others closer to Christ for we know that one day we will have to account for our stewardship. (Matthew 25:29-30)

As we continue deeper into the New Year, resolve to clothe yourself with Christ.