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Rom. 13:14 “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

A true Christ follower is one who is clothed with the character, habits and attitude of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil. 2:5 states “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”

When we are born again, we give our hearts to the Lord. He comes in and dwells in each one of us – through the Holy Spirit.

Positionally, we are ‘in Christ.’ We were made like Him the moment we receive Jesus into our hearts through the born-again experience. But practically, we need to ‘put on Christ’ every day, thus making no provision to indulge in the cravings of our physical nature and gratify the lust of our flesh.

Gal 5:19-21 talks of the nature of the old man.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

In Col. 3:8-10, Paul is urging the Colossian believers to ‘put off’ the old man with it’s nature so they can ‘put on’ the new man.

Paul describes the nature of a new man in Gal. 5:22-24

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Each day we are tempted to go back to the old man – to gratify the desires of the flesh. Paul is calling for believers to be in ‘practice’ – with what they are in ‘position.’ This putting on of Jesus is a daily business. It is an evidence that we belong to him.

In Acts chapter 11 when the people saw the disciples of Jesus Christ, they decided to give them a title “Christians” meaning ‘little Christs.’ These disciples had put on Christ – in that they were imitating Christ in their character and their attitudes.

Friends, when people look into our lives, will they be so inspired to call us ‘a Christian’?