The Ultimate Fashion Statement

In the previous passage, Paul reminds us that we have been given a new identity in Jesus and that there is nothing that needs to be added to the finished work of Jesus. We haven’t been accepted into a divine self-help project, we’ve already been given fullness in Jesus.

However, this full life of God does need to overflow into our daily experience – it will inevitably transform all our relationships. That’s what the Kingdom is all about, redeemed individuals bringing the life-changing power of the Gospel into their relational world. And so Paul uses a fashion analogy to help us understand how our faith should shape us.

He starts by again reminding us who we are in Jesus. We are a whole new creation, with an eternal identity secure in Jesus. And while those who don’t know Jesus can’t see our Life that is hidden in Him, they can see what we’re ‘wearing’. And so Paul encourages us to make sure that our fashion sense is aligned with who we have now become. What kind of character traits are we wearing? What are the habits and attitudes that we need to ‘take off’? Because the world’s way of relating is no longer appropriate for a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Our flaws don’t diminish our new identity in Jesus, and our virtues don’t enhance it. But if we understand whose we are, then we will embrace the opportunity to grow into the new identity that we’ve been given – to ‘dress’ our lives in a way that is appropriate for Jesus' followers.

So Paul lists off a series of selfish relational traits that we need to dispose of, and then he outlines the qualities that every believer should be comfortable ‘modelling’. And the key to this is once again understanding who we are in Jesus. Because anyone who grasps the beauty of their new identity will be able to hold their earthly identity lightly. The Gospel doesn’t eliminate racial diversity or socio-economic stratification, but it does adjust the sense of self-worth that we draw from these things.

And when we are liberated from our self-interest and the need to defend our earthly identity, then we start to glimpse the wonder of the Church – a community of faith, united in Christ. We are truly One people, mutually sharing in the free gift of salvation and redemption, through Jesus. The Gospel has the power to disarm our tribalism, affirm our diversity, and model the type of inclusive community that our world is desperately longing to be part of.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. The true Church has always been the most inclusive community on the planet. How much do I look for opportunities to be enriched by the cultural diversity of those God has put in my world?
2. How much do I feel threatened by people who are different from me? Is there any aspect of my earthly identity that I value too highly - things that I fear losing?
3. Are there any of these character traits that I need to send to ‘Vinnies’? (2.5-10)
4. Which of these attitudes do I have the most room for growth in? (2.12-17)