Clothe Yourselves With Christ

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:27-29 NET

The astonishing beauty of what Paul is saying is staggering. Paul is not saying that we have inherited salvation because of our lineage to Abraham, which is completely missing from the narrative. Jesus makes that point clear in Matthew 3:9: “…and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!” so genealogy is not a qualifier. But baptism is noted as the starting point; what is baptism? Historically, it was a rite of passage from one life to another; regarding Christian baptism, it is the death to self (under the water) and the rising to new life (resurrection) in Christ as a new man. Many fail to perceive that it is also a declaration of war to the existing principalities and powers of the earth.

But baptism isn’t just about water immersion; it's about believing loyalty in Jesus Christ. It's an outward act of obedience to the transformation happening in the heart. Jesus is circumcising the heart, removing the outer sheath or covering over the heart, and revealing the heart of flesh once again, as it says in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.” God takes us and tenderly removes our hard hearts to reveal the true tenderness that resides there; it is His tenderness toward ourselves and others.

True baptism is about death to the sinful nature (the old self or old man) so that Jesus may manifest (or reveal) Himself within us. He takes control of our minds, drives our thoughts and actions, and forms us into people of prayer and action. Through our active demonstration of His love, we hope that everyone we encounter may experience Jesus, our King, through us and come to know He is their King, too. This empowers us to be active agents of His love in the world.

Paul’s terminology is powerful, “…we have clothed ourselves with Christ”. We have died in the form of Jesus by ‘going under’ the water, Jesus went to the souls who had died in the underworld who were patiently waiting for the promised Messiah, and He preached the good news to them and led those held in captivity free. “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.” Ephesians 4:&-10 NET.  And Jesus rose from the grave, and by doing so defeated sin and death so that we could testify as Jesus did “I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever” “When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever—and I hold the keys of death and of Hades!” Revelation 1:17-18 NET.

The phrase 'clothe yourselves in Christ' holds a precise and profound meaning. It's not a directive to ‘act like Christ’ but to envelop His very nature, much like slipping into a garment that covers your entire naked body. Christ becomes our covering, giving us meaning, purpose, and identity. We wear Christ in His entirety, obscuring our natural selves so others may see Christ in us. Our role is to obediently allow Christ to radiate through us, permeate our hearts, and continually heal and restore the parts of us that have been damaged and hurt by life's trials. Jesus recognizes our willingness to be His vessel, and when we obstruct the process of growth and change because of fear or unbelief, we hinder His work in us.

 The identity we embrace in Christ transcends mere human nature; it is not defined by our birthplace, occupation, or gender. We are sons and daughters of God, a divine calling that bestows us extraordinary benefits. We inherit the very nature of Jesus Himself and are seated with Him in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:5-6. This is not a covenant based on human terms but something far greater—God’s promises. From this perspective, we are sons of Abraham and his descendants, having received the promises just as he did.  This places the responsibility squarely upon God, not us. We have received the fullness of this gift of love in Christ Jesus, and we can boldly and freely enter into God’s presence because of the righteousness of Jesus.

This is a profoundly personal relationship we enter through death to our flesh. We are made alive through Christ, not because we loved Him, but because He first loved us and died for us to save us from ourselves and the effects that sin has upon us. His love is transformative, and through this life with Him, we may live with Him where He resides. And where does Christ reside? Within our hearts and the hearts of our fellow believers, cherishing and loving each of us as we manifest Him in His strength and power.

Stephen Barnett