Life #8 – To Live is to “Put on Jesus”



Rocks at Makapu`u, 2011

Christians struggle to understand some of the words Jesus spoke—and for good reason: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63 NIV). Until his hearers were “born again” or “born from above”, they would not be able to grasp spiritual concepts (John 3:3-12).

Let’s proceed on the premise that all of us have been so birthed.

To “put on" or "clothe" ourselves with Jesus requires work; otherwise, our faith is dead (James 2:17). To “clothe" ourselves with Jesus is simple: “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). We “put on Jesus” to address our present state of corruption—the result of our animal appetites—which are carnal. So clearly our goal is opposite: to become spiritual, pnĕumatikŏs, non-carnal Christians. Vine’s Expository Dictionary states that those “who walk to please God are spiritual” (Galatians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 3:1).

Realistically? We know that “many” of our readers will not want to stop gratifying the lusts of their flesh. Jesus knew it too, which is why he said only “few” would obtain life. But we have this hope that the “few”—against the backdrop of the “many” generations that have preceded us—will come from this generation that will do it!

Jesus is building a spiritual house—living stones that never die (1 Peter 2:5). Are we even part of his rock pile?

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981); excerpts from our book to be released next year.