Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

The Apostle's admonition to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13) suggests that he is a garment. This makes one think of the garments that the Lord made for Adam and Eve in the Garden, garments made of skins which replaced their inadequate self-made fig leaves. And a garment of skins must be the result of sacrifice. So it is that Christ is our Garment, who was also himself the sacrifice for our sins. This is our Holy Baptism, for we were clothed with Christ therein, and as a result, we stand purified before God in his perfect righteousness.  Since this is so, it behooves us to behave as those who know it, and to seek to live piously and uprightly, following the example of him who so clothed us. Sermon for First Tuesday vespers.