Equipping Eve: A Whole New Wardrobe

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Is the church today doing everything it can to provide women a firm foundation of truth in Christ Jesus?

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Well, it's true there's no shortage of candy -coated Bible studies, potluck fellowships available to ladies.

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But beyond Sunday morning, are Christian women being properly equipped to stand against the same deceptions that even enticed

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Eve in the garden? In an attempt to address the need for trustworthy, biblical resources for women,

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No Compromise Radio is happy to introduce Equipping Eve, a ladies -only radio show that seeks to equip women with fruits of truth in an age that's ripe with deception.

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My name is Mike Ebendroth, and I'm pleased to introduce your host, Erin Benzinger, a friend of No Compromise Radio and a woman who wants to see other women equipped with a love for and a knowledge of the truth of God's Word.

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Well, hello ladies, and welcome to Equipping Eve. I am your host, Erin Benzinger. Equipping Eve is on Facebook and Twitter, so that's at Equipping Eve for both of those.

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Type it into your little Facebook search bar, and you can find the show there.

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Again, links to the podcasts. A lot of ministries have time to make these little scripture memes, where they find a pretty picture and put a scripture on it.

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And I do that sometimes because I kind of like a little visual. Maybe if there's a verse that's particularly special at a particular time, but I don't think have the knack that some of these folks do.

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I don't know. So some of them are really great that are put up there by other ministries, so I like to share those and other tidbits and insights from other ministries and people who we respect and learn from.

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So check that out on Facebook and or Twitter, depending on which is your social media outlet of choice.

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Okay, so, you know what? It's spring. So that means that I dug around in my drawer here at my desk and found, forgot

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I had this, my box of blessings. And it has flowers on it. It's very bright and happy and spring -like, so it seemed appropriate to pull this out and, you know, just share a blessing for the day.

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These are kind of cheesy. So what it is, is it's a box of blessings, promises from God for women.

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Just for women. Sorry guys. Although, men, you aren't listening anyway, right?

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We here at Equipping Eve would prefer that men not listen, just in the interest of being true to scripture and women not teaching men.

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That's what we do here. Anyway, here we are. They're in front of me, so we're going to talk about them. Alright.

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So let's see. I pulled one out. It says, now keep in mind, I gave this box of blessings to myself, which

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I find even more hilarious when I read these. This says, you are a gift from God, and that's how

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I'll treat you. So I treat myself as a gift from God every single day. And then the verse on the back is

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Psalm 20, verse 4, May God grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed. So that's unfortunate when you take that out of context and your plans don't succeed.

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So I had a lot of plans. You know, when I was a kid, I planned to be a pop singer, so that didn't work out.

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We're all very thankful that it didn't, but, you know, that's just kind of one really extreme example of, um, the mind of a man may plan his steps, but the

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Lord directs his path. Did I quote that right? I don't know. I'm sure someone can correct me. Here's one.

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The best way to spend my day is to spend it with you. I don't, these are great. First Corinthians 13 .8,

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Love never fails. Alrighty. These are super. Yeah.

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If you want... Okay. This one, I'm really just pulling these as I sit here.

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If you want to be somebody, somebody really special, just be you. You know, that has motivated me.

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Ephesians 3 .19. What? Okay. How? You know, what's funny is my pastor will be preaching on this verse probably tomorrow as I record this, if not tomorrow, then the next week.

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Ephesians 3 .19. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully, to understand fully.

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May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Ephesians 3 .19. But the motivational little thing, if you want to be somebody, somebody really special, just be you.

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You know, so these are promises from God for women. So is this God telling me to just be you?

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Little sinner you? Let's go for it. Oh dear. Yeah.

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I mean, you know, they're all cheesy. They're not all wrong, necessarily. So that's helpful.

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Here, I feel like this is something Stephen Furtick would say, if God brings you to it, he will bring you through it. He probably has said that.

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You see, here's a Calvin quote. That's actually quite good. Anyway, I'm so thankful that we are friends.

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That's awkward if these are from God. So give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.

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I don't know. This is strange. If you ever get a greeting card from me, and I've written something weird on it,

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I probably got it from my box of blessings. You've been warned. Okay. So there you go.

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I'm putting the box of blessings ... putting the blessings in the box. There we go. There they are. For another day.

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There's always something cheesy out there in the evangelical world, isn't there? That's okay. Because at the end of the day, ladies, we know all that junk is out there, and we can talk about it until the cows come home, and we can talk about all the wrong and all the false.

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But at the end of the day, what matters is the true, right? And that's why we try to focus on the

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Scriptures here. You know, we may look at something like that for a little levity, a little laughter, a reminder that God's Word is the only source of truth, and the best source of truth.

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And the thing is, you know, there are ministries that focus on error and false teachers, and they're so busy pointing that out, and the sky is falling, the sky is falling, and there is a place for discernment, most definitely.

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Please hear me on that. Please hear me on that. But I think these ministries that specialize in discernment end up getting weird.

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That's a conversation for another day. But the thing is, if you focus so much on the false, you will spiral into a spiritual black hole that will be very difficult to climb out of.

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And having spent some time in the discernment world with regular engagement with other quote unquote discernment bloggers,

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I'm here to tell you that that is a very unhelpful place to be in the long term.

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So let me just offer that as a word of warning.

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If that is your regular diet online, again,

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I'm not saying there isn't room for discernment. The occasional article of warning, things like that, I do that myself if I ever actually have time to write.

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We talk about things here. So those are all good and right. We see that in scripture.

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We see naming of names. We see calling out of error and false teaching, and not only by the apostles, but by the

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Lord Jesus Christ himself. So again, not knocking discernment. So don't send me angry emails, because I will delete them.

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I just want us to be mindful that our regular diet is the truth. My pastor,

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Pastor Bill Vine, has said, quote, the antidote for error is truth. And it's so simple.

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And it's so true, right? So instead of focusing on the error, the antidote for error is not talking about the error more.

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It's talking about the truth and learning the truth and immersing yourself in the truth so that you can recognize the error when it's there and you can go, oh, well, that's nonsensical and move on.

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Move on. Or if your friend is involved in something that you know is not good, maybe it's a

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Beth Moore Bible study, Priscilla Shire reading Jesus Calling, something, you're equipped with the truth so that you can speak to them and show them from scripture why those teachings are dangerous and those teachers are dangerous.

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So, again, there's a place for discernment, but it is a place that ought not consume us.

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It ought not consume our diet. Our diet must be one that is healthy and filled with truth.

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Okay. It's like the Daniel diet, right? It should be healthy. Okay, sorry. The Daniel diet.

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Remember that? That was quite the time. Everyone went on the vegetable diet.

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Okay. Oh, Rick Warren. That's an example of knowing your

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Bible so that you can explain to people the Daniel diet might not help you lose weight because Daniel and his friends didn't get slim and trim and svelte.

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Doesn't the Bible say in Daniel 1, verse 15, at the end of ten days, their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the ewes who had been eating the king's choice food.

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So, there you go. Stay away from the Daniel diet. It's a flashback.

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Okay. So, totally not what we were going to talk about today. Sorry for the tangent. So I thought today, it's spring, and at least as I record this, spring is kind of coming.

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It's cold outside, but the daffodils are ready to bloom because we've had some warm weather around here. So, it's early spring.

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As I record this, and as you listen to this, it will be more legitimately spring. So here we are. It's spring. New life, right?

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New pollens and allergies. And hey, don't we all love with the change of seasons, maybe not every year, but every now and then, love to go get a new wardrobe.

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Maybe not a whole new wardrobe, but go pick out a new pair of pants or a new top. See, guys, if you're listening, now you want to turn it off, don't you?

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That's how this works. Okay. We all love to get a little something new for our wardrobe.

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Even if we hate shopping, we still love to get something new that we really like. Just harder and harder to do, because the styles are so terribly, terribly ugly nowadays.

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But again, I digress. So, what

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I thought we would talk about today is our wardrobe as Christians.

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A few years ago, I wrote an article. It's at the Do Not Be Surprised blog, but it's also at the

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Equipping Eve blog. So I encourage you to go there, because it will probably be easier to find, because it was posted more recently.

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But I wrote this back in 2015, and it's called, Thankful for Spiritually Well -Dressed

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Men. And what this was, was at DoNotBeSurprised .com,

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I typically, on Fridays, post a little weekly roundup, and it's different links from across the internet that might be of interest to folks.

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I may or may not agree with what the article says, but it's just of interest. And so I post it there. And that particular week, previously,

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I had posted an article titled, The Well -Dressed Man, that discussed the attributes of Christian gentlemen. And that article got me thinking, and so then

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I wrote this subsequent article, Thankful for Spiritually Well -Dressed Men. So after I posted that, several people commented to me personally about the article, and how much they appreciated it.

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And it does seem, in today's world, nearly impossible to find men who understand the basics of manners and etiquette.

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But the notion of a true Christian gentleman, I'd venture to say that many men who profess Christ have no idea what that looks like.

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So quoting from this original article here, it says, quote, Then there are Christian gentlemen. These are men who are concerned to look good on the outside, but are more concerned to be handsome within.

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Externally, they are dressed well by the women in their life. Internally, they are dressed well by the Holy Spirit. And what are the characteristics of such well -dressed

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Christian gentlemen? Consider the attributes found in the first chapter of Titus. For this reason

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I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.

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Namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.

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For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self -willed, not quick -tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self -controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

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Titus 1, 5 -9. And the author of this article went on to explain that the

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Christian gentleman is one who strives to maintain a spotless reputation. He remains faithful to his wife, exercises self -control, etc.,

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etc. It's tall order, and yet, I wrote three years ago, with the indwelling

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Holy Spirit, the regenerated man cannot only aspire to such things. He can, in an ever -sanctifying way, attain to such things.

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So after reading this, I let this article kind of ruminate in my brain and kept coming back to this notion of a

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Christian gentleman. When I initially linked to the article, I wrote that I was thankful for the Christian gentleman in my life, and I meant it.

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The other day, the impact of that reality hit me harder than expected, and I was consumed with gratitude to the Lord.

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It was no particular incident that generated this. No one swooped in to rescue me from a precarious situation.

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No one defended my honor in the face of ridicule or accusation. But as I reflected on the past few years, it struck me anew how the

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Lord has graciously cared for me by bringing true, godly Christian gentlemen into my life. Some of these men are older, some are younger.

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Some I see regularly, others I've never met in person. I am related to them all by blood, the blood of Christ. These men are my brothers.

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They are part of my true family. They have advised me, guided me, prayed for me, prayed with me, challenged me, encouraged me, laughed with me, laughed at me, cared for me, and watched over me.

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They have been providentially placed by God in my life to fill roles that from the outside appear vacant. They truly are

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God's gift to me, and they do not deserve such gifts. What was more striking to me, however, and I'm deviating slightly from the article, is that no doubt, not one of these men who

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I had in my mind when I wrote this article ever thought about his role in my life. Like, that wasn't something that they sat and pondered on a

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Wednesday afternoon. These men act godly because they are godly, and regeneration by the

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Holy Spirit leads to a demeanor characterized by Christian gentleman -likeness. What I am seeing lived out in my life is a fruit of their salvation.

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What a humbling privilege to be a recipient of such grace. And on and on. So, that's what

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I wrote three years ago, and sadly, some of the men who I had in mind when I wrote that have since demonstrated that perhaps the

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Emperor had no clothes after all. But that is neither here nor there, because that is why we rest and hope in Christ alone, right?

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Because men, women, just mankind in general will disappoint, because we are fallible.

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And so that is, that's okay, because Christ is the ultimate spiritually well -dressed man.

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But the point is that, ladies, we too are to be well -dressed. And we've talked about this in the past.

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I think one of the very first episodes of Equipping Eve that we ever did, we talked a little bit about, you know, what it looks like to be a godly woman, and if we're going to talk about dressing and adornment, we of course would go, where else would we go, but to 1

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Peter. So turn with me to 1 Peter, Chapter 3.

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I read from the NASB, ladies, just a reminder. First Peter, Chapter 3.

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In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

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Verse 3. Your adornment must not be merely external, braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

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Okay, so we know that that's, you know, speaking particularly to women, but that's not, that doesn't matter, because the principle that's there in those verses applies to all

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Christians, the same as the principles that we saw in those verses from Titus, speaking to Christian gentlemen, still apply even to women, because at the end of the day, the

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Christian's wardrobe is the same, because the Christian is clothed by Christ.

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Right? And when we think about how excited we get when we find a new blouse that we really love and it's comfortable on top of everything else, not only is it cute, it's comfortable.

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I mean, that's a win, right? You get that in every color. Seriously, guys, if you're still listening,

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I don't even know what to do with you. You need to turn it off. But you think about that, and how excited we can get over this worldly shirt that's going to wear out after we wash it a few times and shrink, because they always shrink, right?

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It's never us. So the clothes always shrink. So we get excited over that, but what about the wardrobe that is ours in Christ?

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I mean, have you ever thought about it that way? And maybe you have, and this was just something that struck me as I kept seeing in scripture, you know, how we put off the old man and put on the new man.

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You turn back, ladies, to Ephesians, chapter 4. Oh, let's see, it's always hard to find a good place to start.

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All right, we're going to have to go all the way back to verse 17. Chapter 4, verse 17 of Ephesians.

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Paul writes, So this I say and affirm together with the Lord that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.

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And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

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But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the loss of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

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And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

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We lay aside the old self and put on the new self. When Christ saves us, when he grants us repentance and faith, he regenerates us.

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Salvation, at the time of salvation, we are regenerated. We have a renewing of our mind, of our heart.

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We have new desires. No, we don't have like, insta -sanctification.

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That would be amazing, right? I mean, who wouldn't love that? I got saved and I'm perfect! Unfortunately, that's not how that works, because Romans 7,

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I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I do want to do, because we are fighting against our fallen flesh here in this life.

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But in reality, ladies, if upon our salvation we are not changed, if there is not some sort of transformation, yes, even in that moment and in those immediate days following your salvation, we must actually question the validity of our salvation.

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And I'm not here to tell everybody you're not saved, I'm just saying, isn't this true?

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Because there's a transformation. And don't we all, if we fall into a place where we feel like we are just failing at every turn, we kind of start to think, wait,

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I am saved, right? And we look back on the way God has transformed us and we see that possibly we're just in a place where we need to be reaching out to the

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Lord in prayer and searching the Scriptures more and spending more time with Him so that we can see the fruit of our sanctification, fruit of our salvation more clearly.

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But we, I don't know about you, but I look back on the transformation that God has wrought in me.

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It wasn't me. And I am so thankful that I am not who

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I was before He saved me. We make a break with the past.

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You get saved and all of a sudden, and maybe I don't want to go hang out with those people on Friday night anymore, all of a sudden you're not reacting to things the same way as before.

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You're maybe using different words than you did before. Your thoughts towards people and situations are different.

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You have a desire and a craving and a hunger for God's Word and to be with God's people. All of those things happen when we get saved because we've put off the old self by God's grace.

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He has regenerated us and we put on the new self. And what is this new self?

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What is it? Well, actually, first, what is this breaking with the past? Let's keep looking at Ephesians 4, verse 25,

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Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with this neighbor, for we are members of one another.

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So put off lying, put on truthfulness. Verse 26, Be angry and yet do not sin.

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Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Keeping peace among one another, do not give the devil an opportunity.

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This is self -control, right? Verse 28, He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

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Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

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Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit indwells us at the moment of salvation and regenerates us and sanctifies us, helps us grow in our sanctification and gives us those desires and urges for the righteous living as opposed to the unrighteous living of our past.

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Verse 31, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice.

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Be kind to one another, tender -hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.

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You know, you think about it, you think of how the world doesn't acknowledge that man is sinful.

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You know, by and large, we make a mistake, you know, we have a few boo -boos here and there. That is not what the

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Bible says. And we all know the standard verses about, you know, there's no unrighteous, not even one.

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But when you look at these descriptions of the old self versus the new self, it really makes it a lot more vivid, doesn't it?

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Because in reality, if we are honest with ourselves, these words describe who we were.

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Bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander. Okay, maybe you weren't as mean as the lady in the next office, but you still had your moments of bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander and malice.

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And because we stand contrary to the world when we are in Christ, we are to be kind to one another, tender -hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

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You know, often we hear that cliched phrase, you know, preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words or whatever.

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Well, you have to use words to preach the gospel. But the reality is that people see Christ in you by your behavior, by how you handle things.

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And that's not that we should only handle things in a Christ -like manner outwardly and publicly. We need to be acting as Christ would have us act and in a manner worthy of his gospel and the salvation that we have been granted at all times, even when no one is looking.

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But people see that and know they may not come to you and say, Hey, what's different about you?

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And then you have a chance to preach the gospel. That's not our excuse for not sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with people because they won't get saved just by seeing us be nice.

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But nevertheless, it is a testimony because if they find out that you're a Christian in whatever way, you tell them, or they see you going to church or whatever,

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I don't know, but you aren't acting in a way that accords with Christ, well, that's going to be awfully confusing and be a terrible, terrible witness for our

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Lord. Turn with me now, ladies, to Colossians, one of my favorite books, mirrors

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Ephesians in many ways. Colossians chapter three, similar verses here from the

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Apostle Paul, verse one, Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

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Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ and God.

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When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

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These things, ladies, describe us before we were saved, like it or not, we were immoral and pure, given to evil passions and desires and greed.

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We were idolatrous. Verse six, it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked when you were living in them.

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But now you also put them all aside, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

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Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self, who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,

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Scythian, slave, and free man, but Christ is all and in all. Again, putting off these things that, just like it or not, define who we were and define the world, the lost world around us.

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That is what we are up against, which is why we need the strength of Christ, right, to live in this world.

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Verse 12, so as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other.

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Whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

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Beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.

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Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, whatever you do in word or deed, do in the name of the

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Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. What are we putting on?

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I mean, this is the best wardrobe ever, right? Everything matches. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love, and the peace of Christ.

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Do some of those words sound a bit familiar? Turn back to Galatians, a very familiar passage,

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Galatians 5. I've been thinking a lot lately about the fruit of the

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Spirit, and I think a danger in these verses here in Galatians 5 is that we're so familiar with them.

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Yeah, yeah, fruit of the Spirit, you know, make a cute little wall plaque for the kitchen. That I think we don't really let them hit us the way they should, that we don't ponder them the way that we should.

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So let's look at them again. Chapter 5, verse 19.

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Again, we're going to look at what we've put off before we see what we put on. Verse 19.

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Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.

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Things like these of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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Wow. That was us. Every single one of us. Verse 22.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self -control.

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Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

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If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. If the Spirit has regenerated us, then our walk ought to be evident of that regeneration, right?

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We'll just not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another, Paul concludes in verse 26.

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I mean, if we really stop and read, not just the things that we were in these early verses from Galatians here, but the things that we are to be, the things that are a biography of our

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Lord Jesus Christ and should be our biography, if we really read that and really ponder it, might we not feel just a hint or a really big pinch of conviction?

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Because I don't know about you, but those things are not always manifest in my life the way that I wish they were.

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But these things characterize a Christian, man or woman. And if you look at what we read in 1

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Peter and you look at what we read in Titus at the start of the show, you see similarities.

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Every time a Christian is described, we see these same basic characteristics. And the thing is, ladies, that is granted to us by the

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Holy Spirit. And our living out of these things, being people of humility, women of compassion and kindness and gentleness and self -control, that is evident that the

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Spirit does indeed indwell us. God gives us a whole new wardrobe when we are born again.

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Born from above, John 3 verse 3, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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God does this. God does this.

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The bottom line is, ladies, we cannot dress ourselves for the kingdom. I'm going to use a phrase that I never use in serious talking.

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I never use even in casual talking, but it's really the best way to describe this right now. We are a hot mess.

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And anybody who knows me personally knows that saying that is completely uncharacteristic of me. But it's true, right?

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We cannot get dressed for the kingdom on our own. It doesn't matter how good your fashion sense is, you cannot dress yourself for the kingdom.

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Because the thing is, according to Matthew, well, according to Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5 verse 48, you are to be perfect as your heavenly

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Father is perfect. How's that working for you? I'll be really honest here.

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That's not working so well for me. I am not perfect. But we must be perfect as our

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Father in heaven is perfect. That is the standard. And we've got a problem.

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We have a problem because, as Isaiah says, all of us have become like one who is unclean and our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.

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All of us wither like a leaf and our iniquities like the wind take us away. Even our good deeds are as filthy rags before the

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Lord. That's a problem. That's everybody's problem. Because even after we are saved, anything we try to do on our flesh, we try to do on our own, we do with wrong motivations, we do because we want to be noticed and we want everyone to think how good we are, that's all filthy rags.

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But the good news is that when God saves us, He not only transformed our inner man, which

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He did and continues to do through progressive sanctification, it's not like He transformed us, regenerated us, gave us a new heart and new desires and a new striving after righteousness and said, okay, good luck.

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Remember, you have to be perfect like I am. Let me know how it works out.

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I'll be watching. Get a good grip on your spiritual bootstraps.

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No, no, no, no, no. He renews our inner man and then

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He clothes us with robes of righteousness. Isaiah 61 verse 10,

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I will rejoice greatly in the Lord. My soul will exalt in my God for He has clothed me with garments of salvation.

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He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

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Robes of righteousness are ours in Jesus Christ.

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Isaiah 1 verse 18, come now and let us raise them together, says the

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Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.

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In Christ, our sins are forgiven. We are transformed and our sins are forgiven.

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The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. So turn, ladies, to Romans.

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Turn to Romans. I'm starting to get ahead of myself and my brain and I'm hoping I don't lose my thought. Romans chapter 3,

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Romans chapter 3 verse 21, now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe, for there is no distinction.

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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom

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God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate

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His righteousness because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed for the demonstration,

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I say, of His righteousness at the present time so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

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We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ because there is no man who is righteous, no not even one, only the

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Lord Jesus Christ, the God -man. Galatians 2 .20 says, I've been crucified with Christ and it is no longer

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I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the

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Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me, the righteousness of Christ.

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So God transforms our inner man and clothes us with the righteousness, the robes of righteousness of Christ.

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That all happens at salvation. Isn't that just mind -blowing that He does that for us?

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And so on one hand, we cannot work our way to heaven. We cannot work our way to heaven.

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On the other hand, God is good to transform us, not so we can work our way to heaven, but so that our desires are to serve

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Him by living lives of holiness, lives that reflect the salvation that He has given us.

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I mean, that's good, isn't it? Because who enjoys being angry and malicious and slandering people?

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And if we were allowed to just continue in our sin, then what would be the point of Christ dying?

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What would be the point of His perfect life and His atoning death and His resurrection?

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It would be pointless. Christ died for a reason, to redeem a people for His own possession.

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Last verse of the show. Ladies, turn with me to Revelation chapter 19, verse 11.

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And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called

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Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself.

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He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. That is our

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Lord Jesus Christ, and we want to be on the same side. Right?

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He is Faithful and True, and judges in righteousness, verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.

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Guess who that is? What a wardrobe. A transformation of the inner man, inner woman.

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Robes of righteousness, so that when God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of His Son.

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Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, self -control, and robes of righteousness.

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Ladies, that is one hefty divine makeover, and that is one wardrobe that will never go out of style.

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All right, ladies, that's all I have for today, so until next time, get in your

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Bibles, get on your knees, and get equipped. Thanks for listening. Is the church today doing everything it can to provide women a firm foundation of truth in Christ Jesus?

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Well, it's true, there's no shortage of candy -coated Bible studies, potluck fellowships available to ladies, but beyond Sunday morning, are

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Christian women being properly equipped to stand against the same deceptions that even enticed

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Eve in the garden? In an attempt to address the need for trustworthy, biblical resources for women,

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No Compromise Radio is happy to introduce Equipping Eve, a ladies -only radio show that seeks to equip women with fruits of truth in an age that's ripe with deception.

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My name's Mike Ebendroth, and I'm pleased to introduce your host, Erin Benzinger, a friend of No Compromise Radio, and a woman who wants to see other women equipped with a love for and a knowledge of the truth of God's Word.