STAINED BY THE FLESH

Philippines Trip Update: Good news! Our class rooms are air conditioned. I have also found out that the fifth person joining our team is not a Pastor but a student at TEDS who is doing his masters and will go on to do a doctorate to become a seminary professor with a specialty in education for the third world church. Our team leader has asked that Samuel teach with me to gain some field experience. Please continue to pray and thank you for praying.
-finances for the trip
-preparation of lesson plans and reading I need to get done
-good health, strength and daily stamina in the heat 
-flight connections, travel safety, stamina for long flight 
-physical safety in Philippines and safe in country travel 
-perseverance, clear thinking, and wisdom in classes 
-Pastors to be receptive, encouraged, built up in faith 
-that I can be a rich blessing to these Pastors 
-that I can grow spiritually, in humility and love 
-unity and fellowship for our team 

I have been meditating on a particular phrase this last week from Jude 23, "And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh". The phrase is "the garment stained by the flesh". What an odd statement! Are we to hate a garment? Is this a figure of speech?
Generally I take this phrase to mean that the salvation of people is very important to God but that believers are also to hate anything that is of the flesh. Like the cliche, "love the sinner but hate the sin". The Greek word translated here as "garment" is chiton, which is a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin. This garment would by nature have the person's flesh impressed upon it. By extension, as believers we are to hate whatever is influenced by the flesh, and even further as this verse says to fear the flesh. This does not mean that we are to turn away from what is wordly in a legalistic, self-righteous, unthinking way, but to turn away and fear the flesh because we know that any involvement with the flesh makes us an enemy of God and can enslave us in sin quite quickly.

 As Christians we are not conscious of how much the flesh influences our thoughts, goals, attitudes, behavior and dress. With the mention of garment in the above phrase let me speak to how we dress as Christians. Is our choice of fashion stained by the flesh? How conscious are we of the influence of the flesh on the clothes we wear? Obviously the world has a different goal in mind for the function of clothing than we should have as Christians. Listen to what Paul says, "Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold and pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works" (1 Timothy 2.9-10 see also 1 Peter 3.1-6).
Our aim as believers is to walk in holiness and to not be stained by the flesh. This takes a knowledge of God's Word, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and daily conscious effort. Oh, but what peace and joy it is to please God in all we do and wear.