A pastor said Christians should take off the old self and put on the garments that Jesus has given them.
On December 5, Rev. Yu Hongjie, senior pastor of Silicon Valley Christian Assembly in the US, preached a sermon titled "Take Off Old Garments and Experience Renewal".
Based on Psalm 150, he said everyone should praise God with all kinds of musical instruments, no matter whether they were in churches, at home, or in other places. They could praise God for who He is and what He has done.
Yu said, "When Martin Luther’s faith was weak, God restored him. Luther once said, 'When I encounter difficulties, I pray. But when difficulties are too great to pray, I praise.' Praise helps believers boast a victory over their enemies, so through praise, they can practice their faith."
The renowned American Chinese pastor mentioned three garments as follows.
First, he mentioned that Jesus gave a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness, as when he was on the cross and said it was finished, nobody could accuse His followers and the sin had no authority over them. When they didn’t suffer a blow, but still felt the sense of heaviness in their heart, they could find joy in praise, he added.
Then, Yu reminded worshippers to be clothed with a robe of righteousness and remove the filthy garments. He claimed that as they were a group of people belonging to the Lord, while the earth was corrupt, they should still be a new creation in Christ. His blood had cleansed them from all their unrighteousness, so they could put on the new self and come to the throne of God to sing, preach, and pray all day and night. Without the white robe, the Holy Spirit would not anoint them with oil, he continued.
Third, the pastor exhorted attendees to clothe themselves with Jesus and to repent from their sins under the illumination of the Holy Spirit. He said that when they undressed, they could remind themselves to get rid of the sins like taking off the old self. He mentioned that an 18-year-old girl said she desired to join a ministry organization in Africa in the future, as she saw her mother change much after serving in the organization.
The pastor concluded, "I wish all of us can receive the three kinds of garments at the end of 2021. All our heaviness, bitterness, jealousy, division, and hurt can be replaced by the spirit of praise. And when we change our clothes each day, we can urge ourselves to wash our clothes with the blood of the lamb. Putting on Christ, we can not only glorify God but also draw people around us to Christ."
- Translated by Abigail Wu
