The Coat Of Character

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” Hebrews 12:1

In Genesis 37, the brothers of Joseph stole the coat his father gave him and dipped it in blood. Then, they showed it to Joseph’s father to make him think Joseph had been killed. The coat of Joseph can represent the coat of salvation that God has freely given each and every one of us.

But there is another coat, the one Potiphar’s wife tried to tear off Joseph as he fled from sin. This is the coat of character that each Christian who is made new in Christ should wear.

People may never see your invisible coat of salvation, but they will easily see the coat of Christian character. It will show up in what you refrain from doing. It will be seen in how you love and forgive others. The coat of character is how you live your everyday life. 

Let’s say, for example, that you wanted to buy a car. So you go to the dealership and get what is called a “demonstrator” to test it out. But imagine that while driving it, you start to see smoke rising from the engine, you hear parts under the car dragging the ground, and a wheel falls off. After being towed back to the dealership, would you be motivated to sign the paperwork to own one of these vehicles? You probably wouldn’t want the product if the demonstrator didn't work.

In the same way, your life is the only demonstration of a Christian that some people will ever see. If people see you going through the same challenges that ordinary people go through but extraordinarily going through them with a great attitude and great faith, they will desire what you have. When they see Jesus in you, they will want what you have. 

Joseph had the perfect setting for sin. He was a young man who no doubt longed for companionship, and he was alone at the house with this beautiful woman day after day. To make matters worse, she continually threw herself at him. 

But Joseph handled it with character. Genesis 39:12 says that he fled and got himself out of there! If you don’t deal with temptation, temptation will deal with you.

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