Don we now our gay apparel

The well known "Deck the Halls" was written around 1862. The  word "gay" in the line "don we now our gay apparel" meant a whole new different thing back in those days than it means today. It meant happy. I have a hard time hearing the song these days without the modern meaning coming to my mind, which is sad; not that the song has ever been a favorite of mine. When I think of  someone donning gay apparel in this modern day we live in, my mind goes to rainbow themes and other items the out and proud tend to wear to identify themselves as gay and proud.

  And that is what gay has become. It isn't just a term to describe a man who is attracted to other guys and may have sex with other guys. It has become an identity. That is one reason so many gay people get so easily outraged by anyone who disagrees with their lifestyle. They look at it as criticizing WHO they are, not what they do.

  It is actually rather sad. There is so much more to us than our sexual identity, whether gay, straight, or whatever else they come up with. By donning gay apparel, or gay identity, so much is lost. There is so much more in life these people could be, but their lives revolve around their sexual identity and getting more rights for their identity.

  There is much debate among people who God has saved from the gay lifestyle over the use of the word gay. There are those who refer to themselves as gay celibate Christians, some who refer to themselves as gay Christians - usually those who are giving into their sin while claiming to be Christians, and many feel they should not use the term "gay" to describe themselves once they walk away from it to serve God. And there are other opinions also, but those are the main ones.

  I tend to fall into the latter. We don't use other sins to describe ourselves as Christians. We don't say "I am a Christian thief", or "I am a Christian adulterer", etc.

  When we come to Christ, repent, and take up our cross to follow Him; we become a new person. We have a new identity as a child of God; a child of the King of Kings.

  But yet, many of us cling to other identities while trying to be a child of God. I do it. I find myself identifying myself as things no one serving God should do:

Failure
Idiot
Stupid
Fat
Dumb

  And the list goes on. Things I see myself as, identities that hold me back from everything I should be.

  God doesn't see me  that way. According to His Word, I am:

A new creation

His workmanship

Child of God

Temple of the Holy Spirit

Righteous

Child of light

Beloved

Friend

  And many more. (A more complete list is at the end of this post.)

   I believe we do ourselves and God a disservice when we cling to the wrong identities and names we attach to ourselves. God wants so much more for us, and it makes it more difficult for Him to work in us and through us when we have these things in our minds that contradict what His Word is telling us. But I know personally it is difficult to get past that kind of thinking that cripples us and holds us back.

  The wise men visited Jesus and gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They weren't gifts for a baby, but gifts for a King. The day we set aside to observe and celebrate this miraculous birth is only 10 days away, and yet so few of us will take time to give this same Jesus something for his birthday.

  Many give to the poor and do acts of service or do financial things in His name, and those are great things to do.

 But maybe Christmas would be a great time to kneel at the manger and throw off our "gay apparel"...... to give Him all of the negative identities we are holding so tightly to and that Satan has convinces us of. And I believe that would make Him happier than all of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh in the whole world.

 It may sound like a bad gift for a King, but if we are to truly serve this Jesus who was born in a manger and died on a cross for us, we must give Him our all; and that includes the lies we believe about ourselves; and it definitely includes any identity that is not from Him.

Who I am in Christ:

I am blameless and free from accusation. (Colossians 1:22)

Christ Himself is in me. (Colossians 1:27)

I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built up in Him. (Col. 2:7)

I have been made complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

I have been spiritually circumcised. My old unregenerate nature has been
removed. (Colossians 2:11)

I have been buried, raised, and made alive with Christ. (Colossians 2:12,13)

I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden
With Christ in God. Christ is now my life. (Colossians 1:1-4)

I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life. (Colossians 3:4)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Col. 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I am a son of light and not of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I have been saved and set apart according to God’s doing.
(2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5)

Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed
to call me brother. (Hebrews 2:11)

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling. (Hebrews 3:1)

I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and
grace in a time of need. (Hebrews4:16)

I have been born again. (1 Peter 1:23)

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house.
(1 Peter 2:5)

I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
People for God’s own possession. (1 Peter 2:9,10)

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live.
(1 Peter 2:11)

I am an enemy of the devil. (1 Peter 2:11)

I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by
Which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

I am forgiven on the account of Jesus’ name. (1 John 2:12)

I am anointed by God. (1 John 2:27)

I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns. (1 John 3:1,2)

I am loved. (1 John 4:10)

I am like Christ. (1 John 4:10)

I have life. (1 John 5:12)

I am born of God, and the evil one…the devil…cannot touch me.
(1 John 5:`8)

I have been redeemed. (Revelation 5:9)


My Nature In Christ

I have been healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

I am the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)

I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

I am commissioned to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19,20)

I am a child of God. (John 1:12)

I have eternal life. (John 10:27)

I have been given peace. (John 14:27)

I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life. (John 15:1,5)
I am clean. (John 15:3)

I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit. (John 15:16)

I have been given glory. (John 17:22)

I have been justified…completely forgiven and made righteous.
(Romans 5:1)

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life.
(Romans 6:1-6)

I am a slave of righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

I am free from sin and enslaved to God. (Romans 6:22)

I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father. (Romans 8:14, 15
Galatians 3:26; 4:6)

I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him
(Romans 8:17)

I am more than a conqueror through Christ, who loves me.
(Romans 8:37)

I have faith. (Romans 12:3)

I have been sanctified and called to holiness. (1 Corinthians 1:2)

I have been given grace in Christ Jesus. (1Corinthians 1:4)

I have been placed into Christ, by God’s doing. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the
things feely given to me by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

I have been given the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

I am a temple…a dwelling place…of God. His Spirit and His life dwell
in me. (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19)

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

I am bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God.
(1 Corinthians 6:19,20; 7:23)

I am called. (1 Corinthians 7:17)

I am a member of Christ’s Body. (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30)

I am victorious through Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have
been given to the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my
inheritance to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13,14)

I am led by God in triumphal procession. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

I am to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved
and those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:15)

I am being changed into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ.
(2 Corinthians 5:14,15)

I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation.
(2 Corinthians 5:18,19)

I have been made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am given strength in exchange for weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life. (Galatians 2:20)

I am a son of God and one in Christ. (Galatians 3:26, 28)

I am Abraham’s seed…an heir of the promise. (Galatians 3:29)

I am an heir of God since I am a son of God. (Galatians 4:6,7)

I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1; ! Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2)

I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)

I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and
am without blame before Him. (Ephesians 1:4)

I was predestined…determined by God…to be adopted as God’s son.
(Ephesians 1:5)

I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)

I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish
grace.

I have been made alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:5)

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven. (Ephesians 2:6)

I am God’s workmanship…His handiwork…born anew in Christ to do His
work. (Ephesians 2:10)

I have direct access to God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)

I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family. (Ephesians 2:19)

I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence. (Eph. 3:12)

I am righteous and holy. (Ephesians 2:24)

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now. (Philippians 3:20
Ephesians 2:6)

I am capable. (Philippians 4:13)

I have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred
to the kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13)

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has
been cancelled. (Colossians 1:14)