The Emporers Old T-Shirt

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature
that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. Col 3:9-10

The Emperor’s Old T-shirt:

Have you ever tried on a new article of clothing that nearly altered your personality?

Maybe it was a new colour completely alien to your palette or a style experiment enforced on you by some well meaning friends. It’s amazing what some new clothes can do. You actually walk differently (in case you haven’t noticed).

One look into our closets will find a strategic collection of textiles designed to hide our bodily flaws with the right stripes and sizes. Other items are there to show off those elements we are most proud of. At this point, some of you will get extra-spiritual on me: “It’s about the inner person!” // “God doesn’t care about clothes!” // “Etc…”

Let’s loosen our Bible-belts for a second and admit to the possibility of a chink or two in our bright shiny armour. Whether you are an obedient slave to fashion like me or someone who still wears 12 year old t-shirts (me too), all of us face the day as an incomplete creation who is either growing in grace or hiding behind the see-through-lace that our chief Designer never meant us to wear.

Believe it or not, fig leaves are still very much in fashion.


I’m not promoting a new doctrine of nude beach Christianity, but we can learn quite a lot from the prophet Isiaiah’s 3 year tanning streak and Jeremiah’s dirty underwear parable. The message is very simple, “We are exposed 24/7 in the eyes of eternity”. Let’s be honest with that fact and life will be alot less complicated.

Many of the New Testament letters encourage buck-naked confession for the sake of healing and freedom by God’s grace. Our cultural overcoats have always been against this. But even Saint Paul is often quoted bragging about his embarrassing mishaps and flashing his many weaknesses for all of modern history to see.


In Britain, we love to hear self-effacing humour coming from the mouths of comedians and celebrities. It has also become politically fashionable to find something to apologise for on behalf of the whole country. I applaud all of this in it’s genuine form, but I refuse to be fooled by programmed transparency. Many warnings are given in Scripture about the many ways people will be swayed in the last days. The cloak of false humility is no better than pride on parade.
So what are we supposed to do with our own wardrobes?

Well, it can’t be anymore complicated than this: confessing our sins daily before God and letting our spiritual family know what’s really happening under the hood. I believe in the spiritual gift of prophecy, but I don’t think we are called to be mind readers.

At the tip of our tongues is a simple prayer request or chain breaking confession that some fellow believers in Jesus can help us with. Or not.


In London, we layer our clothes in order to keep warm during winter. Spiritually, people do the same thing all over the world in any kind of weather in order to guard their true selves from the harsh elements of society. But the warmest and most comforting heat will always come from unhindered exposure to the Son.
Try it. You will never get burned by Him.

Handle with Care,
Brandon and Pamela Munoz
WWW.FREEDOMHOUSE.ORG.UK