Put on Christ - Platte/Sebastian Wedding

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, you gathered here today have, as they say, “cleaned up good.” You showered and washed, shaved and scrubbed. You primped and plucked. You had your hair cut and your nails done. You dressed yourself in beautiful finery, and decorated yourself with make-up and jewelry. All this in an effort to be the best you can be for each other. Who would not want to present himself at the best and brightest and most wonderful for his bride?

But what about the inside? Is the inside as clean and polished and beautiful as the outside? Left to your own devices, the answer would be no. In the verses preceding our epistle lesson, the apostle gives an account of what the heart of man is like. St. Paul instructs,

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

All these things are what is common to man. These things are easy to do. They come naturally, and sometimes you find yourself doing them without trying, maybe without even noticing. These are the things that come about because of the poison of sin which infects and corrupts you to your core. This you inherited from Adam, and this is what drags you toward the grave.

Indeed, these things are what the devil will use to attack you and your marriage, from within and without. He does not want you to live in peace and joy as husband and wife. He does not want you to fill your home with the Word of God and the knowledge of salvation. He will tempt you to let a lustful eye wander. He will fan the flames of your temper and set fire to the kindling of your petty annoyances. He will cause you to desire the place of your husband and he will tempt you to give it up to her. He will make it easy to tune out the Word of the Lord and to wander away from the grace of God in the forgiveness of your sins.

But take heart! All is not lost. For you have put on Christ. While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you. He who knew no sin became sin for you, that you might receive His righteousness. The cross of Christ secured your redemption and your salvation.

Our Lord Christ has bathed you in the holy font. In those blessed waters, the Lord cleansed you with His Word and washed you clean with His blood. He drowned your old, sinful, stony heart, and He has brought you up out of the flood into the new life which is His alone to give. He has cleansed you and clothed you with the white robe of His righteousness and holiness. Jesus Christ has made you clean, pure, and holy, because He is pure and holy. You have been baptized into Christ, and therefore all that is His is now yours. He has sanctified you and presented you to Himself as His pure, spotless, acceptable bride.

Therefore, live in the grace with which God has adorned you. “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Put on love, as Christ has bound each of you to Himself. He has made you His own, cleansed and purified you, and put His name upon you. He has chosen you and called you His beloved. Put on love as you take up His name.

In this same love, our Lord Christ binds you together, body and soul, two into one. You who were formerly two, now are becoming one in spirit and in flesh. From this night on, you no longer live to yourself, but you live for each other, even as you live in Christ. It is the grace of Christ that has called you together, and He will bind you to Himself and to one another in the bonds of love.

As you are bound together in Christ Jesus, you will forgive each other and pass over a multitude of wrongs for the sake of love. As God has forgiven your sins, so you will forgive each other, not keeping a record of wrongs, but loving and serving joyfully. What sins God has removed, let you not remember. Put on love, which covers a multitude of sins.

Today, you are cleaned up and made beautiful for one another, not only on the outside, but on the inside. All the filth and death of the old Adam has been washed away, and Jesus Christ has made you holy and perfect and has equipped you to love and serve each other in joy and peace. Your sins are forgiven, and your grace is complete.

Remember what happens today. Treasure in your heart the blessings that God bestows on you this day, and recall them in good times and in bad. Remember the vows that you are about to take, and rejoice that even in the worst circumstances God has and will continue to give you the grace and the strength to keep them, til death do you part.

You are clothed in Christ. You are washed in His blood. You are bound together in Him and by His grace. You are made beautiful for your Bridegroom, now and forever. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.