God's Clothes

Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
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Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
 
ADVENT is the time of remembering, knowing and anticipating Jesus’ presence in the world. His word pronounces his call to believe: Revelation 21:5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” In response to God’s promise of his truth, we continue to see how the some of the promises from Isaiah are fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming. And other promises in Isaiah are restated in the New Testament to yet be fulfilled.
   What do you wear to worship? It used to be the phrase “Sunday best” in America meant you were wearing your best clothes. We’ve seen that across the world, too, as people dress with their best clothes to attend church. But it seems “Sunday best” in the U.S. has become “Sunday casual”. Perhaps that is one symptom of the church in the U.S. generally becoming more casual about Jesus. True, our outer dress is of no consequence to our salvation and fruitful living. After all, it’s about being clothed in power from on high, isn’t it? But would it be more appropriate for our clothes to reflect the garments God bestows upon our hearts?
   How gracious is your God to dress you in new clothes! He removes your sin-filthy rags. See this gracious and redemptive passage from Zechariah 3:4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So, they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. The Lord had called Judah from exile. It was time to begin anew! He wanted to know  they could remove their sin-stained “clothes” and be dressed in God’s salvation.
   God has done the same for your soul. He has sacrificed his Son to call you from sin’s exile to be born into new life. The Spirit of God has clothed you with garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness. Saved in Jesus, you are as a bridegroom, lavishly dressed. Head to foot God’s holiness marks you as his. The jewels of God’s Spirit brighten your countenance. You are as a bride in a husband’s loving, devoted eyes.
   Yes, in Christ, you are dressed in the best. The first apostles certainly knew this. Refined, made new in their hearts, they quickly showed the world they were clothed with power from on high. Wearing salvation on their lips and healing in their hands, the apostles began to clothe the world with Jesus’ life-giving blood. Garments of praise and robes of righteousness became the fashion to transform a pagan world.
   Dear Christian, do you know what you are wearing? Are you aware God has so lavishly dressed you? What would happen if “Sunday best” became your heart’s “Daily Best”? How would your life change if you dressed in God’s gracious love and righteousness each day? Would people see your garments of praise in the way you live? Would they know God covers you with his power? Would you know it?
   And maybe you could wear some really nice clothes to church periodically, so you would demonstrate the Lord has clothed your heart.
 
Prayer: LORD God, I thank you for the new clothes of my salvation. Keep my heart and mind diligent to dress in you each day, so the world will see your garment of praise covers my life. May I always be particular about the way I dress my heart for you. Amen.