THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT CLOTHES
Have you ever considered how important clothing is? To some, clothes seem unimportant, while others seem to place great importance on having just the right clothes in order to impress. Some people want to be 'naturists' and wear none, but it is generally considered unnatural by most to do this, and those who like to bear a lot of flesh are considered daring or vulgar. Withstanding the practical reasons for clothing, why is this so? Is it just because we are apes who have lost most of our body hair and have become embarrassed, or is it a picture for us of something deeper, put there by the God who created us?
Clothes are important, but maybe not for the reason you are thinking. I would like to suggest that clothing is important to God. Allow me to explain; God could have left Adam and Eve and all their offspring in sin, but he did not. He came to Adam and Eve, who were hiding from him (this in itself is significant.), gave them the first promise of redemption (3:15), and made coverings for them by killing animals (3:21). In killing those animals, God was stating some vital truths:
1. In order to stand in my holy presence, you must be clothed.
2. There is absolutely nothing you can do to clothe yourselves acceptably (Even though you might try).
3. I will provide what is necessary for you to stand before me.
What I provide to clothe you and make you acceptable to me must involve the shedding of blood. (God had said the penalty for sin is death, he gave man and woman a free will and a choice to express that free will. Man left behind his ability to please God when he chose to rebel. If sinners are ever to regain paradise, the penalty for their sin must be paid, either by the sinners themselves or by someone in their stead. By killing these innocent animals in place of Adam and Eve, God was pointing ahead to the coming of the perfect substitute, his Son, who would die in the place of sinners.)
The Bible talks about being clothed in righteousness, but not our own, for our own righteousness is described as filthy rags. See what follows from the prophet Zechariah (The 'Angel of the LORD' here stands for the pre-incarnate Christ). Zechariah 3 (a vision)
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan (which means accuser) standing at his right side to resist him. And the LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?"
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take off his filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
See here also from the gospel of Matthew.
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come... then he said to his servants… Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.... And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22)
How do we get these clothes of righteousness?
Isaiah 64.6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
The Bible says that we can obtain Righteousness by Faith and it comes to all who believe in Christ as their redeemer. (Romans 10.4, 10.6, Philippians 3.9)
Psalm132.9
May your priests be clothed in righteousness.
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 jewels.
Revelation 16.15
Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
So next time we find ourselves overly concerned about our physical, outward garments, let this thought into your head; what are our spiritual clothes like? Thread bare and filthy? For which concern is more important?
Do not worry about raiment, even Solomon was not clothed as the flowers which God has made. Let Christ clothe you in his righteousness.
Clothes are important, but maybe not for the reason you are thinking. I would like to suggest that clothing is important to God. Allow me to explain; God could have left Adam and Eve and all their offspring in sin, but he did not. He came to Adam and Eve, who were hiding from him (this in itself is significant.), gave them the first promise of redemption (3:15), and made coverings for them by killing animals (3:21). In killing those animals, God was stating some vital truths:
1. In order to stand in my holy presence, you must be clothed.
2. There is absolutely nothing you can do to clothe yourselves acceptably (Even though you might try).
3. I will provide what is necessary for you to stand before me.
What I provide to clothe you and make you acceptable to me must involve the shedding of blood. (God had said the penalty for sin is death, he gave man and woman a free will and a choice to express that free will. Man left behind his ability to please God when he chose to rebel. If sinners are ever to regain paradise, the penalty for their sin must be paid, either by the sinners themselves or by someone in their stead. By killing these innocent animals in place of Adam and Eve, God was pointing ahead to the coming of the perfect substitute, his Son, who would die in the place of sinners.)
The Bible talks about being clothed in righteousness, but not our own, for our own righteousness is described as filthy rags. See what follows from the prophet Zechariah (The 'Angel of the LORD' here stands for the pre-incarnate Christ). Zechariah 3 (a vision)
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan (which means accuser) standing at his right side to resist him. And the LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?"
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take off his filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
See here also from the gospel of Matthew.
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come... then he said to his servants… Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.... And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22)
How do we get these clothes of righteousness?
Isaiah 64.6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
The Bible says that we can obtain Righteousness by Faith and it comes to all who believe in Christ as their redeemer. (Romans 10.4, 10.6, Philippians 3.9)
Psalm132.9
May your priests be clothed in righteousness.
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 jewels.
Revelation 16.15
Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
So next time we find ourselves overly concerned about our physical, outward garments, let this thought into your head; what are our spiritual clothes like? Thread bare and filthy? For which concern is more important?
Do not worry about raiment, even Solomon was not clothed as the flowers which God has made. Let Christ clothe you in his righteousness.