Most of us, both men and women, care enough about our appearance that we are willing to put time, effort, and money into it. We shop for and purchase clothing, outerwear, accessories, including jewelry, based upon what society and the fashion industry dictates. Once we purchase the items, we take care of them, keeping them cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
As well as having natural clothing, visible to the eye, we also have spiritual clothing. Perhaps some don't realize that we all have spiritual clothing, but scripture makes it very clear that we do. While our spiritual clothing is just as real as our natural clothing, we don't pay much attention to it, because we can't see it, and it can't be seen by others- or so we think.
While scripture has many references to spiritual clothing, natural clothing that has spiritual significance, and lack of clothing altogether, I will limit this discussion to three categories of spiritual clothing.
Let's start with the spiritual clothing of the wicked:
"As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, and for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the LORD's reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person....Let my accusers be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle."
Psalm 109:17-20, 29, a psalm of David
The malicious character of the wicked person covers him in layers of spiritual garments, from his inner tunic to his outer mantle, even to the belt that surrounds his waist. The nature of these particular garments causes the fruits of the wicked person's maliciousness to seep back into him. While the wicked man's intention is to cause harm to others, he doesn't realize that a spiritual garment is being woven around him with each wicked thought, word or deed. That garment will cause his own life to be poisoned.
The next set of garments are for those who set up a "system" of righteousness, and live their lives making sure that they maintain the appearance of Godliness and holiness, but their inward thoughts and ways fall far short. We might look upon their natural outward appearance, and admire their seemingly righteous ways, but God is not as impressed with them as we are, because He sees the heart inside a man:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7
"All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits." Pro. 16:2
"Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Ps. 44:21
"O, LORD, You have searched me and known me," Ps. 139:1
"I, the LORD, search the heart. I test the mind (most secret parts)..." Jer. 17:10
So what do the spiritual garments of the outwardly Godly, but inwardly sinful look like?
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. 64:6
The "filthy rags" as described here are, by definition, defiled by the body's unclean fluids, cast off fluids of fruitlessness, fluids that have not brought forth life, as they were purposed. The garments might be the finest white, but the stains of the sinful heart are all over them to the point that the spiritual garments have become repellant. Jesus agreed, describing this condition of the most outwardly religious people, the scribes of the Law and the Pharisees, as being like whitewashed tombs- clean and beautiful on the outside, but full of death, corruption, and uncleanness on the inside (Mt. 23:27). These unbearable religious rules of men do not bring men to God, and do not generate life, but rather death and condemnation (Mt. 16:6, 23:15).
So if the spiritual garments of the seemingly righteous are so revoltingly stained, what is the answer?
The prophet Isaiah tells us:
"...In these ways we continue, and we need to be saved." Isa. 64:5
The apostle Paul taught:
"...that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith..." Phil. 3:8-9
This brings us to the third set of spiritual garments. These are garments attained through salvation by Christ. They are garments that are produced as Jesus cleanses us from the inside, out. These garments are not produced out of our own righteousness, which doesn't exist, but only as a result of our union and oneness with Christ, and His righteousness, which is the righteousness of God:
"...that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the Church, like a wife to whom Christ is joined) with the washing of water by the word." Eph. 5:26
Because our spiritual garments reflect the spiritual condition of our hearts and minds, this is where the cleansing begins, and this cleansing is done with the washing of water (including the Holy Spirit) by the Word, both the written and Living Word, which is Christ. The process is also described this way by the LORD:
Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isa. 1:18
The appearance of these spiritual garments of salvation are described:
"For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 3:27
"...that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints ("kodesh/kadesh"-apartness, holiness, separateness, consecrate, sanctify, holy, separate)" Rev. 19:7-8
These particular spiritual garments are the garments of a wife, one who is intimately joined to her Husband, Christ, so that the two become one. His righteousness becomes our own.
As you can see, there are different types of spiritual garments. We have been called to wear the beautiful spiritual bridal garments of righteousness. We should keep in mind, however, that the true spiritual condition of our hearts and minds are reflected upon these garments. Let us daily repent and renew our intimate relationship with the One who washes us clean from the inside, out, and clothes us in pure, clean, bright linen.
Our Father has clothed us in garments of salvation.
"Refiner's Fire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8zP34AhuU
"Create in Me a Clean Heart"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv16YUTCp9U
No comments:
Post a Comment