The
Bible contains motifs and symbols that help to tell the story and to remember
the story.
Today,
I want to look at: CLOTHES
You
can use clothes to tell the story of God.
In
the beginning, Adam was naked. Eve was naked. They were both naked and they
were unashamed about it (Gen 2:25). But the first thing Adam and Eve did after
sinning was sow together fig leaves in order to make clothes for themselves
(Gen 3:7). Their instinct was to cover sin up. But God provided a better
covering and sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden (Gen 3:21).
As a
result, nakedness no longer was shameless: to be exposed was now a shameful
experienced (Gen 9:22-23). To be naked was now to be laid bare. Clothes were
required to cover our shame, becoming an outward symbol of an inward reality:
we need a covering (Ex 20:26). Nakedness was now synonymous with helplessness.
To be reduced to absolutely humility (Job 1:21).
Repentance
became synonymous with tearing one's clothes (Gen 44:13). Rending one's
garments physically displayed what was spiritually true: your shame was made
manifest and you were laid bare before God (Heb 4:13).
Yet
God provided coverings and garments meant to cover our nakedness and to cover
our sinful shame (Ex 28:2). Our sins were likened to filthy rags, but His
righteousness was likened to white linens (Zech 3:3-5). What we wore before Him
was dirty, but what He provided was fresh and clean.
The
principle remained: sin required a covering. Jesus told a story of a wedding
feast where the filthy and poor were invited. When one refused to change into
the appropriate garments, he was cast out of the wedding and out into utter
darkness (Matt 22:11-13). What covers you matters. And when our sinfulness is
exposed to God's holiness, we run for cover (Luke 23:30). Sin requires a
covering, but not just any covering will do.
Our
nakedness before a holy God can only be covered by finding ourselves clothed in
Christ (Gal 3:27). His life covers our death. His death covers our lives. In
Him, clothed in His righteousness, we are made right with God (Rom 4:7). We are
encouraged as Christians to put off our sins like dirty old digs and put on
Christ like fresh, new clothes (Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:10).
In the
end, those who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone will be
granted the privilege of wearing white just like a bride on her wedding day
(Rev 19:8). What we wear matters and how we try to cover ourselves counts for
something. We all instinctually know that our sins require a covering. That's
why we lie about them or hide them or provide cover stories for why what we're
being accused of is not really what we did (Pr 28:13). But only Christ covers
sins in God's sight. In Him, they are covered completely.
There
is more, of course, but that is a Cook's Tour of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to: CLOTHES
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