I Will Not Be Quiet

Monday, December 29, 2008 ·

Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3
Salvation is like clothes that can be put on. Righteousness is like a jacket. Isaiah compares salvation and righteousness to stylish clothes and precious jewellery. Like clothes, what we wear can influence the way we behave. Put on an G-Star jacket and watch how the wearer starts to walk differently.

Take any beggar off the streets and clothe him with the latest fashion and the trendiest accessories and he is no longer seen and treated as a beggar. The same way it is with the believer. When God rescued us from the depths of hell, he clothed us with salvation and righteousness. And He no longer sees us as what we used to be. Isaiah says it is like a Bridegroom dressing like PRIEST with a beautiful headdress. A BRIDE with her jewels. When we are dressed by God, our identity is also changed. He no longer treats us like beggars, sinners or scum. But we are now seen BY GOD as pure, clean, like royalty.

A garment is no good if we keep it in the cupboard. Garments are meant to be put on. We cannot be ashamed of God’s righteousness and salvation. We cannot be afraid to put it on. Many of us have been brought up in a meritocratic society and we have been taught to put our best effort into what we do. And we have tried to bring it into our relationship with God. The truth is that we cannot handle the fact that we’re getting something for nothing. That our value is suddenly not based on what we do but what we’ve received. Many of us still try to put on our own righteousness and we try to do things to justify ourselves.

The bible says that our righteousness is like filthy rags. All our efforts to please Him cannot compare to the genuine, authentic forgiveness, the free gift of righteousness that He has provided.
Isaiah 64:6 => All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

See the comparison? Our efforts? Filthy rags
His Free Gift of Jesus? Cool clothes and jewellery!
Its not a difficult decision.


I Like Christmas Sermons.

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