I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness | Isaiah 61.10
We looked this week at the Parable of the Wedding Garment and at the need for us to have our sin covered by the grace of Jesus. The question that arises from this parable is: what does it look like to wear the ‘garment of salvation?’ How does being covered affect how we live?
Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. | Philippians 1.18-21
SHAME | having your sin covered takes away shame. Shame is the negative emotion that comes from the result of guilt; guilt is being responsible for the breaking of a standard. In our society, guilt and shame are always perceived as bad things, but they are only bad if based on a bad standard. Shame that comes from knowing you are guilty is a good thing if it comes from a good standard. The reality that you fall short allows you to seek help. Shame reveals your need; being covered by Jesus takes away the shame. Taking on the ‘robe of righteousness’ does not pretend that you are okay, but remakes you in the likeness of Jesus. You have no shame because He has given you His perfection.
CONFIDENCE | removing shame makes us confident. Much of our fear comes from insecurity: the feeling that you don’t belong. Receiving the righteousness of Christ removes the fear; belonging is promised. No longer do you have to worry if this act, or that mistake will be the one that pushes you over the line and makes you unworthy of God. YOU ARE UNWORTHY, but you belong, and with that comes assurance.
BOLD | having our shame replaced with confidence gives us the freedom to be bold. We can be the ones who say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done, and take the risk of having our reputation ruined, because our reputation doesn’t define us any longer. The most amazing thing about taking on Christ is that it gives us the ability to not weigh every decision on ‘what does this mean for me.’ We become so overwhelmed by His grace, His free gift, that we begin to look at all things (even death) as a means to bring glory to Him. If you are a Christian, your life has been remade; you are now free to worship God through bold proclamation of His goodness, in word and deed.
You are a rejected stone, redeemed by God to build for Himself a presence in this world. God is known in the world through us. What do know from your life? What are you wearing?