Clothed part 1
Not too long ago I Ranted about nakedness. About how being naked it being vulnerable. Uncovered. Open and honest. Starting today I want to Rant about what it means to be clothed. So let's start with the beginning. After man realized and became ashamed of his nakedness--MAN was ashamed, not God--this happened: "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). One more time: God didn't have a problem with man's nakedness. He created us that way. He wanted us that way. But when MAN had a problem... God still stepped in and fixed it. Because He loves us. Man tried to cover himself up with fig leaves. But if you remember the story of Jesus and fig tree... Jesus cursed that tree because it doesn't bear fruit. He covered us up with animal skin. In my opinion... Lamb skin. He covered us up... with Himself! So that we wouldn't be ashamed anymore. So that we could continue to function. So now let's fast forward all the way to the end. We'll do the bookends today and then dig in to the middle for the next few days. Revelation 3:5, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Now I know that I look at "overcoming" differently than most folk do. I think most folk see it as the power to overcome. Whereas I see it as not needed to overcome. Because Jesus already overcame. He told us to be of good cheer because He HAS overcome the world. He already brought every mountain low and every valley high. He already placed us on the straight and narrow way that leads to life. We don't need to struggle all the time with every little--or every big--thing. Remember when Jesus was sleeping in the boat when the storm was raging? He wasn't worried about it. And then He just spoke the truth of the matter, "Peace, be still," and handled it. Probably thinking to Himself, "Any other problems you need solved?" Because, unlike Adam, Jesus knew who He was. Because Jesus knew who His Father was. He was comfortable in His own skin, if I can say it that way. He wasn't ashamed of who He was. He who overcomes. That's Jesus. Jesus is the overcomer. He who overcomes will be clothed in white raiment and His name shall be written in the book of life. In another place in Revelation it talks about us getting a white stone with our new (true) name written in it. I believe that is ONE white stone with ONE name written in it. The name of Jesus. Our true identity. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. See, when God clothed us in Lamb skin He wasn't just covering up our nakedness. He was imparting something to us. He was, as Romans 8:29 puts is, conforming us to the image of His Son. He wasn't just getting rid of who we weren't... He was showing us who we are. Who we really are. Which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. Clothed with white raiment. Giving a white stone. Clothed with Lamb skin. Christ in you the hope of glory. You in Christ, abiding and dwelling in His love. In the God who IS love!