Are You Dressed for Salvation?
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s devotional is about fixing things with the help of the Holy Spirit. The scripture outlines the ways of the poor, the broken and the restored. It is the story of Jesus ministering to an entire nation and our need to dress up, grow up into Christlikeness. It is about Jesus being rejected and the clear difference between religious activity and spiritual growth. It is about what we believe and what we intend for ourselves and others. Are You Dressed for Salvation?
Scripture: Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Psalm 80:3 (NRSV)
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; but you shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Isaiah: 61 (NRSV)
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14 (NRSV)
Message: If we are clothed in the Holy Spirit… if we confess our faults… if God covers us in His provision and protection… if we are indeed saved by His gift of grace, forgiven…then we need to act like it. Jesus is the example. Though He was rich he became poor. In Matthew we read the parable about the importance of righteousness…of being clothed in His grace. We are offered the garment but we have to accept it and wear it. Similarly in today’s Old Testament messianic wisdom we learn not to judge a person’s financial success as a sign of maturity in the faith. We learn that the real poor are those that have yet to find riches in Jesus Christ. Check out whose face is shining with inner beauty in the face of death. The poor, who are in need of food and shelter and comfort, are often more willing to admit that they need a Savior and Lord than a wealthy person filled with the arrogance of self-sufficiency. At the bottom of the social-economic barrel are often people ready for deliverance. But when financially wealthy people become poor in their brokenness even they may be willing to ask for help and the Holy Spirit can provide exactly what is needed…. Selfish human nature does not like to admit its weakness but when it does something very special happens. We cannot cloth our self. We have to accept the garment of grace. The poor get this. And when the wealthy become broken and are restored, when we out of pain and suffering we too can see Jesus in the lives of others who are in need…we all receive a double blessing for the Kingdom. The poor and broken sharing the Good News of Christ contains the hope the real poor need. We live in a paradox…that the wealthiest nation on earth is also the poorest… that the poorest can be the wealthiest when we show love for one another. Are you dressed for the party? Are you dressed for the wedding this morning? You can be, but you must be dressed in Jesus and His righteousness alone. If we truly love and accept Christ’s love we will be clothed in garments worthy of a wedding.
Pray that we learn to clothe ourselves in love so that others might come to know the perfect unity in Christ. Pray that we would be ready to unbind the grave clothes of others so that our actions would glorify Him. Pray God reclothe us in our rightful mind. Pray our character is clothed in Christ. Pray that we clothe ourselves with the collar of compassion and the cuff of kindness. Pray that we be surrounded by the hem of humility and girdle ourselves with gentleness. Pray that we put on the pants of patience to find peace. Pray that we clothe ourselves with the pattern of Christ as our model. Pray that the clothing of Christ be sewn with the thread that binds us all together…love. Pray we begin to look like Christ. Pray we are dressed in the garment of praise and grace. Pray we have matured in the faith enough to accept the invitation and garment provided by God’s love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 