So often people are turned off by Christians because they believe we have a "holier than thou" attitude. And sad to say, in some cases that is true. So I was thinking about what it is that makes us different from unbelievers. We are not better than. We are not more than. We are fallible, failing sinful human beings just like them. What makes us different is we have better clothes!
It's not our good works that makes us different. Unbelivers have good works too. Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. So no, it's not because we do a bunch of good things. Jesus even warned against our good deeds being a source of pride for us. Matthew 6:1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. Our good deeds were determined by the Father long before we were even born. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Our good works are only to bring glory to our Father, not ourselves. Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
So it's not about good works. Both believers and nonbelievers do good and bad things. I myself was and still am sinful. I fall short, I make mistakes, and can be willfully disobedient. Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Before Jesus, I was a wretched, shameful, guilty sinner. And that was the way God saw me. Condemned. Destined for all eternity to be separated from my loving Creator and Father living in Hell.
The difference is that I now have better clothes. I do not come before God in my own filthy rags of righteousness. I come now in the beautiful, pure white robe of Christ. Isaiah 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. I have traded my sinfulness for Christ's righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
When we turn to Christ and believe His Gospel, He gives us His own righteousness. The Father sees this new clothing covering us and sees us as redeemed. We are no longer condemned, but forgiven, accepted and adopted. Our destination is not longer Hell, but Heaven. There is now a place for us there prepared by Jesus Himself. John 14:2-3 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
There is nothing we can do to earn these clothes from God. This robe is a gift from Him to us, born out of His love and sacrifice. John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we walk through Holy Week this week, Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday coming, think about this gift of God. Do you have a robe of righteousness? Have you accepted the gift of salvation?
Revelation 7:9-17 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Amen!! Amen!
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