When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
Several months ago I was driving the car and listening to music. I can take you to the stretch of highway where this line of lyrics blared out above every other word that had been broadcast that afternoon. To my ears, the song seemed to sound like this: "Bah dah duh dah, nuh nuh-nuh num, DRESSED IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE, doo-bee doo dah, muh nuh-nuh num."
"Dressed in His Righteousness....Alone." Alone? Like nobody around me? hmmmm. No! His righteousness alone. Like nothing covering me besides His... In other words: Naked in Jesus. Oh dear me.
Stunned by such a fresh revelation in a song so often sung, I sat fearfully ashamed of my spiritual physique so glaringly exposed. And then, in dynamic contrast to the earlier blast, God whispered this confirmation from Scripture.
Romans 13:14 says "...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ..."
What a relief. What a challenge. A precious & pivotal idea. My only hope.
Colossians 4:12-14 "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
This gives me much to consider on so many levels as I linger in my closet and prepare for the day. I throw off the tainted garments of sin and selfishness and stand bare before the One who knows me through and through. As I choose - as I consciously determine the apparel that will be perceivable to others, I must willingly decide to clothe myself with the character of Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness & patience.
And just before stepping out, I remember that the secret to a great presentation is that perfect scarf that completes the ensemble and pulls it all together in unity. Love. I choose love. A divinely designed scarf of love that will cover the multitude of shortcomings that are sure to snag my attempts toward righteousness. And it will provide a pattern of peace that will gracefully draw the other fabrics together.
Brings new meaning to "getting ready for my day" and "prayer closet".
PS. I REALLY wanted to title this post, "Nude and Improved".
I refrained. You're welcome.
