Rag & Robe

Sin is a widely misunderstood concept by many. Some use other terms rather than sin such as shortcomings, faults, mistakes, and many other euphemisms. But God calls sin as sin. He calls things for what it is according to the category and the gravity. He does not sugar coat things or beat around the bush.

Moreover, we need a solution to sin. As humans, we have no solution for sin. Only God brought out and solved the problem of our sins. It is the works of sin that stains our spirit. God wants us to live righteous as He is. He wants us to be spotless as He is. Just like how a father wants his children to be like him, God wants us to be like Him!
 
We have been looking into the festival of holiness this week. We, as humans, have limits and we cannot go beyond a certain limit. It is only God who can go above and beyond and do the impossible. He will be the refiner’s fire and the launderer’s soap. He is willing to work and purify us so we need to submit and let Him do the work. No one else other than God can purify us.

Yesterday we saw the 4 steps God takes;

1. Repentance 
2. Confession 
3. Forgiven 
4. Forgotten 

The first two are on us and the last two are God’s part.
 
Today we are looking into Isaiah 61:10 which says;
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

What is the reason behind rejoicing? It is simply because God has clothed each of us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness. We need to feel the joy deep down in our hearts.

When you wear a new dress that you just bought, it will bring happiness to you. Similarly, this is the type of happiness and rejoicing that will happen everyday if we live in His presence.
 
All our righteous deeds are like rags. We see 2 types of robes; that of self-righteousness and robe of righteousness. Even after we receive God into our lives, we fall privy to the grips of sin. Satan brings forth a lot of unwanted thoughts. And this in turn plants seeds of doubt and guilt into our minds.

Revelation 12:10-11 says;
(10) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
(11) They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.

 Imagine a scenario between two friends who were fighting but now they stopped and they have gone back to being friends. In between this, a third person comes in and gossips about one to the other. In such a situation, do not let this person enter and interfere. Reconciliation has already been established to the relationship. Similarly, this is what happens in the lives of most believers. We have been upgraded from His friends to His children. And Satan is trying to come in between our relationship with God all the time!

Beware - Satan takes control over the loose tongue (the accuser)!

How do we defeat the works of Satan?

1. The Blood of the Lamb 

As believers when we make mistakes, we just need to have faith in the blood of the Lamb. The same blood that was used to forgive countless numbers of sins is the answer. We need to believe that the Blood of the Lamb has purified us!

2. The Word of their Testimony

Our past, present and future sins are all covered by Jesus on the cross. We need to confess with our mouths that all our sins are taken care of by Him.

Romans 8:33-34 says (33) Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. (34) Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Jesus Christ who died for our sins sits on the right hand of the Father has interceded and saved us!

1 John 2:1-2 says (1) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (2 )He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

He has solved the problem of sin not only for us but for EVERYONE!