Clothed With Christ

What clothes do you wear to do messy jobs? What clothes do you wear to celebrate special occasions? What clothes do you wear when playing sports? Are they the same clothes you wear when lounging?

No matter what we wear, each of us gets to decide how we present ourselves. What we put on in the morning says something about us and our approach to the day ahead. Even if you’re the husband who jokes, “I don’t make that decision; my wife picks out my clothes,” you’ve accepted that you want to look your best and trust your wife to know how to achieve that better than you.

My wife, who loves me unconditionally, has always looked out for me in how I present myself. On more than one occasion, she has fixed the collar on my shirt and said, “This shirt is wrinkled. People are going to think nobody loves you.” One way she shows her love is by helping me look good—or at least trying.

We also often have a conversation that starts with me asking, “What are we wearing to this event?” What I really mean is, “How important is this event, and how much effort should I put in?” Either way, what I wear says something both to me and to the people I’m with.

Isaiah 61:1a, 3, and 10 says:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to…

3 …to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul 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 like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

In these verses, we see imagery of a bride and groom adorned in beautiful splendor. Verse 3 describes a bride wearing a crown instead of ashes, a symbol of sorrow and heartbreak. Gladness and praise replace sadness and despair. In verse 10, like a groom and bride dressed on their wedding day with crowns and jewels, this scripture tells us that we can put on salvation and righteousness.

When I read this passage, it’s easy for me to say, “Yes, give me that spirit!” If you agree, your follow-up might be, “How do I get it, and why is it offered?” This requires more Bible study to fully understand. Case and point, Luke 4:18-19, Jesus reads part of this passage from Isaiah—specifically verse 1 of Isaiah 61. This provides the how.

Jesus is the reason salvation, righteousness, praise, and gladness are available to us—not because of what we can do, but because of what He has done.

As for the why, you may already be guessing it. The why for Jesus is the same as the why for a bride and groom on their wedding day: because of love.

• Love is the reason God sent His Son (John 3:16).
• Love is the reason Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8).
• Love is what leads to life—everlasting life—through Jesus Christ (1 John 4:9).

I am in church most weeks. I don’t wear a tie to church most weeks. Almost every time I do wear a tie, someone (often a senior saint) will ask me, “What are you doing today? Are you preaching?” They notice I look different, so they assume something special must be happening.

I recently had a conversation with an older brother in the faith. He inquired why I was dressed extra nice that Sunday. I confessed that I was tired and honestly felt like staying home in bed. He said, “When I feel like that, I just want to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt.” I completely agreed but added, “It’s easier to change my wardrobe than to change my attitude sometimes. But if I change my wardrobe, it can have an impact on my attitude.”

You probably know the quote popularized by Deion Sanders: “Look good, feel good.” Basically, the takeaway is that what I decide to wear has an impact on my day.

In conclusion, the same Spirit that anointed Jesus to bring gladness, praise, salvation, and righteousness is the Spirit I want working in my life so that the message of love will be my message.

This Christmas season may God’s people wear gladness and praise rather than sadness and despair, salvation and righteousness rather than being lost and sinful, and life and love over death and anger.

May we pray to be anointed by His Spirit. May we rise each day and put that on before anything else.