Clothed In White

Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-10

There is perhaps no more beautiful a picture either in nature than a scene blanketed in heavy snow. In southern West Virginia we have had the pleasure of having some slight but pretty snowfalls. Of course now that I am a little older and more wary of slick roads my liking to snow changes with my days off or my days working. However, despite the hazardous roads everyone can appreciate the beauty of the environment.

I believe firmly that God did not create anything for a singular purpose. I believe that everything we behold in this world has its useful purpose and its purpose to cause us to think spiritually. Snow is by far the greatest illustration of who we are in Christ and what we have...His Righteousnes.

Whenever I see snow covering the ground I am always reminded that this is the way God sees the believer, clothed in righteous white. The old nature of sin is covered by His blood, but that blood washes away the sin stain and He clothes us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, this is how and why we will be able to stand in the presence of the Holy God our Father. The fundamental difference between our earthly snow and the righteousness of Christ is that our snow covers and then fades away leaving the original material unaffected. The righteousness of Christ removes and then replaces. Let's look for a minute or two about some of the attributes of this . complete covering of God's righteousness.

First, the White Clothes of Righteousness are pure and undefiled.
Snow being white has the quality of purity and anything that falls on it of any other color we denote as a stain. For example when you see mud and slush on the road or in a parking lot piled in with snow from a plow, the snow isn't nearly as picturesque. Another example is when you see blood or a leaking substance of some other color on top of snow, the snow seems a bit grimy. The best example however is when we see a deep blanket of "virgin" undisturbed snow, we see a peaceful scene. Yet when a tire track or footprints marr it up, the scene is not as refreshing.
In the spiritual sense when we sin we stain our relationship with God, but notice that sin does not have an eternal stain. The righteous clothing we will one day wear are seen on us mortals already by the Father. That is to say when we sin, though we need forgiveness to restore our fellowship with God, we do not worry that the stain of sin now keeps us from our Eternal home and placement as a son or daughter in Christ. We cannot stain, tear up, marr, disfigure or in any wise defile our eternal standing. The Bible says in John 10:29, that no one can pluck us from the Father's hand, not even we ourselves. However, even if it were possible to defile and sin our way out of righteousness, the true believer would never trade his or her old lifestyle for their new one. Just as if someone gave you a brand new, never worn white coat to wear, you would not trade it for some old tattered stained coat found on the side of the road. Neither would you take your new coat and role around in mud willingly. Thanks be to God that when we do sin, it does not forever defile our righteousness because it is His righteousness undefiled we wear.

Second, the White Clothes of Righteousness are costly. Even though salvation through Christ cost us nothing, it cost Him everything. He gave us His coat of pure righteousness that no one but Himself owned and traded it for our stinking, vile, rotten tattered rags of sin. I am afraid we as believers today take little appreciation of the gift we are given. We see little how sinful we are and how perfect Christ is. This free white clothing of ours is an exclusive garment. Exclusive garments always cost. Christ willingly laid down not only His life, but His sinless reputation on our execution block. He willingly submitted to the death of the lowest human sort and descended down to the most miry depths of filth, who knew no such filth, that we might have His life, who knew no such glorious life. Its a complete loving concept I can never describe the whole of because there is nothing to relate it to in human terms. Even if we give our life for another man, we still don't pay as much to give our mortal existence as He did to give us His Heavenly existence for eternity.

Third, the White Clothes of Righteousness are everlasting and unconditional. If there is any greater depth of understanding and appreciation of what Christ has done for us in giving His unspotted Righteousness to us, is that it cannot be voided or have an end. We have nothing to compare to this in the world. Everything we have, earn, and have attributed to us will desert you in the hour of death. This is why nothing can satisfy. King Solomon spent most of his life in the pursuit of every possible pleasure only to find everything was of no value. The fundamental reason for this is worth writing down, All of your possessions and fame are of this world, you are not. So this makes the free gift of God even more attractive. God does not give us something that we will see become worn over the centuries. Righteousness never gets old or needs replacing. The effects of sin cannot touch your eternal righteousness in Christ because sin will never be present where the redeemed soul dwells. The clothes of righteousness simply cannot wear out because they are your whole being, not a covering.

Just as the clothes of righteousness are everlasting they cannot be removed for any reason. It was customary in Biblical days for a ruling family to be stripped of all their power and glamor when they were conquered or forced into exile. A king without a kingdom or devoted servants was no more royal or of noble status than the common man. Furthermore, a person could not become a person of nobility unless they had it in their bloodline. However, none of us who have been given righteousness has any other claim to the Heavenly throne of our own selves. Conditionally speaking, as humans none of us have any sure lasting claim to the glorious Hope. However again, Christ did not come to save on the premise of quality or special birthright. To take away our righteousness, someone would have to be more powerful than the King who gave it. There are none to do this. God told Isaiah, there are none before Me, there shall be none after Me. What we have in Christ is most solid and secure.

Lastly, the White Clothes of Righteousness are the mark of a changed life. Many people can say they are turning over a new leaf in life, or making change happen, but unless they have Christ and His righteousness present in them, all they do will not matter. Most worldly change is social in nature, that is to say, more common good for man in charities and housing is done, more communal enrichment, more cultural enrichment, etc. While all this is very good, its not good enough. The inner man is still sinful, he or she has the same morality problems, the same personal hangups, the same cold spiritual temperature no matter how much religion is included. A Truly Changed life wears Christ righteousness. A person truly changed in Christ sill contributes to society in a positive way, they hopefully have good relations with the world around them, yet in all they do the reason is because they are eternally minded and desire not to build their own reputation, but give God all the glory in what they do. Advancing the Kingdom of Christ is the truly changed person's ultimate goal, for they know that all of what we have here on Earth will quickly dissolve and only what is done for Christ will last. That greater good work for mankind will focus more on the salvation of souls as we help with the earthly needs.
If you experience a person, who despite the worldly norm, are different in character, spiritual desire and desire for God's glory is one whom Christ has clothed in White. This is the person all men should desire to be, yet few will desire the narrow road. But we know according to John 1, whoever believes on the name of Christ will be called the sons and daughters of God and be changed inside out.

In conclusion, Are you Clothed in White? Does the purity and unconditional cloak of Righteousness cover you? Simply a decision to trust in Christ, changes you forever and gives each of us what we all need but none could afford--Clothes of Unblemished, Unstained, Unrestricted White.

Dear Lord Jesus, we simply thank You for something so amazing and wonderful that you freely give us. Thank You for Your desire for we the undeserving to be joint heirs with You. Thank You for Your White Righteousness that makes us holy before You for all Eternity! Amen.