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The Robe of Christ’s Own Righteousness, May 29
I counsel thee to buy of me ... white raiment, that you mayest be clothed, and
that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
Revelation 3:18
.
The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were
placed by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God. All
the strength of their affections was given to their heavenly Father. A beautiful soft
light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. This robe of light was a symbol of
their spiritual garments of heavenly innocence. Had they remained true to God, it
would ever have continued to enshroud them. But when sin entered, they severed
their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. Naked
and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing
together fig leaves for a covering.
This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam
and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness
caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising,
by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves
acceptable with God.
But this they can never do. Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his
lost robe of innocence. No fig-leaf garments, no worldly citizen dress, can be worn
by those who sit down with Christ and angels at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to
appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ
will put upon every repenting, believing soul....
This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human
devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character
He offers to impart to us. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Everything
that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God “was manifested
to take away our sins; and in him is no sin”....
By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey
God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with
His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the
thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means
to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon
us, He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but
His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah
(
Christ’s Object Lessons, 310-312
).
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