Page 82 - Maranatha (1976)

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White Raiment Required, March 11
When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which
had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how
camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?
Matthew 22:11,
12
.
By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless
character which Christ’s true followers will possess. To the church it is given
“that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” “not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing.”
Revelation 19:8
;
Ephesians 5:27
. The fine
linen, says the Scripture, “is the righteousness of saints.”
Revelation 19:8
. It
is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through
faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.
The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they
were placed by God in holy Eden.... But when sin entered, they severed
their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed....
Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence....
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.”
Isaiah 64:6
.
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.”
1 John 3:5
....
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.
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