Walking With Christ

2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (1)For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2)For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, (3)if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.(ESV)

There are a lot of clothing metaphors in the bible. They all tie back to a common theme.

Isaiah 61:10 talks about garments of salvation. Ephesians 6:11-17 talks about the armor of God. 1 Peter 5:5 says to cloth ourselves with humility. Romans 13:12 talks about the armor of light. In the 2 Corinthians verse above it speaks about out earthly body as a tent for the soul that will be replaced with a permanent upgrade in heaven.

There is a story in the bible where one person put on cloths that didn’t belong to them in order to get something that they didn’t deserve.

Isaac wanted to pass his blessing on to his firstborn son, Esau, but his wife had other plans. She prepared the food that Isaac had specifically asked for in the way that Esau would have made it. She put hairy goat skins on Jacob to cover the parts of him not covered by his brothers clothes. When Jacob took the soup to Isaac, Isaac was immediately suspicious because the food was brought to him too quickly. He began to test the person who brought him the food. “Come close so I may touch you.” Jacob felt like Esau because of the goat fur. The food was right. The voice was Jacob’s but the food was right and he felt like Esau. One more test. “Come close that I may kiss you.”

When Jacob got close enough to Isaac to kiss him, Isaac smelled the clothes Jacob was wearing and recognized the smell of Esau. That was when he was finally convinced that the person who had brought him the food was, in fact, Esau and it was time to give his blessing. Jacob received the blessing intended for his brother, Esau, because he was wearing his clothes and made the same offering that Esau would have made.

With all of the verses above, the garments or clothes being discussed do not belong to us. They come from Jesus. When we serve Him then we put on His garments.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.(ESV)

When we accept His gifts through faith then we are covered in His blood. This is the final test that changes everything to prepare us to receive the ultimate blessing that we are not worthy of.

2 Corinthians 2:15-17 (15)For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (16)to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? (17)For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.(ESV)

When we accept the free gifts of Christ, we put on His clothes and try to live as He did, in a way to honor the Father, then when we are covered in His blood to pay for our sins then we will even smell like Jesus to God, the Father, who will pour out immeasurable blessings on us with the love of a perfect Father who loves His Son for all eternity.