Dressed in White

The times we live in are truly a time of trouble for Christians and non-believers alike. This year has seen death steal young people from families. As well, a friend shared that her adult children have had divorce, insanity, poverty and other calamities enter into their lives. There is a spiritual climate around us that contains warfare, yet we do not see the forces that are at work to destroy lives, families, and the works we do for the Lord. These adverse events cause us to pray for our loved ones’ protection and God’s favor on our lives.

This morning the Lord had me read Ps 86:2; “Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.” On 11/21/10 I posted a lesson on devotion. It is a life-style that results in a close walk with the Lord. This morning the Lord spoke about that walk, and how it will bring protection into our lives.

In Rev 3:5-6 it is written that “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before My Father and His angels.” In the spiritual war we are experiencing, we need the Father and His angels to take our protection as their cause. To have our name before them, or in front of their vision, we must walk with Jesus in white (see Rev 3:4).

We see another comment about the garments we wear in Jude :23. There we read that it is the corruption of our flesh that stains our garment. Yet, it is our Lord and Savior that has the ability to keep us from falling, and to present us “without fault” to God our Father. Our walk with the Lord will contain the process of on-going sanctification so that we will be presentable to the Father. Our sanctification cleanses our garment, making it white.

Jesus asks us to be dressed, and ready. In Luke 12 we read the parable about being God’s servant. Jesus asks His servants to be “dressed ready to serve and keep your lamps burning,” (Lk 12:35). He contrasts the faithful servant with the unfaithful, showing that the delay in His return brought out the worst in the second servant, who ate, got drunk, and beat the servants he was supposed to care for (vs 45). Because the servant grew tired of waiting, he doubted, and because of doubt, he went into a walk of the flesh. Doubt became the door-opener into a self-centered, self-serving life-style. Instead of living a life devoted to serving the Lord, the unfaithful servant served himself and was not “dressed ready to serve.”

Walking in our flesh hinders us from being prepared for Jesus. When we walk in our flesh we do not serve God, but we serve ourselves, and this stains our garment. Jesus asks us to “watch” by being clothed, and warns us that He will come as a thief, catching some unprepared. For those who have walked with Him in white and not fulfilled the desires of their flesh, He brings rewards. But for those who are caught with stains on their garments he will take from them and give to those who have been faithful, thus being a “thief” who takes what has once been given.

Jesus tells us that His coming will be like a thief, catching some naked, without any clothes on (Rev 16:15). If we are not walking with Him in white, we will be shamefully exposed. Yet, if we allow the sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit into our lives He will confess our names to the Father and His angels. Taking into consideration the times of spiritual warfare we are in, we need to ask ourselves if the desires of our flesh are worth losing God’s grace and protection over. Do we want to see God glorified in our lives, making a difference in our families and our communities? Then let us walk with Him in sanctification, allowing the troubles in our lives to cleanse our robes until they are white (Rev 7:14). Our walk of devotion will reach up into the heavens, bringing our name before the Father and His angels. Amen.