A Built Proof Vest

Every soldier wants the built proof vest as they go into battle. A vest that covers the really vital organs. As one can still function if you get hit in the arm or leg being hit in the chest or upper body is a completely different story. It was no different in Paul’s day. Soldiers wore either a leather or brass covering over their chest to protect them from the blows of battle. As Paul describes the armor it is mentioned that it is God’s armor not someone else’s. This reminds me of David trying to go into battle against Goliath in King Saul’s armor but is unable because it does not fit him and is too heavy. But God’s armor is suitable for every person no matter how big or how small we are. No matter how much faith we have or how well we know God, His armor is sufficient. We can then read that the Ephesians 6:14 as the breastplate of God’s righteousness. This righteousness is something that He gives us and not something that we have earned. This breastplate or built proof vest is that which protects us from the accuser and gives us a new life.

Paul alludes to Isaiah 59:17 as it speaks about God putting on His breastplate of righteousness. The picture created here is that God will act on behalf of those who have been afflicted. He will bring salvation to those who have been enslaved and will bring judgement on the oppressor.

As we look at the structure of Isaiah, we see that it consists of sixty-six chapters the same number of books in the Bible. The first thirty- nine chapters of Isaiah correspond to the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament which largely anticipate the coming of Messiah. We also see that the in these chapters Isaiah is speaking to a nation that has been imprisoned. The people of God had fallen deep into the ways of sin. . . material prosperity brought spiritual decline. The people forsook God and His ways of righteousness. . . Everywhere there was injustice, for magistrates judged for reward and rulers were primarily interested in pleasure and personal gain. Greed, and vice were the order of the day. As the rich became richer the poor became poorer, many sank into the depths of poverty and were reduced to the status of slaves. The last twenty-seven chapters of Isaiah parallel the twenty-seven chapters of the New Testament because they speak a great deal about Messiah and His Kingdom as the Servant of the Lord. Chapters 1-39 speak of man’s great need of salvation while chapters 40-66 reveal God’s provision of Salvation in Messiah and His kingdom.

When Paul calls us to put on this breastplate of righteousness, he is calling us to live in that which the Messiah has provided for us. You may be wondering what does John 8:1-11 have to do with any of this? This is an interesting story where the religious leaders want to trap Jesus by getting Him to declare a death penalty on the lady which is what the law of Moses required there by changing the image of Jesus from one who has come to seek and save the lost. They were also wanting to get Jesus in trouble with the Roman’s. But within this story there is a wonderful picture of Jesus.

A woman is thrown down at the feet of Jesus. According to Deuteronomy 22:23,24 the only reason for the stoning of the woman was because she was betrothed. Just for clarification the man was also to be stoned but, in this story, found in John he was nowhere to be found. The scholars suggest that the woman was actually a girl, not even a teenager. The leaders call on Jesus to give a judgment on the girl and what does Jesus do. Jesus acts in righteousness. This means that He acts in a means to save, so wear the breastplate of righteousness means to wear the gift of salvation. Jesus kneels next to the girl and He gives her life. Putting on the righteousness of God means to accept His covenantal faithfulness in His action to save us. What was the covenant that God made with Abraham? Was it not that He would bless Him and give Him a land to inherit and that though him all the nations of the world would be blessed?

God’s covenantal faithfulness is still in action today He is still working and acting to save us so that we can inherit the land that has been prepared for us. Jesus says that I am going to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also.

Did the girl deserve to die? Well according to the letter of the law she did. She also deserved to die for what the Jews believed to be one of the worst sins. But Jesus steps in. I can see Him standing in front of the girl as to protect her from any stone that would be thrown. He was covering the girl with Himself. She did not ask for it, she could not do anything to save herself. There was nothing that she could do.

Satan’s aim is to destroy God’s kingdom and accuses us and points out our unworthiness to be called the children of God. A little later in John 8 we see Jesus refer to the religious leaders as being children of the devil because they are doing what he wants them to do. In this story of the girl being accused they are about the work of satan because they want to destroy Jesus by using this girl. The religious leaders and satan point out the sins the girl. He points out her defective characters, he shows cases her weakness, folly, and ingratitude and her unlikeness to Christ. Satan uses all these as he longs for her destruction. He points out that her case is worthless and that she cannot be saved.

This is a small glimpse as to what goes on in our lives. This is a glimpse of what is happening which we do not see. We are the girl caught in adultery. A woman in the Bible represents a church and we are individually God’s church and we have whether we like it or not committed adultery and now satan throws us down in front of Jesus and says that we deserve to die.

Although there was nothing that she could do there was something that Jesus could do. He covered her with His own righteousness. What does this mean? Jesus does not cover up our sin, but rather He takes it way. It clears the guilty from guilt. It means that she was justified, made righteous. She had undergone a radical change. The sin that she had committed had been canceled. She can claim Isaiah 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness… This robe that she received was a gift to her from Jesus Romans 5:17 says, For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ. The gift that she received was the perfect life of Jesus. It was His robe not her works. It was Jesus dyeing her death. The perfect Jesus, God, died the death she deserved so that she might live. Righteousness means the gift of salvation it is not expected from the law and cannot be produced by the keeping of the law. It is a gift from the loving sacrifice of Jesus in His life, death and resurrection.

This story portrays the cosmic battle that has been waging for thousands of years. You and I are a part of this battle. God desires us to be protected from the accusations of the satan. He therefore calls us to put on the righteousness of Jesus. This is crucial in our salvation. Our efforts to clean our filthy rags achieve nothing. We need Jesus stand over us. We need to accept His perfect life as our new life. While Jesus does not condone sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save.

The breastplate of righteousness is salvation. It is believing that we are not condemned but saved. Jesus says to the girl go and sin no more. It was a call to live a new life, a life of purity and peace, one that was devoted to the service of God. Ellen White tells us that is woman became one of Jesus most steadfast followers and her life from then on was characterized as self-sacrificing love and devotion to Jesus.

We are this woman. We are crouched in the dust waiting for the first stone to be thrown. But Jesus has given us a new life. Our accusers have been silenced. As Jesus places the breastplate of His righteousness on us and removes our filthy rages. He then bids us to walk in this new life. Friends are our lives a witness to the saving grace of Jesus. Are we living a life of self-sacrificing love to Him? Are our lives devoted to Him?

Jesus has pity on us. He knows our struggles while the world scorns us Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. Jesus reaches out His helping hand, will you take hold of it? Will you now walk in newness of life? Will you now walk asking God what can you do for Him even if it means doing something that you are not comfortable doing? As we all go into this new week being assured of the righteousness of Jesus let us now ask God in loving response to His loving gift of salvation what can I do for You to say thank you.

Amen