The Clothes we Wear
THE CLOTHES WE WEAR
TEXT: Genesis 3:6-11
INTRODUCTION: Clothes for the most part have always made statements about who we are. From the grunge look to the eloquent evening dress and Fortune 500 suit, the clothes we wear make a statement.
Kim Zoller of "Image Dynamics" suggests 55% of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look. She says we must learn to dress for success. Though we care about how we look and the image it gives, we know ultimately it is not the outward look that is important but the inward look at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Satan is a scoundrel.
1. Satan tempted and deceived man to sin and become naked.
2. Man is clothed in the garments of sin and unrighteousness, naked before God.
3. Man is need of being clothed by God.
4. God clothing Adam and Eve speaks of the clothing of salvation God offers.
5. Like the Emperor we who are stupid and incompetent will never see that we are naked and in need of being clothed by the hand of God.
6. Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
7. God desires to clothe us and cover our nakedness. But we must be willing to shed our garments of sinfulness and unrighteousness through confession and repentance.
I. CLOTHED IN THE SACKCLOTH'S OF REPENTANCE
A. Man's basic problem is his nakedness is revealed because he is sinful.
1. Man's basic need is to be clothed with repentance resulting in salvation.
2. Jesus came proclaiming that man needed to repent and be clothed in the garments of salvation . . . "Repent for the kingdom of God is near!"
B. Satan from the garden days to today continues to deceptively convince man that he is clothed when in reality he is sinfully naked before God.
1 Chronicles 21:1 Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
1. David chose to sin and 70,000 men died because of it. David begs to be clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance.
1 Chronicles 21:16‑17 Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued."
2. Daniel living in captivity, now under the hands of the Persians who had conquered Babylon was reading in the book of Jeremiah and realized that the sin of his people had put them where they were.
Daniel 9:1‑5 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, "we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
C. When is the last time you were clothed in the sackcloth of repentance? Broken over our failure to hear and do God's Word.
Psalms 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
1. Are we deceived to think we are clothed in the linens of self‑righteousness when in reality we are naked? The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that.
1 John 1:8‑10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2. Oh to be clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance to take away the nakedness of our sin.
II. CLOTHED IN THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. Satan desires to keep us in our naked sinfulness before God.
1. But He cannot for God's desire is to clothe us in the robe of righteousness.
2. Repentance brings about righteousness (see 1 John 1:9).
3. When we are clothed in the sackcloth's of repentance God clothes us in the robe of righteousness.
B. Oh but the scoundrel Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10) of those who are clothed in Christ.
1. He comes to say we are not fit to wear such righteous robes.
Zechariah 3:1‑4 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."
C. The prodigal son clothed himself in his self‑righteousness as he squandered his inheritance away on wasteful living that left him naked before God.
1. But praise be to God he came to his senses one day when that child like voice said, "You are naked and in need of your Father." He travels home hoping to find forgiveness and the chance to be a slave. Luke 15:18‑24
2. Did you notice the Father called to robe His son in the "best" robe.
a) No second rate robe was good enough for His son.
3. Did you notice what the Father said to do with the robe . . . "put it on him!"
a) Where had the son been? In the pigpen! He was smelly, and filthy. He didn't look like a son or smell like a son . . . but he was the Father's son and the Father said, "Put the robe on him!"
b) The robe covered all the filth and sin! The son was robed in right standing with his Father.
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,....
D. Are you in need of being clothed so as to hide your nakedness?
1. Begin the journey home in the sackcloth's of repentance and the Father will run to you to clothe and cover you in His robe of righteousness through Christ Jesus our Lord.
III. CLOTHED IN THE ARMOR OF REFLECTION
A. Having been clothed in the robe of righteousness through the sackcloth of repentance we stand ready to be clothed in the armor of God to reflect the One we now live for.
B. Here again Satan battles with us to keep us naked in thinking our own clothing is fine.
a) But we come to be clothed in the full armor God.
Ephesians 6:11-13 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
b) Reflect the truth of God that holds our lives together.
c) Reflect the righteousness of God in our hearts.
d) Reflect the gospel of peace as we walk in this life.
e) Reflect the faith in God that shields us from the attacks of Satan.
f) Reflect the salvation of God through our thoughts and actions.
g) Reflect the Word of God and use it to defend ourselves.
C. We must never put on the armor of man for then we will surely be defeated.
1. David refused to wear the armor of Saul to fight Goliath and went in the full armor of God and won the victory!
Romans 13:12‑14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
CONCLUSION: Satan would love to parade us naked before the world and make us think we are clothed. Only the stupid and incompetent would go for such a deception. Come home today in the sackcloth of repentance so as to be clothed in the robe of righteousness to reflect the full armor of God that gives us the victory. Make a statement with your clothes!
Psalms 30:11‑12 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Amen
I want to read you a story that is filled with spiritual truths of how we have been clothed. The story is titled, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Once upon a time there lived a vain emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people. Word of the Emperor's refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor's vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind. "We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality." The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel's strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels. "Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately. "Just tell us what you need to get started and we'll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well; in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense. "Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know." The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels. "We're almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead. "I can't see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I'm stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn't see anything, he would be discharged from his office. "What a marvelous fabric, he said then.”I'll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work. Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit. "Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding a large roll of fabric. "Here it is your Highness, the result of our labor," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn't know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing. The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth. "Your Highness, you'll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were there, he felt relieved. "Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You've done a fine job." "Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful about showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent. "All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. Applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd. Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!" "What a marvelous train!" "And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life." They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted. A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage. "The Emperor is naked," he said. "Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried: "The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It's true!" The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He thought it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn't see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.