I hate shopping for clothes for anyone, but
especially me. It is a necessity as
exciting as a root canal. Of course,
tools are a different matter! J But I discovered last year that shopping for
prom dresses for my daughter WITH my sister could actually be fun. We started out early, heading to the States
where the variety is much larger and prices much lower, and headed in our
predetermined path.
At the first
store Amy tried on several dresses. We
all searched for dresses that we thought she’d look good in and were her
size. She’d try on dress after dress
while my sister and I pointed out the good or bad points of the dress
concerning colour, style, features, but most of all how those particular things
looked on her. Did they suit her or
not. After many dresses that weren’t
really ‘the one’ I went out and saw a dress of the perfect colour for her but a
size bigger. The sales lady said to try
it anyway, and boom, it was just right.
Amy looked amazing. I cried of
course…
Though it did
seem ‘the perfect’ dress, Amy wanted to make sure, so we put it on hold and
went to several other stores. Nothing
was good enough anymore, always having one or more problems that made each
dress undesirable. Only one dress came
close, but the back looked strange on Amy’s particular shape. Returning to the first store we bought ‘the perfect’
dress and found ‘the perfect’ shoes in the store next door. We had fun shopping that day- yes, even me.
All that
time, concern and effort on a singular dress for a singular event, that in the
grand scheme of life has little or no eternal value. How sad.
But there is a dress of which we should be concerned- men included- for
it does have eternal value. Read on…
…For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife
has prepared herself. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
And he said to me, Write, Blessed are
those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb… Rv. 19:7-9
And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Rv. 19:14
I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul will be
joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with
the robes of salvation, He covered me with the robe of righteousness like a
bridegroom adorns himself with
ornaments, and like a bride adorns herself
with her jewels. Is. 61:10
We are
invited to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus (Jh. 1:29 ) who was slain (Rv. 13:8) for our salvation and rose
to give us eternal glory (Rm. 4:25 ). He wishes us to be His bride. “For I am jealous over
you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” (2Cr. 11:2)
Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,
that He might present it to Himself as
the glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it
should be holy and without blemish. Ep. 5: 25-27
But let patience have its perfect work, so that you
may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. Jm. 1:4
The church
becomes perfect and complete, lacking nothing as we walk together with Christ
Jesus in this world learning to obey His will.
If we are to be allowed to be arrayed in fine linen (righteousness) then
we must be washed by the blood of the Lamb- for He was without spot or blemish
(sin-2Cr. 5:2; 1Pt. 2:22). That
salvation should give us a desire to live for God. Our efforts should be for His kingdom.
knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things… but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; 1Pt. 1:18,19
How much more shall the blood of Christ (who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot
to God) purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hb. 9:14
When Jesus
returns, He comes for His bride; a bride without spot or wrinkle, one prepared
for His coming. “And I, John, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her Husband.” (Rv. 21:2)
A city always speaks of it’s people.
(eg. All of Toronto came out to see the game) So the New Jerusalem, though it may be a
city- Jesus is not married to the city but the people in it- is those who are
saved by Him. Jew. Gentile.
All of us saved by His precious blood, now His eternal bride dressed in
the only dress with eternal value- the one clean and white, without spot or
wrinkle.
Therefore, beloved, looking for these things,
be
diligent, spotless, and without blemish,
to be found by Him in peace.
2Pt. 3:14
You are all
fair, My love; no blemish is in you.
SoS. 4:7