Clothes of Salvation

"I delight greatly in the Lord;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

d

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

and praise spring up before all nations.

d

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,

till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,

her salvation like a blazing torch.

c

The nations will see your righteousness,

and all kings your glory;

you will be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

c

You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand,

a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No longer will they call you Deserted,

or name your land Desolate.

But you will be called Hephzibah,

and your land Beulah;

for the Lord will take delight in you,

and your land will be married.

As a young man marries a maiden,

so will your sons marry you;

as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,

so will your God rejoice over you.

Isaiah 61:10-11, 62:1-5 NIV

READ Isaiah 62:1-64:12

SITUATION Isaiah prophesied that God would one day be proud of his people--a day to long for, prepare for, and pray for. Recollecting God's past favors and faithfulness, Isaiah passionately pleaded for God's compassion and mercy. He asked that Israel's enemies be punished.

OBSERVATION When Jesus Christ came and provided a way for salvation, God would exalt his people. God would see his children as people without sin because Jesus paid their penalty.

INSPIRATION The holiness we are to exhibit is not our own, but the holiness of Christ in us. We are not holy, and we will not become holy humans. Christ in us can manifest His holiness if we will yield our flesh to His holiness in us by grace. Not a once-for-all-time transaction, this is a daily, moment-by-moment striving to live more by the Spirit and less by the flesh.

...A friend bought his daughter a new car, but it must sit in the garage until she reaches the legal driving age. Until her sixteenth birthday she only has partial use of the car, when accompanied by an adult. Similarly, holiness is like a gift already purchased for us (by the blood of Christ), but we cannot have full use of it until a certain date in the future (our glorification).

Becoming holy is a process which includes God's part and our part. On one hand, our part is to stay out of God's part--to yield, to surrender, to stop seeking God on our own terms. But our part is to obey. It is to enter His rehabilitation program.

When you put yourself under a doctor's care, he cannot help you if you don't follow his instructions. As the patient surrenders his own good ideas and obeys the doctor's instruction, he becomes well. The same is true in sanctification. If you and I want to be made holy, then we must also actively obey His instructions.

We have no more power to make ourselves holy than a dying man has to save himself. We are weak and tried and we cannot offer much help. However, we can submit to his rehabilitation program--sanctification. The key to our part is faith--to seek Him in obedience. (From Walking with Christ in the Details of Life by Patrick Morley)

APPLICATION Are you working for God's kingdom? Are you active in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you tell others what God has done for you? All these things are done by those who desire to see God's kingdom come. Be an active member of God's kingdom.

EXPLORATION Holiness--Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 11:44-45; Psalm 93:5; Isaiah 4:2-4; Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:14-16.

The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers