What Should I Wear Today?

It is appropriate that I post this article on a Sunday morning. Christians all over the world have considered or are considering what they should wear today. If you are a lover of sovereignty and grace, I hope this article will bless you. If you are one who struggles with the matters of sovereignty and grace, I hope this article will bless you as well.

Perhaps it is the question that has been ask more times than any other. All over the world, people ask it every day. What should I wear today? To be sure, some of us spend more time and energy answering this question than others, but to some degree, each of us ask it every day of our lives. Imagine, if you will, that there was a time when two people never asked this question or even had the thought to ask it. Adam and Eve spent their days enjoying fellowship with God, His creation and one another. And before "the fall", they had no concern or awareness of nakedness and had no reason to feel a need or desire to cover themselves.

But there came a day, a day marked by deception for Eve and wilful disobedience for Adam, that they found themselves aware of their nakedness and concerned about covering themselves. They were new to this "clothes shopping" thing and one can only imagine the limits to what they would have considered regarding this matter. As indicated, they had never done this sort of thing before because there had never been the occasion or need to do so. But sin had entered their world through their actions and they found themselves with a new awareness of their nakedness and a desire to cover themselves. This was the means by which God had chosen to allow man to have a consciousness of his sin. Maybe they had considered other options for clothing themselves, but all we are told is that they knew they were naked and sewed fig leaves together to make for themselves loin coverings.

Several years ago, it seemed to become clear to me, that although this "fig leaf theology" began in The Garden, it was only the beginning of man's pursuit to deal with the sin problem in his own way and according to his own efforts. And so we have a historical record of the endless attempts by men to address their "nakedness" through the many forms of religion, including all forms of humanism and the attempt by man to deny his sins or the remedy they demand.

We find both a very serious problem and a very glorious truth in "the rest of the story". The very serious problem is with the inadequacy of the fig leaf. It was inadequate and insufficient then and it is still so today. However, as noted, there is also a very glorious truth found in this account. In Genesis 3:21 we find perhaps one of the greatest verses of scripture in the pages of our Bibles. It states "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them." Although I fear I cannot do them justice, I will attempt to convey the significance of these few words. If it makes any sense, the Lord has often lead me to consider what He didn't do in order to appreciate what He did or what didn't happen to see the importance of what did happen. I would like to consider a few of the things God didn't do and a few of the things that didn't happen related to this matter. The following points are not necessarily in order of importance.

Adam and Eve did not go to God for help in this matter and in fact, they hid from Him when they heard Him in the Garden.

God did not even acknowledge Adam and Eve's attempt to cover themselves. Their efforts were not worthy of His acknowledgement. He is not in competition with anyone, including us, regarding redemption and the atoning of sin. One could argue that what God did do, by clothing them Himself, was the strongest of all statements that their efforts were futile.

God did not offer them, that which He clothed them with. As indicated, He did not acknowledge their covering and then offer them a choice between their own and His. He simply clothed them. He was saving His creation and He needed to carry out this task Himself. He could not depend on Adam and Eve to make the right decision. The stakes were too high!

God showed no partiality between the one He had created and the one He had fashioned from a rib; between the one who had been deceived and the one who had wilfully disobeyed.

The Deceiver offered no help to Adam and Eve. Sure, he is there to deceive and entice, but when the damage is done he is only looking for further opportunities for destruction. And he still does so today.

Creation itself did not come to their aide. I'm reminded of the indictment found in Romans Chapter 1:25 where it says of fallen man, "they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." The mighty wolf, the strong ox, the largest of elephants or the powerful bear could not come to their rescue. The majestic eagle or the hawk were powerless to perform such a task. All of the creatures of the sea could only remain in the sea. The sun and the moon and the stars could only do that which they had been created to do and nothing more.

What God did do should cause us to weep with joy and thanksgiving. Maybe there are not enough words in the verse for us to give it the attention it demands. The Creator clothed Adam and Eve according to His own purpose. He who is the only Sovereign, mercifully and lovingly, because of the One who was slain before the foundation of the world, with Calvary looming in the forefront, graciously clothed them. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

We are each born spiritually dead; without anything to "wear" to adequately and sufficiently address our sin problem. We try to do good works and endeavor to engage in all forms of religious practices to deal with this matter of sin or attempt to deny that it exists. But the "fig leaves" of our day are no better than the fig leaves of Adam's day. They are inadequate and insufficient. But praise God that He is still in the business of clothing men, women and children all around the world with the righteousness of His Son, Jesus. I am confident that He did so today and that He will do so tomorrow.

When it comes to addressing this matter of sin, maybe you are unclothed. If that is the case, you need nothing less and can find nothing more, than to be clothed with the righteousness that is found in Christ. Romans 3:22 says "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;" or Philippians 3:9 which speaks of the necessity to "be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith".

And maybe you already find yourself washed in the blood of the Lamb; clothed in His righteousness. 1st Corinthians 1:30 says that "by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption". We find that the Lord has continued to caution believers on how they should adorn themselves. We are to clothe ourselves with humility and to put on the full armour of God. We are called to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. We are directed to put on love. He has told us to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Women are called to adorn themselves modesty and discretely. We are told of the beauty of being adorned with the hidden person of the heart, clothed with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.

And one day the believer in Christ will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye and we will be raised from the dead, putting on the imperishable and putting on immortality. What a day that will be!

Father, we thank you for clothing Adam and Eve and we are thankful that you have clothed us with the righteousness of your Son, Jesus. Help us to be thoughtful and careful in how we adorn ourselves. Oh, as we start are days, considering what we will wear, help us to put on Jesus and make no provision for the flesh.