Jesus Revealed in Doctrine CHANGE OF RAIMENT
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. Rev. 3:5.
Once there was a very wealthy man. His riches were so vast that words fail to tell the extent of them. But he had a neighbor who was poor as the rich man was rich. The neighbor had nothing. His clothes were ragged and dirty. He was suffering from malnutrition. He had no home, not even a hovel to call his own, but was forced to spend his days and nights clutching his rags miserably about him, suffering from exposure.
The rich man noticed the plight of the poor neighbor, and set about to remedy the situation. He said to the poor man, "You are in a terrible state. You need a home to live in and nourishing food. You need to be properly clothed. If you will come to me, I will give you all you need, and more besides."
But instead of coming to the rich man, the poor man backed off and would not come near. "I can't come to your in these clothes. I would bring disgrace to you, if folks saw me at your table in such poverty."
"That's true," the rich man agreed. "But here is a change of raiment that I will give you, if you will come to me and accept it. And then you will be suitably clothed to come to my house."
When Christ offers to us His robe of righteousness to cover the filthy rags of our sin, we must accept it in order to benefit from it. The rich man could have provided enough clothes for a whole city, but if the poor man refused to put them on, they would not benefit him.
There are conditions to salvation--there are conditions to entering the heavenly home. We must be suitably attired--clad in the garments of Christ's righteousness--in order to enter there. We must have come to repentance. We must have new hearts. We must have faith. We must be obedient. But for all the requirements that God makes, He also provides gifts to meet the requirements, if we will only accept. God never sends us a bill without enclosing enough money to pay it. We must repent before we can be forgiven. But if we come to Him, He will provide the gift of repentance, and when we accept it, we are justified. This doctrine is just one more truth that reveals Jesus--He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. Rev. 3:5.
Once there was a very wealthy man. His riches were so vast that words fail to tell the extent of them. But he had a neighbor who was poor as the rich man was rich. The neighbor had nothing. His clothes were ragged and dirty. He was suffering from malnutrition. He had no home, not even a hovel to call his own, but was forced to spend his days and nights clutching his rags miserably about him, suffering from exposure.
The rich man noticed the plight of the poor neighbor, and set about to remedy the situation. He said to the poor man, "You are in a terrible state. You need a home to live in and nourishing food. You need to be properly clothed. If you will come to me, I will give you all you need, and more besides."
But instead of coming to the rich man, the poor man backed off and would not come near. "I can't come to your in these clothes. I would bring disgrace to you, if folks saw me at your table in such poverty."
"That's true," the rich man agreed. "But here is a change of raiment that I will give you, if you will come to me and accept it. And then you will be suitably clothed to come to my house."
When Christ offers to us His robe of righteousness to cover the filthy rags of our sin, we must accept it in order to benefit from it. The rich man could have provided enough clothes for a whole city, but if the poor man refused to put them on, they would not benefit him.
There are conditions to salvation--there are conditions to entering the heavenly home. We must be suitably attired--clad in the garments of Christ's righteousness--in order to enter there. We must have come to repentance. We must have new hearts. We must have faith. We must be obedient. But for all the requirements that God makes, He also provides gifts to meet the requirements, if we will only accept. God never sends us a bill without enclosing enough money to pay it. We must repent before we can be forgiven. But if we come to Him, He will provide the gift of repentance, and when we accept it, we are justified. This doctrine is just one more truth that reveals Jesus--He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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