All Dressed Up

May your priests be clothed in godliness.

Psalm 132:9

The Scripture says that once we accept by faith everything that Christ has provided for us, we are his priests and are clothed in him: “All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes” (Galatians 3:27). We wear Christ’s righteousness in the world because we are clothed in his life.

The Scripture beautifully pictures this in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The proud young man who had left so flippantly was coming back home a failure. Those who knew him would see his dirty face and hands and his tattered rags.

He could imagine the expressions on their faces as he made his way shamefaced to his father’s house.

Then comes the most beautiful part of the story: “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

While the son was still a long way off, his father ran to meet him.

Proud men did not run in public. But the father ran. He endured the shame that belonged to his son to welcome his son home.

When the father met his son, he called for the best robe. Who owned the best robe? The father. He called for his own robe to cover the son’s shame and failure and shield his son from the scorn he deserved. By his actions, the father announced to all that his son was to be accepted.

Then the father prepared a banquet in the presence of his son’s enemies (see Psalm 23:5) and invited all those who would have treated his son as dead to celebrate his resurrection: “This son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (Luke 15:24).

Father, thank you for your precious promise that I am clothed in Christ. You have covered my shame, and I am fully accepted.

Because we are united by faith to [Jesus Christ] who is perfectly righteous, God accepts us as perfectly righteous.

Jerry Bridges(1929–), American author and conference speaker