Life Plan Devotion #241 [Abide in New Clothing]

Jun 30, 2010

Hi, Everyone.
It's a wonderful Wednesday, here in Kansas...a beautiful, warm, sunny day, with a slight breeze. I wish you could come over. We could sit on my back porch swing, and chat.
Please pray for those having surgery today and those recovering from surgery. I'm praying for each of you, as we have this new day before us. 
Blessings,
Mary 

Life Plan Devotion #241 [Abide in New Clothing]

Philippians 3:9 "[That I, Paul, may] be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (NIV).

     The word "abide" comes from the Greek word “mĕnō,” and it means "to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy):--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for) thine own" (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance). Abiding in Christ, as we learned last time, begins with being in Christ, and that comes from a true salvation experience.
     There are many results of abiding in Christ, and today we look at the first one. At the moment of salvation, we are given everything we need, although we may not realize it, and we may not fully appropriate all that we're given. At the moment we say "yes" to Jesus, when we ask for (and receive) the gift of forgiveness of sins, we are clothed in a robe of righteousness.
     Paul speaks of two types of righteousness, in Philippians 3:9. One type of righteousness is that which could be earned by keeping the Old Testament law. It was imperfect, in that a human cannot earn true and permanent "right standing with God," which is what the word "righteousness" means. God, in His mercy, set in place animal sacrifice, as a way to have one's sins excused. It was part of the old covenant.
     When Christ came, however, He cut the new covenant, with His own blood. Because of that, no longer are our sins merely excused; they are expunged, wiped away, as if they never happened. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). What the law could not do--clothe us in righteousness--the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, once, and for all, accomplished.
     Abiding in Christ presents us sinless, before God. That is how He sees us, because He sees us through the Cross, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The truly saved have shed their tattered rags of self-righteousness, and are clothed in the perfect robe of righteousness.
     The challenge is to realize that we're clothed in righteousness, and to allow that to affect our thinking and our actions. It is not a license to sin. No, because to do that which is counter to "right standing with God" tramples the grace of God, and causes much misery. We believers have done that, at one time or another, and we know the sorrow it causes, the pain, until we get things right with the Lord.
     That precious robe of righteousness, bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, gives the believer justification (that status of "just as if I'd never sinned"). As we abide in Him, as we stand and continue in His presence, we humbly appreciate and treasure our new clothing, our robe of righteousness, gifted to us through faith.

What this has to do with weight loss: When a believer meditates on their state of "right standing with God," even before sitting down to a meal, there will be a strong sense of "fullness." When the spirit is satiated, it does not take much for the body to reach satiety, as well. Try it, and you will see it is so.

Prayer for Today: "Heavenly Father, I am humbled by Your gift of righteousness, through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. I often close my eyes and think about that moment when my tattered rags of self-righteousness and sin disappeared, as You clothed me in a new robe of righteousness. I think of how that cold feeling of sin and despair was replaced by a warm feeling of perfection and forgiveness. It felt so right. For the first time, I felt truly good, whole and well. In You, I have everything I need and all that I want. There are no words to thank You for what You have done for me, for what You continue to do for me. May I show my thanks by wearing the robe of righteousness well, so that others will see Jesus in me. That will happen, as I continue to abide in You. It's the right place to be. Amen."   

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