In His message to the dying church in Sardis, Jesus called attention to the few members there who had not abandoned Him and the ways of God.
4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:4-5 (NKJV)
Having been cleansed and justified by faith in the loving, sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ, believers are seen by God as pure and holy, clothed with His righteousness rather than their own, and worthy of entrance into the eternal kingdom of heaven. The Bible is clear that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that only Jesus Himself was able to walk this earth without spot or blemish from sin.
By connecting ourselves with Christ through faith and repentance, our filthy garments are removed and replaced by holy covering. In the Old Testament, we see this through a vision by the prophet Zechariah regarding the High Priest of Israel.
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”
So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by. Zechariah 3:1-5 (NKJV)
By grace, God removes our sins from His sight and replaces them with His own purity and holiness. Even priests fall short of what God requires, and Satan is always on hand to accuse and point out our many failures and shortcomings, but God’s grace and mercy are greater.
In the New Testament this principle is apparent in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. Representing the sin of all of us, this son selfishly grabs a large portion of his father’s estate, then wastes it all on immoral and wild living. Ultimately this young Jewish man finds himself a lowly caretaker for pigs, a very unclean animal in his religion. It is in the pit of hunger and despair that the young man comes to his senses.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:17-24 (NKJV)
This parable is a beautiful example of the forgiving nature of God. If we humbly come to Christ in repentance, recognizing and confessing our sinful and selfish behavior, He will forgive us completely and take us fully back into the family of God, restoring all lost blessings.
The church at Sardis was being granted just such an opportunity to get right with Him anew. We too have an opening to approach the throne of God for mercy – He will hear and reward us if we hear Him and receive His cleansing and the white robes of His righteousness.
Reflection
How are the “garments” of my heart and soul looking today – like filthy rags or cleansed white robes?
Lord, we come to You as our only hope to be covered with purity and righteousness. Forgive us for all of the times we have held wickedness and selfishness in our hearts. We confess these to You, and seek Your grace and mercy to help us to walk with You in righteousness. You are so good and loving – help us to reflect Your good qualities to others through the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed, cleansed, and beautiful day walking with the Lord today.
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