9. DO YOU NEED A CHANGE OF GARMENTS?
(The Faith Forum Series)
I have observed that whenever a character in the Bible was about to be blessed by the Lord and to move from something negative to something really positive and beautiful, like healing or a promotion, a change of garments was first required. They had to first put off or take off the first before they could put on the new.
This reminds me of when Jesus explained in Matthew 9:16-17, that:
- “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”
Now many of us are dealing with all sorts of problems and roadblocks and we are desperate for change. Why not ask God for a change of garments spiritually?
For those who are not yet in relationship with Christ their Creator, the Lord and the only one able to redeem them from a life of destruction and hell, why not believe on Jesus Christ, that he rose from the dead many years ago after he came to earth and was killed and why not confess that he is truly Lord?
Romans 10:9-10 KJV guarantees that if by faith alone, you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead and confess with your mouth that he is Lord, that Jesus Christ will wash you in the very blood that he shed all those years ago for your sins and mine and make you clean. Yes, his blood is still potent and has the power to wash away sins!
He will go further and cover you with his perfect robe of righteousness, given that your best works are a waste of time as they are filthy rags in God’s sight.
When Jesus covers a man with HIS righteousness, that man is reconciled to God and made fit for heaven. He is adopted into God’s royal family, takes on regal status and is destined to an eternal inheritance.
Even if you have already believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and have therefore been brought into relationship with him, then dear Christian, why not ask him to remove your bad habits, attitudes, behaviours, mindsets and tendencies and replace them with something new? Why not ask him to empty you of self and fill you with his ways, his way of thinking, his character traits, his holiness and his Spirit?
I did and I am trusting him to do just that because it is necessary before I can move into all that God has for me.
NOW, HERE ARE THE BIBLE SCRIPTURES WHERE PERSONS ABOUT TO BE BLESSED, FIRST CHANGED THEIR GARMENTS:
“And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth–el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and CHANGE YOUR GARMENTS: And let us arise, and go up to Beth–el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” (Genesis 35:1-3)
“And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him…And they took Joseph’s coat and killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood…Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself and CHANGED HIS RAIMENT and came in unto Pharaoh…And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand and ARRAYED HIM IN VESTURES OF FINE LINEN and put a gold chain about his neck.” (Genesis 37:23-24, 31; 41:14; 42)
“And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And CHANGED HIS PRISON GARMENTS: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.” (1 Chronicles 25:27-29)
“When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on SACKCLOTH with ashes and went out in the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry; And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth…And Mordecai came before the king…And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto Mordecai…And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in ROYAL APPAREL OF BLUE AND WHITE and with a great crown of gold and with A GARMENT OF FINE LINEN AND PURPLE: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.” (Esther 4:1-2; 8 vs.1, 15)
“And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, BOUND HAND AND FOOT WITH GRAVECLOTHES: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, LOOSE HIM and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)
“And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, CASTING AWAY HIS GARMENT, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” (Mark 10:46-52)
“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was CLOTHED WITH FILTHY GARMENTS and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, TAKE AWAY THE FILTHY GARMENTS FROM HIM. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will clothe thee with A CHANGE OF RAIMENT. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head and CLOTHED HIM WITH GARMENTS…” (Zechariah 3: 1-5)
“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, Behold thy time was the time of love; and I SPREAD MY SKIRT OVER THEE, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I CLOTHED THEE also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I GIRDED THEE ABOUT WITH FINE LINEN, AND I COVERED THEE WITH SILK. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and THY RAIMENT WAS OF FINE LINEN, AND SILK, AND BROIDERED WORK raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work.” (Ezekiel 16: 8-14)
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, THE GARMENT OF PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified…I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath CLOTHED ME WITH GARMENTS OF SALVATION, he hath COVERED ME WITH THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:1-3, 10)
“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad…The king’s daughter is all glorious within: HER CLOTHING IS OF WROUGHT GOLD. She shall be brought unto the king in RAIMENT OF NEEDLEWORK. (Psalm 45: 6-8, 13-14)
(Written on 10th March, 2016, added to thereafter)
SIDE NOTE:
As I revisited this Article on 14th February, 2021 so as to upload it to my new Website, the Lord gave me some additional words to write which I did. Before I could finish though, I stepped away from the laptop for a while and wept.
I had shed some tears earlier because on that very day, my beloved uncle had died but this time, I wept.
I wept because I was so undeserving of this work that the Lord had given me to do in writing these Articles, yet he still gave me to do it and was even giving me more information based on the principles derived in his Word, to add to the existing Articles. I know for a surety, that this Article was not written by my power or by my might but through the enabling of his Spirit indwelling me. I therefore have no reason to boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14).
For this, I give him praise. It is my only hope that people would read the Articles and that the information would be of help to them spiritually, even as it was to me. Having sat at the feet of the Master, I want people to be edified with his truths even as I was edified.
I said through tears: “Lord, you could have used anybody else (and I know you are using other people) but you still chose to use me to do this and I am honoured.”
The Lord is so awesome and his Word so powerfully sharper than any two-edged sword, that he convicts and encourages me through my own Articles when I reread them. I am humbled and honoured to be called to this GREAT WORK and stand in awe over what the Lord has been doing in me and through me.
