Wear The Garments of Salvation

You probably took lots of pictures in the past two weeks.  It is easy for us to grab our phones and snap a picture.  And if you don’t like the picture, you can upload it into AI and create the photo you are looking for.  The oldest photo is in a museum at UT Austin.  It was taken in 1826 (that’s about 200 years ago).  Here’s the description: “The person captured the scene using a type of photography known as heliography. This is when a piece of metal or glass is coated with Bitumen of Judea. When the light hit the Bitumen, it would harden, creating the image”.  It took about 8 hours of exposure for this process to take place!

So, before the invention of picture taking, people would use another method to create pictures in the minds of people.  They used words!  This was the means God used through Isaiah to tell of the rich garments of salvation that belong to us in Christ.  We have such use of picture language in Isaiah 61 to create pictures in our minds.  The Holy Spirit uses words pointing to God’s Redeeming Grace graciously given to us.  Today you are the center of this picture as you

Wear The Garments of Salvation

Their Purpose

We all understand the basic purpose of wearing garments.  It is to cover us up.  Each piece of clothing you have in your dressers and hanging in your closet serves to cover you up.  Men will choose clothes to make them look handsome, or keep warm, go to work, or give comfort while doing honey-do’s around the house.  Women choose their clothes to look cute, go to an event, go to work or be comfortable while maintaining the home.  They all serve the ultimate purpose to cover us up.  Isaiah paints the important purpose of God’s clothes in the same way. “For he has clothed me in garments of salvation.”  These garments were in use way before the invention of pictures.  It is the old story of sin and grace to be covered in the forgiveness of sins.  The Lord’s garments of salvation cover the nakedness of filth and shame.  The prophet looks into God’s closet and describes the believers of the Holy Christian Church dressed in Perfect Garments of Salvation. “With a robe of righteousness he covered me.”  That is the Purpose of the Garments of Salvation.

We see purpose of God’s Garments even more clearly when we think of the words Isaiah spoke a few chapters later:

“All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth”

Isaiah 64:6

This is the picture of every person who enters this world.  By nature we entered this world like every baby, conceived and born under the curse of sin and separated from our relationship with God.  King David said,

“Certainly, I was guilty when I was born. I was sinful when my mother conceived me”

Psalm 51:5

This early picture of us all impresses upon us the deep need for the Garments of Salvation.  Rejoice, for these are the Garments created in God’s dress shop and used by God to cover our greatest need. 

“¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in the Lord. My soul will celebrate because of my God, for he has clothed me in garments of salvation. With a robe of righteousness he covered me.”

The word “robe” that Isaiah used brought to mind the clothing of the noble people such as priests and kings.  Every thread and stitch of these garments, down to the last detail, was produced to show a purpose! It was easy to make the connection to the “righteousness” of God in Christ humbly born, lived the perfect life, died to offer his life for us, and rose again to prove his Garments of Salvation for all people was complete. These are the Garments of Christ that clothed you at your baptism.  Their purpose was, is, and will be to save you!

So, would you take out your phone and take a quick picture of the Purpose Of These Garments of Salvation?  A thought came to mind that might help you take this picture in your minds. Remember the account of Joseph and his “coat of many colors?” (Gen 37:3). I grew up using the term, “a coat of many colors,” but the precise meaning of the Hebrew word is unclear.  It may have meant a robe with fancy embroidery or a tunic with long sleeves.  Either way the purpose of this beautiful garment was to show Joseph the favor of his father resting on his shoulders. So also is the purpose of the garment of Christ’s righteousness marking your heavenly Father’s gracious favor resting on you.  This is the Lord smiling down at you dressed in Christ’s robe of righteousness to give you joy and peace.  If I would put a logo or some words on your robe of righteousness to show its purpose I think I would print, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).   So Wear The Garments of Salvation with joy for you believe Their Purpose, and as we consider…

Their Price

Before the invention of picture taking was the art of picture painting.  Today some of those paintings are priceless.  I’m sure you know some other priceless items you have. Really?  Yes, some of the most priceless things in life can’t be bought.  What price can you place on good health, strength, and life itself? You could probably add friendship and love among the most priceless things in your life.  The Garments of Salvation are THE most priceless item you own. These garments can not be bought but are a free gift of God’s grace. That is declared by Isaiah,

“My soul will celebrate because of my God, for he has clothed me in garments of salvation.”

It was the costliest sacrifice that God had to make in order to cloth you in the Garments of Salvation.  It was all or nothing!

We might compare the price of our salvation to institutions who mirror similar acts of charity.  There are hospitals you may enter under one condition.  There are homes for the helpless you may enter under one condition.  You may enter these places as a matter of charity or not at all.  Likewise, the Garments of Salvation through Christ.  Either you enjoy the free gift of God’s Garments of Salvation, or you do not receive them at all.  Either you believe and are granted God’s free gift of salvation, or you possess none of it. Think of the time Jesus was hanging on the cross and the soldiers cast lots to see who would get the robe that was woven from top to bottom.  Either a soldier possessed it, or he didn’t.  Christ did it all at a tremendous price.  Either you possess it or you don’t.

When we consider the price Jesus paid to leave the glory of heaven, be born in a manger, take on human flesh, and die for the sins of the world, it certainly causes us to ask some serious questions. 1) Are you clothed in Jesus’ righteousness?  2) You have paid the price for many precious things in your life, but can you join St. Paul to declare,

“I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ”

Philippians 3:8  

3) Are you one of those who once thrived on being a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ but have fallen to the temptations of the fallen world of materialism, greed, laziness or a silent witness for Christ?  Then today is a good day to consider the price of your Garments of Salvation and come to the foot of the cross.  With a repentant heart trust in Jesus’ forgiveness as you have your faith strengthened at the Lord’s Supper.  Let’s give cause for the angels in heaven to raise their voices because we believe “the Lord…my God….had has clothed me in garments of salvation.” Yes, we know their Purpose and their Price and get to live by

Their Power

We know the power of the Gospel.  We just experienced it.  Isaiah drew this picture of power of the Gospel at work in us. 

“¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in the Lord.
My soul will celebrate because of my God.”

Isaiah used words to give us picture of the powerful Gospel at work in us.

“Like a bridegroom who wears a beautiful headdress like a priest, and like a bride who adorns herself with her jewelry.”

When you hear these words I’m sure you all have a picture in your mind of a happy bridegroom and bride!  In Isaiah’s day the groom didn’t go to Joseph A Bank or Men’s Warehouse to get fitted for a tux.  They would wind their turbans around their head like the priests because it was considered the ultimate in man’s headdress.  A bride adorned with jewelry was and is still considered the greatest fashion in feminine attire.  This is Isaiah’ picture of the power of the Lord’s Garments of Salvation for you!  Quit running around spiritually naked and rejoice and celebrate the power of the Gospel Garments in your life!  God’s Word proclaims the truth of our Salvation and faith receives the power it brings into our lives.  You can hear it in the example of Mary’s song:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,”

Luke 1:46, 47

Hear it in Hannah’s song when she learned she would have a son named Samuel,

“My heart rejoices in the Lord!  In the Lord, my horn (a symbol of power) is raised high. ….because I find joy in your salvation”

1 Samuel 2:1

Or how about the song of Israelites when they crossed the Red Sea!

“The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation”

Exodus 15:2

The Power of the Garments of our Salvation creates powerful Joy!  Today that powerful joy is yours through faith in Jesus Christ.  For that reason, our experience of joy is often just a small fraction of the bliss and eternal joy we will have in heaven.  Therefore, it is good for us today to look at Isaiah’s picture of Our Redeemer.  Rejoice in the power his Garments of Salvation bring to you.

We are truly blessed to be able to take so many pictures with the click of a button.  Today I hope and pray you have enjoyed the picture of the Garments of Salvation Isaiah presented to us. Their Purpose, Price and Power.  But, these garments are not just a picture.  They are yours in Christ giving you confidence, peace and joy! So, I hope you give God a great big smile as he takes your picture today Leaving His House Wearing The Garments of Salvation!  Amen!