Ed had a problem. He was visiting his brother, but he had forgotten his best clothes which he had meant to bring along. Now it was Sunday, and he didn’t want to wear his everyday clothes to Sunday school. “Hey, Paul, could I borrow something to wear today?” His brother did have some extra clothes and they were the same size, so Ed was able to get dressed up after all.
Later that day Aunt Lynn had a compliment for Ed: “You sure do look nice today.” Grandma was there too and she agreed, “You do look nice. I have been thinking that all day and meant to tell you.” Ed had to laugh and then confessed that he was wearing his brother’s clothes and not his own. Aunt Lynn and Grandma laughed with him.
The Bible tells us in Luke 15 about a boy who didn’t have the right clothes to wear. His father had given the boy his share of the inheritance. The boy took the money and left his father’s home. He went far away and wasted all his money. He got a job feeding pigs, but he was so hungry that he would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating.
This made the boy think about what his father’s house was like. He knew his father’s servants never went hungry, so he decided to go back home.
His father was watching for his son to return. He went out to welcome him home again. He could see that his son’s clothes weren’t very nice - he had been feeding pigs in them! The father told his servants to “bring forth the best robe, and put it on [his son]; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet” (Luke 15:2222But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (Luke 15:22)).
This boy was like you and me. We have gone far away from God, who has given us so many good things and loves us very much. The Bible tells us, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good manners and actions] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)). You and I might try to be good, but the Bible says that even our best behavior is like dirty rags. God has a “best robe” waiting for each of us. But before He can give it to us, you and I have to come into His presence in prayer and confess, “Father, I have sinned.” And then we need to truly believe that God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus, died on the cross to cleanse us from our sins. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). Then we are clean and ready for that new robe of righteousness that God has waiting for us. We can thankfully say, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:1010I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the 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 61:10)).
Ed was glad to have good clothes to wear for Sunday school. If you will accept the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour, God has that very special robe waiting for you to wear in heaven.
ML-01/12/2003