JESUS AND ME
Topic: Relationship
TEXT: II Cor. 5:1-21
Introduction:
In part one we discussed Verse one “MY HOUSE”, (Jesus and me) and we found out as Born-Again Christians that Jesus said in Heb. 13:5, “…I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” As we enter into part 2 of Jesus & Me, I want to speak to you on point # 2, concerning “My Clothes.” Let us first review some comments from last week that describe what Companionship/Friendship means.
Webster’s/Strong’s concordance Definition of companion/friend:
One who keeps company with another; A partner; An associate; A person one knows well; One who shows personal kindness; A friend; is Friendly.
* Many of us have a friend or had a friend and for whatever reason you are not friends anymore.
* Many of us have a companion or had a companion and for whatever reason (Death /Divorce/Desertion) you are not together anymore?
In our life time we will experience the loss of a friend or companion. These are pretty profound thoughts they penetrate the inner feelings, they touch everyone here. Companionship and friendship are very important to us and to God. Companionship and friendship can be found among the lost, saved, the good, and the bad. As we read verses 2-4 let us consider CLOTHED
Clothes are an outward expression of one’s status. If a man who has just been released from prison still walks around in his prison uniform, he will be made a spectacle. If we have been released from prison, we must let go of the prison uniform. Likewise, we must put on new clothes if we have been liberated from the power of the kingdom of darkness. Apostle Paul urges us in Romans 13:14, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” What does it mean to “clothe yourselves with Christ?” It means we have to be “models” for Jesus Christ. What functions do models serve? They bring out the beauty of the clothes they wear. (Rev. Joshua Hong)
What does it mean to be clothed in Christ? What does His clothing of righteousness do for us personally?
MY CLOTHES “Jesus & Me”
2 Cor. 5:2-4, For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
A) Verse 2, The word “clothed” refers to the future spiritual body of believers; the eternal habitation in which they shall reside. —Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament
B) Verses 2&4 (Groan) indicates we are under a burden of trials and afflictions in the present body, but we are clothed in Jesus Christ inside and one day we will change our outside clothes (temporary body) for that which is inside. Clothed inside/outside in Jesus Christ
C) Verse 3 Talks about wearing humility (It starts inside with Jesus) What you are clothed with inside should be exposed on the outside (It is Jesus & Me, so let your light shine)
D) Verse 4, we will leave this toil and pain for rest and glory. It is Jesus and Me forever.
At the Bemah seat I will not be found naked, I will be clothed in His righteousness. All clothing there will be the same. On earth we categorize people by their clothing. Sex, age, and class of person, clothes are a universal language. If I am clothed in His righteousness it will be JESUS and ME.
EXAMPLE:
For it is God Himself who covers you. When you put on His armor, His life surrounds you, keeping you safe, close to Himself, and free to be His precious friend and trusted companion. So “put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27) He is your victory!
(“ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”) (Clothed)
Romans 6:1-4
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Crucified, Clothed, Converted)
Ephesians 6:11, The protective armor of Christ with which the Christian is covered is His justifying righteousness. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
EXAMPLE:
1. Clothed in Christ 2. Clothed with Truth 3. Clothed with Righteousness 4. Clothed with Peace
5. Clothed with Faith 6. Clothe with Salvation 7. Clothed with the Word 8. Clothed with Praise
9. Clothed with Service 10. Clothed with Power
ADDITIONAL CLOTHING VERSES:
Col 3:12-14, Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Rev. 7:13-14And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelations 19:8 “And it was given her, (the Bride of Christ) to CLOTHE herself in fine linen, bright & clean, for the fine linen is the RIGHTEOUS ACTS of the saints.”
THE GARMENT OF SALVATION IN THE O. T.
Isa. 47:3; Lam. 1:8; Ezek. 16:36; The prophets described the sinful state of the nation of Israel as “nakedness” before God and the world
Isa. 20:1-4: Isaiah walked naked for three years and a half to illustrate God’s judgment to come. This judgment was on the unrighteous state to which Israel had fallen
Nah. 3:5; Hab.2:15: The most severe judgment of God on Israel was that God would show her unrighteousness (nakedness) to all the Gentile nations.
Isa. 64:6: This is the ultimate shame and humiliation. Israel thought of herself as righteous, but the prophet said, “All our righteousness are as filthy rags”.
God does not desire His children naked or clothed with mere fig leaves (something they have tilled and sown together, Gen. 2-3). So, God clothes His children with the top Designer style clothing — righteous King’s clothes. He removes our dirty clothing — soiled by our sin and fallen natures — and replaces them with His. As Isaiah says, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,” (Isa. 61:10). J. R. Nally
God’s promise to Israel was that He would give them a salvation by which He would clothe or robe them in His own righteousness. When He was born, Humanity only had swaddling clothes to cover Jesus. Nevertheless, He did not come for our covering. He came to be our covering. As the God of Heaven, He “clothed himself with frail humanity.” This veil of humanity clothed the divine glory of the invisible God. This body which was prepared for Him, became the point of contact between the holy God of Eternity and all unclean sinners. (Bernie L. Gillespie, In Christ Alone 1996)
CONCLUSION:
I also agree that we must stand fast, clothed in the whole armor of God against the wiles of the enemy, taking up the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, (the Word of God) & praying in the Spirit, using the weapon of all-prayer for all men everywhere. For we wrestle not against flesh & blood…
What does it mean to be clothed by God? JC Penny has a catchy phrase, “New look, New day, Who knew.” In Christianity we also are clothed with righteousness which gives us a “new look” (Born-Again) “new day” (present and future) and “who knew” Who would have thought this of YOU and I? (God did) A Rags to Riches Transition
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