We are called to be the Robe
Generation. Listen to me. You are wearing a robe. This robe is one of
righteousness. I said this robe is one of righteousness. It gleams like a bride
adorned in jewels on her wedding day (Isaiah 61:10). I said it gleams like a
bride adorned in jewels on her wedding day. It is white, bright, and brilliant
(Revelation 7:9). In fact, it is the exact same white that was used to describe
Jesus’ own garment when he had transfigured before Peter, James, and John on
the mountain (Matthew 17:2). Why? Why are we worthy of having the same purely colored
garment as the Savior of the World? Because this righteousness that you, you
who have come out of great tribulation, this righteousness that you now wear is
in the form of a magnificent robe that has been washed in the blood of Jesus
Himself; by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Revelation
7:14) (Titus 3:5). The blood that you cried out for when you shouted, “Crucify
Him! Crucify Him!” The blood that you smiled at as it dripped down the wood of
the cross - the blood of the lamb. This very blood that was shed from an
innocent and flawless Man for your sake now makes you righteous and holy. Jesus
is the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). And we wear this same
righteousness. Let that sink in. You are a sibling of Righteousness Himself
(Matthew 12:48 – 50). You are a chosen friend of the Most High God who will
give you whatever you ask in His name because His love for you never fails (John
15:16) (1 Corinthians 13:8). He is Love Himself, and He can’t go against His
nature. Guess what? People can no longer ignore this blinding robe that He has
graciously blanketed over you, for it illuminates the room. Darkness flees at
the sight of it. For the blinding light displaces any surrounding darkness – it
overcomes and defeats, crushes and deletes. This robe, however, will bring
forth mockery; people will despise you for it. Why? Because this very robe that
covers you, is the robe that the soldiers who drove the nails into Jesus’ hands
and feet tried to defile in mockery (Mark 15:17). They clothed Jesus in a tattered
purple robe in way to say, “Where is your kingdom, oh great King?” for people
of royalty wear robes. I said people of royalty wear robes! Jesus took their,
your, mockery and cleansed and refined and made new the defiled, sin-ridden
robe that was placed on his body by you, the solider who nailed him to the
cross, who caused Him to die. He now covers you with the very garment you used
to spit in his face. You are now the royalty in the robe, oh princes and
princesses of Christ the King of Kings, for you are a son or daughter of the
Great I Am (Exodus 3:14) (Romans 8:17) (John 1:12). You share in the glory of
God. While you cry and weep saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you I am no longer worthy to be called your child.” He is hugging you,
kissing you, and graciously thrusting upon you the very best robe that He has
(Luke 15:21-22). For after a bath, one needs a robe; and you have been doused
in the Living Water, completely cleansed and cleaned, and now, as the Living
Water flows out of you to drench those around you, you wear a the Robe to keep
you safe and warm (John 7:38) (1 John 1:7). You are a crown of beauty in the
Hand of the Lord and the nations will see the righteousness that bursts forth
from this glimmering robe that you wear (Isaiah 62:2-3). But listen here. You
weren’t always this way. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and
all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and
like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) You stood before God in
filthy clothes. And He said to his angels, “Take off this child’s filthy
clothes.” Then He looked at you, once again, as you were bare before him with
no place to hide, and he put rich garments on you and clothed you so you would
now shine brilliantly of and like Him (Zechariah 3:3-5). You now, by the grace
of God, have become like a tree planted by streams of water, whose leaves never
wither; whatever you do prospers into abundant and everlasting fruit, for you
are fused to vine (Psalm 1:3) (John 15:5). What does all this sound like?
Freedom. The Loving Father wants you to know tonight that you have been set
free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2); you are no longer a slave to
the reign of sin for the God that holds you in the palm of His hand reigns over
all the universe and beyond (Romans 6:6) (Psalm 95:4) (Psalm 37:24). You will
not be condemned by God for you have been accepted into the Kingdom with a Holy
Robe (Romans 8:1) (Romans 15:7). You are a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2) (Ephesians
1:1) (Philippians 1:1)(Colossians 1:2). Within the robe, you are a temple of
the Holy Spirit who joyfully dwells inside of you (1 Corinthians 6:19). I said
the Holy Spirit, a member of the Triune God, has taken residence inside of you.
Put one hand on your heart and the other on your head. You are touching the
house of Comforter, Holy Spirit (John 14:26). The hand on your head is now
feeling a softened mind, for Christ has removed your hardened head when making
you into a new creature (2 Corinthians 3:14) (2 Corinthians 5:17). I said you
are a new creature through Christ. You are chosen, holy, and blameless, just as
your robe suggests (Ephesians 1:4) You have been redeemed and forgiven –
blessed with every spiritual blessing known in the heavenly places (Ephesians
1:3) (Ephesians 1:7). You have been sealed and made alive (Ephesians 1:13)
(Ephesians 2:4-5). And with this royal robe, you now have been brought near to
God to partake of His promise as you sit in the heavenly places with Christ
(Ephesians 2:6) (Ephesians 2:13) (Ephesians 3:6). You have been raised up as a
citizen in heaven with all the rights and glories that are associated with it
(Philippians 3:20) (Colossians 3:1). You have been made complete in Christ
(Colossians 2:10). Never again will that pain, heartache, brokenness, sin,
hurt, death, or curse have power over you. You have power over it through God’s
mighty scepter. Let us not forget the robe that encompasses our bodies, and our
commission to bring others into the closet to be clothed with us. Let us plant
ourselves beside the Living Water and keep watch for those recently drenched,
and beckoning those who are in need of the cleanse. Remember who you are, over
what you’ve done. Remember who you’ve become, over where you’ve been. His call
to us is one of joy and love; let us answer it. Embrace the robe given to you
with a child-like faith and exuberance. You belong here. Always remember: You
belong here.
Prayer: God, we ask You to fill us with the knowledge of Your will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may
live a life worthy of You and please You in every way. That we may bear fruit
in every good work, grow in the knowledge of You, be strengthened with all
power according to Your glorious might so that we may have great endurance and
patience, and give joyful thanks to You, oh Mighty Father, who has qualified us
to share in the inheritance of Your holy people in the kingdom of light. For
You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the
kingdom of the Son You love, in whom we humbly have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins. (Colossians 1:9–14) I pray that out of Your glorious riches You may
strengthen us with power through Your Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ
may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that we, being rooted and
established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how
wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge – that we may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of You, oh God. Now to You who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to You power that is at work within us, to You
be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generation, for ever
and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:16-21)
