Accepted though Unacceptable

KEY VERSE: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” —Romans 4:7

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Romans 3:27-31; 4:1-8

THE Lord’s people of the Gospel Age, who are privileged to get free from the Adamic condemnation, and to enjoy being justified to life through faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice, are pictured as being clothed in a “robe of righteousness.” (Isa. 61:10) These are referred to by the Apostle Paul as “not clinging to that righteousness of [our] own, … but to that which is through the faith of Christ—the righteousness from God on account of the faith.” (Phil. 3:9, Diaglott) Our natural state is pictured by a person clothed in “filthy rags” of one’s own righteousness.—Isa. 64:6

The Prophet Isaiah, addressing God’s people as Zion and Jerusalem, exhorts: “Put on thy beautiful garments.” (Isa. 52:1) The righteousness from God, provided for us through Christ, may well be thought of as being one of these beautiful garments, covering as it does all our unintentional sins and shortcomings.

The scripture in the psalm from which Paul is quoting includes an additional thought. It reads, “Blessed is the man whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Ps. 32:1,2) Having come to God in true repentance, faith, and consecration, and in return having been justified to life, and begotten by his Holy Spirit, we are, the Scriptures explain, to put on additional garments. We read, for instance, “Be clothed with humility.”—I Pet. 5:5

To walk humbly continually before the Lord and before our fellows is indeed another beautiful garment in the Lord’s eyes, and in the eyes of those who see things from his standpoint. Even the natural man can often admire one who is clothed with humility, one possessing a truly humble disposition. Let us therefore humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, seeking his glory and not our own.

Several more of these beautiful garments are referred to in the Apostle Paul’s words: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, … meekness, longsuffering.” (Col. 3:12) In verse fourteen of this chapter we read, “And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness”—the perfect bond.

These surely are all beautiful garments, attractive adornments of character, the result of the Lord’s working in us to will and to do his good pleasure. And these works, resulting from the operating of his grace, the Lord is pleased to regard as works of righteousness. The robe of righteousness then may be thought of not only as a righteousness imputed to us, but also as a robe adorned with the good works of his consecrated people, resulting from the sanctifying influence of his truth.

These adornments of character can also be well represented by the “garments of salvation.” (Isa. 61:10) These garments we must put on if we would be partakers of the great salvation to which we have been called. Among these must be included the “garment of praise,” which we have exchanged for “the spirit of heaviness.” (Isa. 61:3) In other words, the desire and endeavor we should have at all times is to show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Indeed, all our activities in harmony with the Lord’s will, resulting in greater holiness of heart and life, may be thought of as among the garments of praise and salvation with which the Lord desires his people to be clothed.—Ps. 132:16

The Revelator, speaking of our day, specially pronounces a blessing upon those who continue to wear their garments, holding fast to the robe of righteousness, a symbol of their justification; also the robe of humility, the garment of praise, and all other of Zion’s beautiful clothing. “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments.”—Rev. 16:15

In the visions given to the revelator relating to the inauguration of the kingdom, when all the agencies to be associated with God’s dear Son in his great work have been completed, we read: “The armies … in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.” (Rev. 19:14, RSV) We are sure that then, even as now, the Lord can and will use only those whose robes are white and clean, those who have worked into their characters the great principles of his righteousness.

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