Monday, August 11, 2014

Wrapped Up In "Sin:" Garments Of Grace


This summer I gave my curling iron and blow dryer a sabbatical (the curling iron broke in transition and the blow dryer blew a fuse), I limited my mirror reflection to once a day and fasted from my selfie fetish. In exchange I received my first sin. Oh, no. As perfect as you may perceive me to be (which is undoubtably far short of the mark!), this sin had no moral or spiritual significance. A sin is the term for a traditional woman's wrap-around skirt worn by contemporary Lao women. Sins are generally made of fabrics interwoven with solid colors and complex, geometric patterns--stripes, diamonds, zigzags, animal and plant shapes. Sometimes gold or silver thread is woven along the borders. To wear a sin is not required, but it does communicate a sign of modesty and respect. I couldn't help but draw the biblical parallel in Psalm 45:13-15, as the Bride (of Christ) prepares to encounter her Bridegroom on their wedding day. There are two types of Scriptural "sins:" garments given by God and garments we put on for God. 

Garments Given by God include:
Salvation 
Righteousness
Praise 
Gladness
Strength and honor (dignity)

Garments We Put On include:
Humility, lowliness of mind
Inner beauty of a meek and quiet spirit (accessories)
Submission to authority (hat)
Whole armor of God
A new self
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love


Everything we do here on earth is just a dress rehearsal for the heavenly wedding to come! Nothing will compare with the day when we lay aside our earthly sins and our heavenly Bridegroom replaces them with the ultimate Sin for which He died and rose again--the Sin of Salvation! Christ's cry on the cross of "It is finished" is His Cry of Salvation for a whole world.

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