- Mar 5, 2024
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Being Well Clothed In The Spirit Is What Covers Our Shame, Part 1
Ever felt as though you were not good enough? That you were not like some great Christian leader, or you are nowhere near as holy and righteous as some sister in the Lord, and no matter what you do you will never measure up or be as "worthy" of God as they are? Maybe your sins have caused you to have a poor self-image, or you were put down and ridiculed your whole life, and made to feel as though you didn't amount to anything.
The question believers need to ask themselves, however, is "should I be seeking a righteousness of my own, or should I seek to become "clothed" in the Holy Spirit to where my righteousness is of Him instead?" The reality is, we cannot have a holiness in and of ourselves, so whatever the form of shame you might be susceptible to, the answer is not to try becoming sanctified in your own power, but rather to clothe yourself in the Spirit of God. Biblically, this was especially evidenced through things like operating in the supernatural gifts or divine revelation from God. Operating in things that were unquestionably the work of the Holy Spirit confirmed to believers that He loved them and was using them in spite of their sins.
This principle was alluded to several times in the Book of Revelation, like where our Lord told the Laodiceans that they needed to "buy" from Him white garments that would cover over their shame:
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich. And white garments, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Revelations 3:17-18)
Unfortunately, the Laodiceans were blessed in material things and not spiritual ones, and as a result they needed to pray for the Holy Spirit to cover them, lest they remain spiritually "naked" and the shame of their sins remain visible to the world and the church. They had no real evidence of being spiritually wealthy other than material wealth, which any carnal man could attain yet still not be close to God. But when God is using you supernaturally, whatever sins you have committed get covered over by the simple fact that His Spirit is using you and rests upon you, and as Paul said, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Friends, family, people in the world may know we have failings and that we have messed up in the past - even we ourselves know and would rather not be reminded - but if the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is vindicating us in spite of them, who is anyone to judge and condemn us? Even our own self-condemnation becomes invalid.
The opposite is also true, however. If the Spirit is NOT present to cover our sins, our nakedness will get exposed sooner or later, for we are all human and all have failings. When the Lord returns for His saints to rapture them away, scripture says that only those who remain clothed in the Holy Spirit will be taken. Why? Because those who quench Him out of their lives and voluntarily walk out from under the covering of the Lord Jesus Christ that was meant to hide their shame will be wide open to the ridicule of the enemy. Unlike those who are clothed in the Spirit by His grace, the spiritually naked will have nothing to protect them against the vitriol and blasphemies coming from the accuser of the brethren and his wrath.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:15-16)
This same principle applies regarding those who seem to have no great place of recognition in the body of Christ. In speaking of members who were not receiving recognition as leaders, the apostle Paul said that in New Testament times congregations were nevertheless "clothing them with greater honor," and by that he meant that they were praying over them to receive greater gifts. Though they were not apostles, they could still be used of God to speak in tongues during a service. Though they were not a prophet, they could still be used supernaturally to interpret by the same Spirit. This is why Paul said our attitude should never be "I don't need you" towards anyone in the body of Christ. Though they might be "less presentable," every part of the body of Christ could be clothed upon in a greater honor through the riches of being clothed upon in finer spiritual gifts.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant... there are many members, and yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 21-25)
This is found in the context of an extended teaching on the spiritual gifts, and that we each have different gifts but all are supposed to work together. And in that framework, no one was to be left out. All were to be clothed upon in the Spirit of God that all be honored in some way, and all view each other as having importance in the body of Christ.
As I will demonstrate in Part 2, there are some simple ways to operate in the supernatural that help to clothe the new believer in the Spirit of God. But lest anyone think this is something only the novice Christian needs, think again. Even great spiritual leaders never lose sight of this principle, because although they might walk in great righteousness, the closer we get to God the worse our sins look in comparison to Him. It is what led the apostle Paul to once declare, "Oh wretched man that I am, who will save me from the body of this death?" and cause Isaiah to confess before the presence of God, "I am a man of unclean lips." Yet the closer we get to Him, the more He will clothe us in Himself.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
Ever felt as though you were not good enough? That you were not like some great Christian leader, or you are nowhere near as holy and righteous as some sister in the Lord, and no matter what you do you will never measure up or be as "worthy" of God as they are? Maybe your sins have caused you to have a poor self-image, or you were put down and ridiculed your whole life, and made to feel as though you didn't amount to anything.
The question believers need to ask themselves, however, is "should I be seeking a righteousness of my own, or should I seek to become "clothed" in the Holy Spirit to where my righteousness is of Him instead?" The reality is, we cannot have a holiness in and of ourselves, so whatever the form of shame you might be susceptible to, the answer is not to try becoming sanctified in your own power, but rather to clothe yourself in the Spirit of God. Biblically, this was especially evidenced through things like operating in the supernatural gifts or divine revelation from God. Operating in things that were unquestionably the work of the Holy Spirit confirmed to believers that He loved them and was using them in spite of their sins.
This principle was alluded to several times in the Book of Revelation, like where our Lord told the Laodiceans that they needed to "buy" from Him white garments that would cover over their shame:
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich. And white garments, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Revelations 3:17-18)
Unfortunately, the Laodiceans were blessed in material things and not spiritual ones, and as a result they needed to pray for the Holy Spirit to cover them, lest they remain spiritually "naked" and the shame of their sins remain visible to the world and the church. They had no real evidence of being spiritually wealthy other than material wealth, which any carnal man could attain yet still not be close to God. But when God is using you supernaturally, whatever sins you have committed get covered over by the simple fact that His Spirit is using you and rests upon you, and as Paul said, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Friends, family, people in the world may know we have failings and that we have messed up in the past - even we ourselves know and would rather not be reminded - but if the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is vindicating us in spite of them, who is anyone to judge and condemn us? Even our own self-condemnation becomes invalid.
The opposite is also true, however. If the Spirit is NOT present to cover our sins, our nakedness will get exposed sooner or later, for we are all human and all have failings. When the Lord returns for His saints to rapture them away, scripture says that only those who remain clothed in the Holy Spirit will be taken. Why? Because those who quench Him out of their lives and voluntarily walk out from under the covering of the Lord Jesus Christ that was meant to hide their shame will be wide open to the ridicule of the enemy. Unlike those who are clothed in the Spirit by His grace, the spiritually naked will have nothing to protect them against the vitriol and blasphemies coming from the accuser of the brethren and his wrath.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:15-16)
This same principle applies regarding those who seem to have no great place of recognition in the body of Christ. In speaking of members who were not receiving recognition as leaders, the apostle Paul said that in New Testament times congregations were nevertheless "clothing them with greater honor," and by that he meant that they were praying over them to receive greater gifts. Though they were not apostles, they could still be used of God to speak in tongues during a service. Though they were not a prophet, they could still be used supernaturally to interpret by the same Spirit. This is why Paul said our attitude should never be "I don't need you" towards anyone in the body of Christ. Though they might be "less presentable," every part of the body of Christ could be clothed upon in a greater honor through the riches of being clothed upon in finer spiritual gifts.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant... there are many members, and yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 21-25)
This is found in the context of an extended teaching on the spiritual gifts, and that we each have different gifts but all are supposed to work together. And in that framework, no one was to be left out. All were to be clothed upon in the Spirit of God that all be honored in some way, and all view each other as having importance in the body of Christ.
As I will demonstrate in Part 2, there are some simple ways to operate in the supernatural that help to clothe the new believer in the Spirit of God. But lest anyone think this is something only the novice Christian needs, think again. Even great spiritual leaders never lose sight of this principle, because although they might walk in great righteousness, the closer we get to God the worse our sins look in comparison to Him. It is what led the apostle Paul to once declare, "Oh wretched man that I am, who will save me from the body of this death?" and cause Isaiah to confess before the presence of God, "I am a man of unclean lips." Yet the closer we get to Him, the more He will clothe us in Himself.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
