Skip to main content

Naked and Exposed

Naked.

Worse, naked and exposed.

Worse still, naked, exposed and vulnerable.

When we are physically naked, at least in the context of when and where we should be clothed, we normally feel exposed and vulnerable and we try to cover ourselves.  Sometimes we are successful.

When we are emotionally naked, at least in the contexts of when or where we shouldn’t be, we typically feel exposed and vulnerable and we work hard to try to cover ourselves.  Sometimes we are even successful.

When we are spiritually naked, regardless of the context, we feel very exposed and vulnerable.  We desperately try to cover ourselves but there’s nothing we can do, on our own, to successfully clothe ourselves. That’s where God comes in.  But first, some context:

From their very first realization of nakedness, Adam and Eve were afraid and tried to hide from God. While the account is one of experiencing physical nakedness, it goes beyond that since the root issue was that they had given into temptation and disobeyed God.  And nothing has really changed for mankind since.

Our usual response to feeling spiritually naked is to try to clothe ourselves with righteous deeds.  But it never works:  “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.”  (Isa 64:6)

For Adam and Eve, who didn’t even know about trying to clothe themselves with righteous deeds, God made garments of skins to clothe them. 

For us, who have put on those filthy rags in an ever failing attempt to cloth ourselves spiritually, not only do they not cover us, but no amount of laundering can ever get them clean.

The only recourse is what God does for us:  “The angel spoke up to those standing all around, “’Remove his filthy clothes.’” Then he said to Joshua, “’I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you in fine clothing.”’  (Zech 3:4)

The fine clothing He dresses us in is not made of cloth but is composed of that which is of far greater value:  “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 his righteousness…” (Isa 61:10).  In fact, in the book of Galatians, we find that we are clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27).

Wow, both the most extraordinary clothes and the most needed clothes are provided for us by God when we are in the most naked, exposed and vulnerable state that we can possibly be in!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Little Words, Big Impact

Sometimes we get caught up in the big words and that certainly has its place.   But, sometimes I think I appreciate the little words even more.   These are one or two or three letters words that can have big meaning and big impact. Take the word “I”.   It is a pronoun that often is used to identify the one who might be communicating.   The communication could be something like “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “I will do that.”   Meaning and impact from a word with just one letter! Take the word “no”.   It can put a stop to things. For example, you could have what you think is a really great idea but if you receive a no, your great idea comes to a screeching halt.   Meaning and impact from a word with just two letters! Take the word “yes”.   It can set things in motion.   For example, perhaps you are in love with that certain special person and you ask that question and they say yes.   Big things are set into motion and yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Double Entendre

Double entendre:   a word or expression used so that it can be understood in two ways.   For example: Seriously struggle with sin : 1.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, they see how easily sin entangles and they take their struggle with sin seriously and overcome it. 2.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, sin easily entangles them and they have serious struggles with sin and they never seem to overcome it. The example is not just theoretical, it is real.   And it is likely that many of us have experienced both over the course of our lives.   But whatever you have experienced, I have some more double entendres that follow a bad news/good news format: 1.   Sin is costly .   The cost is spiritual death.   But we have a Savior who paid the cost with His own life so that we can live spiritually. 2.   Sin has consequences . The consequence of sin is eternal separatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Flee From/Flee To

If you are going to flee, do it right! What?   Give me a chance to explain! But first, let’s land on what it might mean to flee.   To flee is to run away from a place or situation of danger or evil.   It also means to hurry toward a place of safety. So, here are some possible explanations: 1.   Flee when God tells you: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt , and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  (Matt 2:13)   2.   But don’t try to flee from God: But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord . He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord .  (Jonah 1:3)     3.   Flee from danger: For they have fled from the ...
Post a Comment
Read more