Wrapped in Grace

Submitted by Lara Cook
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. 
Galatians 3:27-29

Righteousness.  The word scares me a little because right away my first thought is that I will never obtain it.  I know my weaknesses and sins and the things about me that no one else knows when they look at me.  But then there’s Jesus.  Jesus knows everything about you and me.  He knows all that we hide from the rest of the world and He sees us as righteous and holy and worthy and good.  How is it that the spotless, unblemished Lord of the universe could see all that I am and still call me worthy?  

Paul wrote the verse above to the people in Galatia when they were struggling to work their selves into heaven.  They thought their actions would bring them salvation by keeping the law. Paul told them that the law would not give them anything – not salvation and not life.  It was never meant to. He had to convince them to see that doing all the right things could not save them.  They would never be “good enough” to save themselves, by themselves.  He tells how, in God’s eyes, everyone is on the same level, one in Christ Jesus. Following the rules, serving in all the ministries, going to church every Sunday and Wednesday will not get you into heaven.  Sometimes those things only serve to cover what we are hiding underneath - Sin, shame, and brokenness. 

The great news is that we don’t have to struggle to qualify for grace.  The minute we become His, we put on Christ like a garment and He covers all our sin, shame and brokenness with His beautiful grace.  He becomes our garment of grace, courage, safety, healing, everything we will ever need.  He covers us and protects us.  He wraps us in safety and everything that touches us has to go through Him first. He changes us – our appearance and identity.  We are redeemed and free and protected.  I love the thought of my Heavenly Father wrapped around me, hiding me, protecting me, and covering the unrighteousness in me, making me righteous in Him.  Jesus is the answer and the key to qualifying for HIS grace and salvation.  He is the only way to everything we need. 

Scripture to Claim:The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14