Garments of the Soul

Zechariah 3: ³ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. ⁴ The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

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Greeted with smiling faces I proceeded into the church. Songs played, people clapped but I felt rotten inside. The preacher preached on a bunch of stuff I was doing wrong then we all got up sang again and walked out the door with the same smiling faces. 

• There have been times when my outside did not match my inside.
• There have been times when smiling faces was not enough to crack open my tough exterior.
• There have been times when my sin was hidden and I wore filthy clothes on my soul.

After reading this passage I could easily think that I would have to clean myself up in order to be loved by GOD. The problem with that kind of thinking is I can never “clean” myself up. The more I try the filthier my soul garments get. I drop off an obvious sin to society and trade it in for a larger sin to GOD, namely piety. What am I to do?

• GOD says to me “In the middle of your sin, I saved you.”
• GOD says to me “I saw you before the foundations of the world.”
• GOD says to me “I have taken away your sin.”

I had to reread the passage a few times in order to see the timing. GOD says “Take off his filthy clothes”. Then I noticed HE says “See, I have taken away your sin” meaning HE died in my place and the act of cleansing was complete. All I have to do is believe in the ONE who cleansed me and then my filthy garments will be taken off for me.

Cleansing is not my job. I cannot clean myself up by trading sin. I need GOD in my life through JESUS who died and was raised from the dead. Now I can cry in church and smile. I can bring in my anger and leave with joy. My filthy garments of the soul can be replaced with GOD’s garments!

• Are you hiding something?
• Does the thing you are hiding eat away at you?
• Are you lying to yourself in order to feel more comfortable?
• Can you stop hiding your sins and allow GOD to take off your filthy soul garments by confessing to HIM?