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The Discarded Wardrobe

 

Nikki Derouin

When you woke up this morning and got ready, what was the first thing that you thought of? Your hair? Your makeup? Your clothes? Most likely you thought about what you were going to wear, which in turn affected how you would do your hair and what makeup you were going to use. Maybe you even had your clothes picked out last night before you went to bed. If you were getting ready for a special event, you may have even chosen which shoes you were going to wear and what purse would best compliment your outfit. If you are anything like me, you have probably had days where you wished you were a man where the only thing you would ever have to stress about would be what tie you would wear … or if you would wear one at all. (My dad does not even have to stress about that: he has my mom pick them out!)

Clothes! For some women they can become very consuming. For others, they never even think about it. But whatever side we fall on, clothes are very important … very necessary. Yet when we really think about it, we only need clothes because we are physical. We need clothes to cover our physical bodies and we need clothes to protect us from the physical elements.

When we think about our lives in regards to eternity we see that after death, we will no longer have a need for these physical articles. Not only will we no longer need physical clothing, those physical elements will no longer exist. Throughout the Bible, we see the earth itself compared with physical clothing.

Here we see that the physical and decaying earth is compared with everlasting and eternal salvation. The Hebrews writer (quoting Psalm 102:25-28) describes the earth with even more detail.

 “ You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
      And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
      They will perish, but You remain;
      And they will all grow old like a garment;
       Like a cloak You will fold them up,
      And they will be changed.
      But You are the same,
      And Your years will not fail.” (Hebrew 1:10-12)  (NKJ)

Just like a mother, noticing that her child's clothes have become worn out and tattered, folds them up and brings out new clothes, God will do the same! He will fold up the garment of the earth and will bring out the new and more fitting clothing of Heaven!

Whether we prefer comfortable clothes, fashionable clothes, or utilitarian clothes, we must always remember that, just like our physical clothing, this world will decay and wear out. We must be prepared with a wardrobe of spiritual clothing!

QUESTIONS

1. Do you plan ahead what you are going to wear? Do you plan ahead what you will study in God's word?

2. What does Romans 13:12 say we are to put on?

3. What must we put on in order to attain salvation? (Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10)

4. What must we put on in order to attain Heaven? (I Corinthians 15:53f)

5. What is the most important article of spiritual clothing that we must put on while on this physical earth? (Colossians 3:14)

6. What was Paul's great desire in II Corinthians 5:2?

7. What article of clothing wears out the fasted for you? Why?

8. The earth and its physical elements will wear out. In your life, do you see the world as "play clothes," "dress clothes," or "work clothes"? Why?

9. Why are we not to lay up physical treasures? (Matthew 6:19f)

10. Sometimes we (or our children) only wear an article of clothing once or twice and yet it still wears out or becomes useless. What are some ways that our physical clothing becomes useless even when we don't wear them? How can this be compared with the physical world? How can this be compared with our spiritual clothing?

All Scripture is taken from the NKJ Version.  Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson,Inc.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.