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Chosen no: R-4842 a, from: 1911 Year. |
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The Robe Of Christ's Righteousness
"Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven,
and whose sins are covered."--Rom. 4:7.
THE "WEDDING GARMENT" mentioned in the
Lord's parable (Matt. 22:2-14), is the Robe
of Justification, which becomes ours at the time of consecration. At the
very moment of our begettal, when the Lord accepted us, we became probationary
members of the Body of Christ, the Bride Class, and were covered with the Wedding Robe.
This "wedding garment" is given, not
to the Old Creature, but to the New Creature, to cover the blemishes of its
imperfect body. At the moment of God's acceptance of our sacrifice, and of the
begetting of the Holy Spirit, the New Creature is reckoned as coming into
existence and as wearing this robe. Thenceforth, the Old Creature, from the
Divine viewpoint, is non-existent--"Old things are passed away; all things
are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17.) But this
New Creature must have a new body. The New Creature has the old body, but a new will--the will of Christ. The Apostle tells us that we
should not be satisfied with merely reckoning ourselves dead according
to the flesh, but that we should reckon ourselves as having been made
alive in the Spirit. If the Spirit of Christ be in us, it will
quicken our mortal bodies--vivify them.--Rom. 8:8-14.
These mortal bodies, then, which were under the
influence of the old imperfections and under the old course of life, have now,
under the new mind, a restraining, or constraining influence put upon them and
the New Creature is expected to use the new mind, or will, to overcome the
desires of the flesh. While in this body of flesh, the New Creature is expected
to demonstrate such faithfulness in the development of character that he may be
accounted worthy of being raised in the First Resurrection as a Divine being. Having
this imperfect body, he needs the robe of Christ's righteousness to
cover his imperfections.
THE ROBE DOES NOT COVER SINS OF THE
NEW MIND
In studying this subject, it is well to keep in
mind that the robe does not cover, as some seem to think, sins of the new
mind. The Scriptures ascribe no sin to the new mind, and no
perfection in righteousness to the fallen flesh. If the new mind were disloyal to God, the robe would not cover it; it would cease to be a new
mind. To continue to have the imperfections of the flesh (which we have
inherited from Adam) covered, the New Creature must remain loyal to God;
otherwise, it will deserve the Second Death. Hence, these New Creatures, with
imperfect bodies under the control of the new mind, have the Bridal Robe
granted to them, that they may have a standing in the sight of the Lord and of
each other.
This righteousness of our dear Redeemer is
represented as being imputed to us. It is for us, then, to work out the
glorious embroidery, the stamp of which is already upon the robe--the
directions as to how we may work out the fruits of the Spirit thereon.
W.T. R-4842a : page 189 - 1911r