Dress For Success

At one time or another, you’ve probably heard the phrase “dress for success”. It’s a bit of often-used advice, which basically means that you should always wear the appropriate clothes for whatever position or status that you are seeking to achieve. For example, you shouldn’t attend a high-level job interview in tattered clothes; but instead in a nice outfit appropriate for the intended vocation.

Spiritually speaking, the same type of advice applies, although with a couple of twists. First of all, we don’t really dress to attain a position, rather we dress because we already have a position.

And secondly, we don’t actually dress ourselves in this case, but rather we are clothed with a dress attire, given to us by none other than Jesus Christ Himself!

This is what I want to share with you today in this study; and by seeing this truth you will be able to step into your new identity in Christ with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective on what Jesus has given to you today.

Now, I made a statement that might take some by surprise (and might offend some as well) that we don’t really dress ourselves. Yet that is exactly what many people are trying to do. They are trying to dress themselves spiritually, and they are doing it mainly for the wrong reason as well – to try and attain a position, or favor from God – not realizing what I pointed-out in the opening, that He has already given us a position, as a free gift, and that Jesus is the one who clothes us.

Let me tell you right here and now that this error is a tragic one, and that this simple thing has held many people back and continues to hold millions of people back for something so very silly on the face of it… trying to attain what has already been given; trying to reach the finish line for a race that has already been won; trying to reach out and grab something that has already been dropped in our lap.

Or to use a more apt analogy, it’s like trying to put on other clothes on top of the ones you have already been clothed with… and what ends up happening is that then you have too many layers and you will very warm and uncomfortable. And there are a lot of people doing that today.

What makes matters even worse, is that when we attempt to dress ourselves, we don’t really look as good as we may think we do… the scriptures are actually very clear and even explicit on this point Sort of like the old story of the Emperor’s New Clothes… we may think that we are dressing in fine, rich attire, but actually we are naked – or even dressed in filth!

Take for example Isaiah 64:6:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

And notice something very important, a great detail here, that this is specifically talking about our righteousness… that is whatever righteousness that we try to produce of ourselves. When we try to work up our own righteousness, or strive to merit what only Christ gives as a free gift, we may think we are dressing ourselves in fine garments, but in-fact they are as filthy rags!

And this is not just one man’s opinion… take a look at Philippians 3:3-8:

“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ”

Notice that Paul says that we are the circumcision, the ones who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Uh oh! That’s a problem for anyone who is trying to dress themselves in their own righteousness, and earn favor, merit or the blessings of God by their own obedience or performance.

Paul then goes into detail, machine-gunning off his very impressive list of his personal qualifications, from his Jewish pedigree, to his many works of obedience, and his zeal even so far as to persecute the church because he thought it was right at the time. Even going as far to claim that he was blameless as far as the Law was concerned.

But then in verses 7 and 8, what do we see him say about his estimation of all of these works? He counts them as loss, when compared to the excellency of Christ and His gift of righteousness! Paul even goes as far as to say that all of his pedigree and performance is merely dung in favor of Christ.

There’s a wonderful picture of this in another scripture, Zechariah 3:1-5, and it shows us a few things about how we can actually have our clothes changed, from filth to fabulous, from dirty to divine:

“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you, O Satan; even the LORD that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment.

And I said, Let them set a fair turban on his head. So they set a fair turban on his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.”

What an amazing picture this is!

Here we have Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, he was covered in dung, and the accuser Satan was standing right there. But something unexpected happens, instead of the Angel of the LORD rebuking the high priest Joshua for being covered in dung, He rebukes the accuser Satan!

That’s amazing and unexpected act number 1.

Amazing and unexpected act number 2, is that The LORD then changes Joshua’s clothes! He removes the filthy, dung covered garments, and gives Joshua all new attire – and the Angel of the LORD stood by him.

This, my dear friend, is exactly what God does for us today as well. When we try to cloth ourselves, the accuser is right there today to point out every single fault, failure and dirty spot. But our advocate, Jesus, rebukes the accuser and changes our clothes, to new, unstained, and perfectly clean… not based on ourselves, our own efforts, or our striving, but based on Himself!

Galatians 3:26-27 makes this fact very plain:

“For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as have been immersed into Christ have put on Christ.”

And in so doing, the prophecy of Isiah 61:10 has been fulfilled in you through Jesus Christ. See the beauty with which Jesus has dressed you:

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Today in Christ, your filthy, dung-covered garments are gone. Replaced with the finest royal attire. Clothes not of your own making, but given to you by Jesus Christ Himself.

Embrace this new identity. Live this new life.

And I say to you with all sincerity,

be blessed.