“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:27-33)
Our amazing and glorious Father in heaven made this beautiful Lily to demonstrate how He clothed us, His children, even more in His own glory the moment He placed Christ in us (the hope of glory) and then activated Him to shine on us as radiating light coming out of us and lighting up the entire realm that He has assigned to each of us to live and operate in on this earth.
“Wake up O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” (Ephesians 5:14)
“Awake My glory! Awake psaltery and harp! I will awaken the dawn!” (Psalm 57:8)
It’s not enough to only have Christ in us, a hope of glory, but He is also meant to shine on us! He is our Lord of glory! He is our eternal clothing. We wear Him!
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)
Put on the wedding garment of Christ! (Matthew 22:11-12)
Joseph’s coat of many colors (Genesis 37:31-33)
The garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3)
The robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10)
The wedding garment of Christ (Matthew 22-11-12)
The armor of light (Romans 13:12)
The light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16)
Put on Christ (Romans 13:14)
These and many more images all mean the same thing: The active state of the Father’s glory shining on us! This is what God is doing in the earth right now—helping the Bride put on her wedding garment, which is made of the same Material (glory) that the Bridegoom’s wedding garment is made of (Jesus is the head and we are His body—one in Him, undivided). We are seated in Him in heavenly places right now already reconciled to the Father and already glorified—past tense (Romans 8:29-30).
All throughout the Bible our Father has given us images of the clothing He created for us to wear since the moment He first thought of us! And this clothing is far more beautiful and perfect than all of His lilies in the field! Jesus said even Solomon, an old covenant king wasn’t arrayed as one of these lilies!
We are new covenant children of God! The new covenant is a better covenant based on better promises. And the clothing that we wear is the Father Himself. The material is like nothing we have ever seen before because it is His very own glory! Christ in us, the hope of glory, and Christ on us, we wear that glory!
In the old covenant, saints could only have God’s glory on them but not in them permanently.
In the new covenant that Jesus died and rose and ascended to the right hand of the Father to give us, we have God’s glory in us AND on us! Transformed from the inside out into light-bearers!
We are “guardians of His glory” as a good friend of mine so eloquently put it. We are carriers of Father’s glory! Literally nothing can touch God’s anointed! We walk into a dark room or atmosphere and immediately demons run without effort on our part. Because they see Christ!
The same glory that Jesus received and had with the Father before the world was, He gave to us! (John 17:5,22-23) Wow just think of the implications of who we actually are!
The same glory that instantly killed Uzzah for touching it illegally is the same glory that Jesus placed within every believer who calls on His name (and yet we don’t die!) and invites into his-her life as Lord and Savior! This is how pure and holy and sanctified and justified and glorified we the church actually are!
When we truly know who we are in Christ, all of that becomes a living reality. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ at the right hand of the Father now, not someday after we all die. Right now as we live!
