Grave Clothes: Faith Part Trois

Let's start with the scripture: John 20:1-9 (Please Read)

¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ²So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" ³So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. ⁸Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Faith Part Three

OK! It's finally here: Faith Part Three! (clapping, cheering, people passing out from the sheer excitement)

I'm taking serious license with this post. The seed of this blog post is not an original thought, but I've tended to it with my own insight (and that of the Holy Spirit) so as to grow it into something that is mine. So...bear with me (this might be bad). The focus from the above passage is on verses 6 and 7 (highlighted in blue above).

So, the question I'm asking is: Why did Jesus leave behind his grave clothes?

The grave clothes are a silent testimony saying quite simply: "I have overcome." Christ conquered the grave, and stepped away from it completely. Jesus was resurrected; so why would a living man wear the clothes of a dead man. Death was His past, and he left it neatly (folded up and everything) behind Him.

Are you Wearing Grave Clothes?

This is a question you need to ask yourself. There are two situations in which we acquire grave clothes:

1. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with... (Romans 6:6) - In this way, grave clothes are the person we used to be, and the things we used to do when we were dead spiritually.
2. Two months ago I was sick, now I am healed. Fear of disease = grave clothes. Last year "Sally" was in a bad relationship, she broke away. Fear of intimacy/distrust of men = grave clothes. Grave clothes = any remnant or piece of something conquered that signifies or identifies you with the thing conquered.

I'm dealing more with situation 2. Christ beat death; He overcame the grave, and when He left the sepulcher, He left everything having to do with it behind. We have to be the same way! When you have been delivered; or when you have overcome something, the very FIRST thing you should do is take off your grave clothes. In fact, I bet if we were listening...we'd hear God tell us to remove our grave clothes. Why do I say that? Because He's done it before:

⁴³...Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:43,44)

First, take OFF the clothes! Second, "Let him go." Be free!

So, it begs the question: If we are alive (those who are "new creatures" walking in the newness of life), why are we still wearing our old grave clothes?! That's on the overall spiritual tip (i.e. Situation 1). Situation 2: when issues, situations, failures, etc. that we have overcome and been delivered from (by the grace of God) still crop up in our life, still pop up in our thought-processes, and paralyze us with fear. We are still wrapped up in the grave clothes of the past and it keeps us from truly living.

For me, the grave clothes are the car accident I had when I was 8, and the brain aneurysm I beat 2 months ago. Accident = overcome. Aneurysm = delivered from. Grave clothes? Still on. Why? Well, it's because I never quite stopped being afraid, and never stopped worrying. And when you're afraid, it's because you have set aside your faith. And in that situation, you default to what you think is sure: math. We already had a blog about God and Math (check it out if you never read it). Think about it: mathematical forecasts are based on historical data. I've been looking at historical life data, and forecasting out the remainder of my life. But instead of seeing deliverance (which is also a part of my history), since my faith is set aside...I see more problems. But like I've said before: 1+1 doesn't always equal 2. My situation tomorrow is not predicted by yesterday's failures, illnesses, or whatever.

So what can I do? I've got the grave clothes on. How do I get them off? You guessed it! Faith. Know this, faith is fear's arch nemesis. But faith can only help us if we use it. Up above, I said that faith was set aside. The scripture refers to faith as our shield. It can only protect you, if you're holding it up. Fear is of the devil. Therefore, it is only fitting that fear, which is powerless against faith, has to trick you into letting down your defenses. The devil is full of tricks. Don't be tricked.

I leave you with these two hot verses:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." I John 4:18 (KJV---I like this one)

Perfect Love is this: that Christ died for us. Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and fruit has a period of time before it is ripe. But I will cast my cares upon the Lord, focus on His perfect love, and watch fear abate as I am perfected in love. Knowing this:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."--(Philippians 3:12,13,14)

FIN