I had a difficult conversation with someone last night who is struggling incredibly with their identity in Christ. Struggling with recognizing God as caring, as faithful, as protective. And then, as His providence would have it, I found myself reading at the front end of Genesis the account of the fall, fall of mankind that is. Often reading through these passages I would be struck by the serpent's deception, by Adam's finger-pointing or by the grief that must have come upon these two as they no longer were able to enjoy God's walking in their midst.
But today something else stood out to me. God, in the midst of being offended against, of being disregarded and ignored, of having two people want to have their own share of god-like power, did something that I found to be incredibly caring, faithful and protective. He gave them something to wear. Instead of forcing them to walk around in the shamefulness that their own actions had created, with a 'you made your bed, now lie in it' sort of attitude, He shows tenderness and compassion alongside his anger and justice.
What a picture of Christ's righteousness clothing each one of us. Not deserved. Not earned. But because of the great love with which He loves us, He covers us in our shame. Like the father of the prodigal son throws an undeserved robe around his own, God wraps Christ's perfection, Christ's righteousness, around us making us able to stand facing the world, who no longer sees our shame, but sees His son!
