Clothed with Christ

By Kathryn Ann Hill

With loving care the Lord God formed the first man and woman in His own image. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25 NKJ).

Soon after, Adam and Eve disobeyed God: they ate forbidden fruit. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Gen. 3:7).

As soon as they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, the two guilty humans hid among the trees. Adam explained to his Maker, “I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (v. 10).

For their own good, the Lord God had to expel the man and woman from Eden. Before He sent them away, however, God gave His beloved human creatures two gifts. First was the all-important promise of a Savior who would crush the enemy that had tempted them to sin (Gen. 3:15). Second was the gift of clothing: tunics the Lord God Himself fashioned of animal skin (v. 21).

Blood was shed for the first time in God’s good creation in order to cover the shame of human sinners. They felt shame at their nakedness because God’s Law was at work condemning their sin. Later, God would take upon Himself their flesh and shed His own blood to provide them with forgiveness.

Since mankind’s fall into sin, it has been important for humans to clothe their bodies decently. For that reason, the current trend in clothing for teenage females is distressing. Models for a moderately-priced department store smile happily while they reveal cleavage, a few inches of bare midriff, and six or more inches of thigh topped by a form-fitting skirt. This scanty look is suggested for the classroom. Their eyes may not be casting a come-hither look, but the clothes these young women sport are seductive. They model for today’s teenagers clothing that only prostitutes would have taken to the streets twenty years ago.

Christian young women are tempted to follow this trend and do so. Their sin of baring their flesh is like mankind’s first sin. Eve’s prideful aspiration to be like God was at work when she ate the forbidden fruit proffered by Satan. So pride in her own beauty is at work in the woman who shows off her body. She becomes, like Satan, a tempter of others, arousing lust in the men who see her.

How can you escape your shame when you realize you have sinned this sin? Thanks be to God, who covers poor sinners in the splendid robe of His righteousness.

How can Christian teenagers learn to resist the temptation to dress immodestly? You can begin by remembering whose you are. “You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 NIV). The price that bought you is the holy, precious blood and the innocent suffering and death of God Himself.

Ponder God’s great love for you: The immortal, invisible God, the great I AM who has no beginning and no end, actually became true man so that He could die for your sins. God became man in a marvelous way. The Word of God took on human flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There He who created the earth and stars and humankind was knit together into a perfect man-child. Then at just the right time our Lord came forth from His mother. He who gives us our daily bread soon took nourishment at His mother’s breast.

How our human race is honored by our Lord’s Incarnation. Jesus has a body like every human male. His birth from a woman gives honor to every human womb; His infant suckling conveys honor to every woman’s breast.

He who first made us in His image honored us again by deigning to become one of us. Then, to make sure that we could be His own forever, He paid for our sins on His cross and arose triumphantly from His grave. To guarantee that we belong to Him, He washed us clean with His Holy Baptism, gifting us with faith in Him.

“All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself in Christ” wrote St. Paul (Gal. 3:27 NIV). A Lutheran rite of Holy Baptism demonstrates this teaching with the giving of a white garment to the newly baptized. “Receive this white garment to show that Christ has taken away and borne your sin and put upon you his perfect righteousness. So shall you in faith ever stand before him” declares the pastor (Lutheran Worship, p. 203).

White garments are the fashion in heaven, too. St. John reports that the great multitude who stand before the throne of God are clothed in white robes that are washed and made “white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14 NKJ).

With all this in mind, how ought you to cover yourself until God clothes you in your heavenly white robe? Choose garments that show reverence for the Christ who has created and redeemed your marvelous body.

Showing reverence has to do with being covered. In icons of the Baptism of our Lord, angels bow respectfully, with hands covered, toward the Christ. At first it appears that they are holding towels, ready to dry their Lord when He emerges from the Jordan’s waters. A closer look shows that the folds of their garments are gracefully draped over their hands. The holy angels’ covering their hands in the presence of their Holy Lord is an ancient sign of reverence.

You who belong to Christ cover your breasts and midriff and thighs as a confession of faith in your Creator. Next time you are tempted to offer the public provocative peeks of your body, remember who was carried in the Virgin Mary’s womb and who nursed at her breast. Then give thanks for your Savior from sin, who covers you in His righteousness.

Kathryn Ann Hill, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is copyeditor of Gottesdienst: A Quarterly Journal of the Evangelical-Lutheran Liturgy.