Do You Have Clothes?

A young woman discovers she is pregnant. Her father is a pastor, her mother is a Bible teacher, and this young woman is unmarried. Be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23) Her parents were so well-respected. Her church was solid, Bible-observing. She held so much promise. And do you know what? All of those things are still true. Reason being, this young woman sought the forgiveness and help of her parents and her King. As I listened to her story, I couldn't help but contrast it with my own. The abridged version goes like this: I was a coward, of little to no good character; but this young lady... Beautiful! What was even more beautiful was her father's response: 

How are your clothes fitting? Do you have clothes?

This young mother, courageous as she was, fully anticipating her father to lose his mind with anger, didn't expect that response. If there'd been a garden and a tree, one might have expected her to take to hiding. But her father sought to clothe her. Not to cover-up her offense, and not in shame or embarrassment; but in mercy. Her sin had been exposed; she chose to further expose herself; and now, her father sought to provide what was necessary for her to go on. Confession. Covering. Love. And, as a result, respect for her parents, obedience of her church family, and the promise of a life that honors God remain wholly intact. 

It reminds me of another event. One that, like mine, did not include transparency or confession. But God, in His infinite mercy, clothed His children anyway. (Genesis 3) Not to hide what they had done or erase the consequences, not from His embarrassment or shame. He offered them the free gift of His compassion and protection against the evil their sin had awakened in our world. The knowledge of good and evil as they now knew it was more than they had been created to bear; God provided a barrier against its effects on them. But clothing was only part of the solution: to restore the relationship with their Creator was going to take more than a couple of tunics. It was, however, a beginning; God extending His mercy and kindness toward offenders. Romans 2:4 assures us, it is God's goodness that leads us to repentance. John 3:16 says God gave His only Son. Ephesians 2:8, 9 say it is God's free gift to us. God's own words tell us it is His desire that none should perish. However, none of this means it is without obligation on our part. He instructs all to come before Him, confessing our sin, and turning from it to live in a way that brings Him honor and glory. God has indeed made a way whereby we can come to Him: that Way is the life and the death of His Son, Jesus Christ on the cross. Through His substitutionary atonement, the penalty for our sins is paid in full. Through His resurrection, we are raised to an eternal life; one that is not only eternal in length, but in quality. We are given all that is necessary to do our part; to ask His forgiveness, repent from our sin; to imitate Jesus Christ, be holy as He is holy. It merely begins with a new wardrobe.