They shall walk with Me in white
How glorious it will be, when this life is over, to walk with Christ in white!
To the lukewarm church at Laodicea, Jesus said: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed" (Revelation 3:18).
What does it mean to walk in white, and how can we 'buy' such garments?
White garments represent purity and glory. Jesus appeared in white when His majesty was revealed on the mountain: "As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" (Luke 9:29); "And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2); "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).
Angels wear white. "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses" (Revelation 19:14). Of the Angel who rolled the stone from the tomb of Jesus, we read: "His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow" (Matthew 28:3). When Mary looked into the tomb, "she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain" (John 20:12). After Christ's ascension, we read: "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel" (Acts 1:10).
Christ and His angels are dressed in white, showing their purity and majesty.
But how can we, sinful people, walk with Christ in white? It is possible only with God's help.
Priests under the old covenant were dressed in white (2 Chronicles 5:11,12). Only by grace could they stand before God in white. In a vision of Zechariah we read: "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. ... Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.' And I said, 'Let them put a clean turban on his head.' So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by" (Zechariah 3:1, 3-5).
After King David had repented of terrible sins, he prayed to God: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:9).
God provides a means of cleansing for those who love Him and repent of their sins. He admonished His people: "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the LORD, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool'" (Isaiah 1:16-18).
We are now under the New Covenant. Jesus can make us clean. "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:13,14).
If we are sanctified by the blood of Christ, and remain faithful until the end, we shall walk with Him in white. "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments" (Revelation 3:5). To overcome means to remain faithful until death (Revelation 2:10,11). Of the martyrs under the altar we read: "Then a white robe was given to each of them" (Revelation 6:11).
John sees a magnificent vision of the saints in the temple of God. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9,10). "Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?' And I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' So he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'" (Revelation 7:13-17).
Do you long to walk with Christ in white? You can. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 3:16; Acts 8:37,38), if you are sorry for your sins and turn to God (Luke 13:5), if you confess your faith in Jesus (Romans 10:10), and if you are baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38), they will be washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 16:22), and you will rise from the waters of baptism in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Then if you faithfully serve Christ until death, you shall walk with Him in white. What a glorious prospect for the followers of Christ.
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
(http://www.oldpaths.com)