Wronged

What do you do when someone has wronged you? When a friend or family member sins against you or a child disobeys you? The immediate instinct of our sinful nature is payback. We are inclined to retaliate, to return a proportionate amount of grief, frustration, or embarrassment to the one who caused us the same. That is the instinct of our sinful nature, and sometimes that sinful nature wins out, but in the story of the fall, the Lord shows us a different way.

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God could have retaliated. He could have simply scrapped his young creation and started over. Instead, the Lord gave a promise. In Genesis 3:15 we read the very first promise of a Savior, Jesus Christ who will rescue his people from sin, death, and the devil. But that is not all. God, as a loving father does, provides for all the needs of his people. Although Adam and Eve’s shame at being naked is a result of their own sinfulness, the Lord clothes them. Although the birth of the promised savior is still many centuries away for Adam and Eve, the Lord provides for them. He shows his love and compassion by clothing his people even though they have sinned against him.

The Lord continued to care for and sustain his people until the arrival of the promised savior. Through Jesus, our loving father makes for us a different kind of garment. Rather than garments of animal skin, our Lord clothes us in the garments of Christ’s righteousness. That is our Heavenly Father’s response to our sins against him. Instead of retaliating in anger, he maintains the promise he gave so long ago. The promise that is the solution to our sin. He clothes us in Christ’s righteousness which covers all our sin and shame.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for clothing us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our promised savior. Give us strength to live according to your will, that everything we do would be pleasing to you. Amen