Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they became aware of something they had previously taken for granted—God’s love, provision and protection. When they sinned, they immediately discovered they were naked. At this first step of their new dependency upon God, they needed help with their nakedness. God covered them. Genesis 3:7 & 22 NLT says, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves… And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” They realized their inability to cover themselves appropriately and so the Lord covered them! That is also true for us! 

Sin made them feel unworthy, naked and afraid before God because they knew God knows and sees all. Knowing they felt this way, God made them a covering and covered their nakedness. But that’s all it covered. They would have to leave the garden because of their sin and feeling unworthy. A sense of sin can make you feel naked and unworthy before God. God doesn’t want us to feel this way and so He sent His only begotten son Jesus to die for our sins so that once again, we could be forgiven and made worthy of our relationship with God. God made Adam and Eve a covering for nakedness. Likewise, God made the world a covering for all who would believe  through Jesus! He made one for you and I. When we receive Jesus, we receive the covering called righteousness that washes and covers us so we that we become righteously presentable before God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT reveals, “God made Jesus who had never sinned, to be the offering of our sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God of through Christ Jesus.”

What does that mean and what does that look like today? A picture is painted by Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 61:10 NIV.  “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”  

These scriptures and others help us see that once we have received Jesus as our Savior, we gained His righteousness. This is not a righteousness we earn by being good. It is a righteousness earned by Jesus and given as a gift to us. Our faith in this righteousness given to us, is like putting on a perfectly white robe. When God looks at us, He only sees the robe, white, pure, and without blemish. Our sins are washed away and we’ve been made righteous. The robe is God’s covering for us so that Colossians 1:22 NIV becomes true for us. “But now He (God) has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation–” And, Romans 4:7-8 (NIV) says, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Christians often feel like they are unworthy before God. Sin will make you feel that way. If it didn’t, your heart would be getting hard. So know this: we all stumble and sin. And because we do, we should sincerely repent each and every time! Sin is not okay and leads to shame but recover from it because you can. Receive the forgiveness that He’s given and move forward in His provision and covering of righteousness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you transform to the image of Him. Let God do a work in you and over time, you will see that God has! When you focus on His love and righteousness it gives you desire and strength to love and live for God and resist the temptation of sin.

Jesus has made us worthy and a child of God that He loves and desires to help. Can your faith accept that? Can you understand that God wants you to walk in His ways, but when you blow it, His love for you is not dependent upon your personal ability to be perfect? Can you understand He removed your sins and covers you with His love? His robe for you was given to produce a confidence within you of His never-ending mercy and love. So wear that robe by faith and with it, go before Him in worship and thank for His grace and strength. Because of your faith, God sees you covered in His robe. And you are beautiful to Him!

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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