by Rev Douglas Brauner

Covered with Christ’s Righteousness

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22b-24 English Standard Version

If you have followed my photography, you’ve probably seen pictures of leafless trees. It’s possible that I’ve taken more pictures of trees without leaves than trees with leaves. This might be because the trees where I live are leafless longer than they have leaves on them, but I don’t think so.

There is something about the shape of tree branches, how they weave together, that fascinates me. The character of trees cannot be hidden when they’re stripped of leaves.

They’re naked.

After their rebellion against God, Adam and Eve were naked not just before each other but before the God with whom they had walked shamelessly in the garden. Like leaves covering a tree in the middle of summer, these two covered their nakedness.

“[God] said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?'”
Genesis 3:11 English Standard Version

No amount of covering can hide the fact that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. However, we often stop with verse twenty-three in Romans 3 and don’t move on to verse twenty-four. All of us have been covered with Christ’s righteousness. Just as the Lord covered Adam and Eve, we we are covered with Christ.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah 61:10 English Standard Version

Our true nature is not seen in our sinfulness, but in our new clothing provided for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are not naked as a tree without leaves before God because of Christ.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado