From the AT archives; July/Aug 1997

One of my earliest memories is my mom telling me to get ready for Sabbath. I had to pick up my toys, change my sheets, shine my Sabbath shoes, lay out my Sabbath clothes on the foot of my bed, and most important of all, take my bath. I scrubbed off all the accumulated dirt of the last couple of days, and even had to wash my hair. I was squeaky clean. Friday night I would crawl in between those fresh sheets in my clean pajamas feeling so clean and pure—so ready to be in God’s presence at church the next day. It really felt good.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, I would put my Sabbath clothes on. These were clothes that I only wore to church on Sabbath. I had a Sabbath suit, shirt, tie, shoes, and even socks that never saw the light of day except on Sabbath. Soon I was all dressed up and even had Brill Cream in my hair for that great greasy look. I was all ready to go to church. I had not a spot or blemish anywhere. I was perfect.

Is our focus on being cleaned up when we go to church teaching us something that isn’t true? I would like to propose that for some, this practice of cleaning up for church has taught that God only accepts people and their worship if they are good—on the inside and the outside. They spend a lot of time making their outsides look clean and spotless so that they can come into God’s presence. At church, everyone looks so righteous. Who needs Christ’s robe of righteousness when we all look so good?

Nowhere does the Bible say that we have to purify ourselves, to become clean on the inside or outside, before coming to Christ. But many don’t want to be in Christ’s presence if they feel unworthy. They don’t realize that in Jesus’ presence they can rejoice in the gift of the white robe of righteousness that he gives freely to anyone who will accept it.

Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast illustrates how freely he offers his righteousness to cover our blemishes, and how free of conditions is his call to us.

"Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ " (Matthew 22:8-13)

Both good and bad people were at the wedding banquet. The condition for being there was not their goodness, it was their acceptance of the free wedding clothes.

From beginning to end the Bible tells of God’s love for us and of his longing to make us clean. He doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves. Rather, "The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17)

Jesus opens his arms to all and says come. Come with your dirty insides and outsides. Come with your unworthy feelings. Come with your pain. Come as you are. He has the perfect solution for our dirt: His perfect, white and clean robe of His righteousness. He says, "Come."