Garments of Grace
8/4/2021
Written By: April Mills
One of the things I love most about the Bible is how it is filled with “hidden gems”. No, not the “You can do all things…” or “The Lord is my Shepherd…” kind of verses. Those are well known and celebrated in every form from coffee cups to T-shirts to refrigerator magnets. I am talking about those hidden gems you come across when reading, and they make you stop in your tracks and read it again. You feel an excitement and wonder that you just stumbled on something powerful and life giving. It’s the type of Scripture that inspires you to really dig into God’s word in search of more treasure. Let’s take a look at a hidden gem in the book of Genesis.
“Also, for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them”. -Genesis 3:21
Now, at first glance, this scripture may not hit you in a lightning bolt type of way. To really grasp the depth of this verse, let’s take a few steps back and set the stage.
God had set up Adam and Eve in paradise, and consequently, they had everything they needed. There was only one rule-they couldn’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They had a companion in one another and had everything going for them. Despite all of the many blessings and all the immense provision God had given Adam and Eve, they disobeyed God and ruined everything. In one moment, they defied God and brought sin and shame into their lives.
Have you ever felt this way? Can you relate to Adam and Eve?
In Genesis 3:16 we read where God disciplines Adam and Eve for their sin. But then he does something interesting. In verse 21 we read where the Lord God himself made clothing to cover their nakedness, and to cover their shame. Don’t skip over this, let it sink in. The God of Creation, the One that created the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1:14-16) and whose Spirit hovered over the waters and spoke light into existence (Genesis 1: 2-4) personally made garments for Adam and Eve. And not just made the garments, but made the garments for them after they committed a great offense against God. He could have left Adam and Eve to suffer in their shame, but His character wouldn’t allow it. He purposely and intentionally covered their sin and shame.
He covered their shame with an act of mercy and grace.
So often when we sin, we tend to allow shame to pour itself over us and hang on us like a heavy coat. We keep wearing the coat of shame and condemnation, because after all, don’t we deserve it? Don’t we deserve to feel the uncomfortable pain of shame after we disobeyed and sinned against God?
What if instead of wearing that coat of shame, we allowed Him to cover us in garments of grace? What if we allowed His mercy to peel off that shameful coat, and step into a garment of forgiveness that He made just for us?
You see, it’s ok to feel the pain of being disciplined. It propels us further into holy living. But condemnation-that’s a whole other story. Condemnation aims to keep us frozen in place and separated from Him. Conviction lovingly draws us close to Him, and it’s there He can correct us. Discipline is an act of love, (Hebrews 12:6) and it’s one we should train ourselves to embrace, not run from.
The next time you sin, and that sin tempts you to live in shame, remember there are garments of grace waiting for you. Make the decision to embrace holy correction, shed the coat of shame, and walk
forward in righteousness. March onward wearing your coat of forgiveness, determined to sin no more. And remember, keep looking for those hidden gems.