“PUT ON YOUR NEW CLOTHES”
1-11-2010
Isaiah 53:11 “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, fore he will bear all their sins.”
When Christ (the righteous servant) died on the cross, He ensured that anyone who accepted Him as their Savior becomes righteous....Jesus’ sacrifice makes us righteous the moment we become saved. We are new creatures. We are not righteous because of we’re a good person or because of the good things we do. We are righteous because we put on the righteousness of Jesus. We become like him.
Definitions: Righteous- morally upright; just.
Justified means qualify as surety by taking an oath to the ownership of sufficient property.
Surety - one who has become legally liable for the debt, default, or failure in duty of another.
Why are these definitions significant..... being righteous makes us just or justified before God. We are justified because Jesus takes ownership of our sin. He became our “Surety.” He took all of our sin upon himself so that it doesn’t belong to us anymore. So when God sees us, He doesn’t see our sin because it’s not there. Jesus took it away. We no longer have to lay claim to it or own it. Romans 5:18 “Yes, Adam’s one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness makes all people right in God’s sight and gives them life.”
Next we’ll cover Isaiah 52:1-2 & 5-11. I’m going to break it down a verse or so at a time so the format of this lesson is a little different than previous lessons. Just stick with me and we’ll get it :)
Isaiah 52:1&2 - “Wake up, wake up O Zion! Clothe yourselves with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean godless people will no longer enter your gates.”
First, I believe that the word “Strength” in this verse is inter-changeable with “Righteous” from the verse in Isaiah 53 we just looked at. I believe that God is telling us to wake up and realize our righteousness and to “put it on” like new clothes and start walking in/operating in it. Ephesians 6:14 “Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” Righteousness is our armor against the enemy. Once you understand your righteousness, the enemy’s attack of condemnation for example (you’re not good enough, you don’t pray enough or do enough for God, you always mess up, etc) no longer works. You can be saved and faithfully serving God and still not understand your righteousness. So many Christians are bound up and held back from walking in the power and authority Christ has given them because they don’t truly understand who they are in Christ and are walking around still feeling unworthy and condemned.
Isaiah 52:2 “Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Remove the slave bands from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”
This verse is telling us to get up from our beat down position. Sometimes it feels like the enemy, the world, circumstances, etc truly beat us down to the ground and we’re laying in the dust. God is calling us to stand up and rise up out of our circumstances. I also believe that dust here is symbolic of our old nature, and God is calling us to step into our position and the new life that Christ has given us in the Kingdom of God. Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.” We were made from dirt. When Adam sinned it brought sin/a curse upon the entire earth (See Genesis 3:1-19). However, like we just discussed earlier in Romans 5:18 Jesus’ death broke that curse and we have a new life and new nature (2Corinthians 5:17 “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”). God is calling us to break free from all that enslaves/hinders us and start walking in this new life He has provided
Isaiah 52:5 “And now, what is this? Asks the Lord. Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is being blasphemed all day long.”
We know that when sin entered the earth it opened the door for the curse and for the enemy to bring every attack possible. However, we also know that we can be set free from the curse by accepting Jesus. I believe God’s question to us today is WHY are you continue to live bound up? God has given us the power to overcome the enemy....WHY are we continuing to live under oppression and in defeat when we’ve been given the ability to walk in complete victory. (Romans 8:1-3 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”) Let me just add that I truly believe it grieves the Holy Spirit to see the children of God living oppressed and unhappy. Not walking in who God has made us and understanding how much God truly loves us and not walking in all the blessings and authority God has given us grieves the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 52:6 “But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that it is I who speaks to them.”
I believe this scripture confirms what I believe is going to start happening more and more this year.... God is going to start sending more and more revelation of who He is and of His power. Which means in turn we’re going to see more and more miracles and the presence of God and His anointing are going to flow more than we’ve ever seen or imagined possible. (John 20:30&31 “Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.”) There is a saying that the proof is in the pudding. Well, God’s anointing and Him revealing himself through His presence and healing and miracles will change more lives than 10,000 sermons. You cannot explain away or ignore the presence and power of God.
Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the fee of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”
Those who have the revelation of righteousness are to be carries of that revelation and the anointing and power of God. We’re called to spread the good news
Isaiah 52:8 “The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord bringing his people home to Jerusalem.”
The watchman here I believe are not only prophets, pastors, etc of God’s (Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman of Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately.”) But are all of God’s people who are walking in the calling and actively seeking the fulfilling of God’s purpose for their life...also includes those called to intercessory prayer ( Isaiah 62:6&7 “O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the Lord day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. Give the Lord no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth.” We are all going to see people (sinner and saint) being set free, delivered and chains of bondage broken off. We are going to see God pouring out his presence and leading people to Himself. When we see it we are going to rejoice and seeing these things happen will fuel our fire to keep on keeping on for God. To keep fulfilling our calling and to keep pressing toward the mark.
Isaiah 52:9-11 “Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Go now, leave your bonds and slavery. Put Babylon behind you, with everything it represents, for it is unclean to you. You are the Lord’s holy people. Purify yourselves, you who carry home the vessels of the Lord.”
God has made a plan of salvation and redeemed us from bondage and sin. God is going to reveal himself more and more. The whole world is going to see His power. We are called to cast aside anything that binds us...for such a time as this. We have to stop looking back. Stop looking at the past....hurts, failures, anything negative. Now more than ever we need to have our eyes on the prize so to speak and see what God is calling us to do. We have to realize who we are, what God is calling us to do and then do it with everything within us!!
-ff
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