White Coats and Christ our Righteousness

Well, the pain is subsiding a bit - I see the surgeon next Tuesday for a post-op visit. I think sitting at the computer has caused some of the pain in the area where the hernias were, but it is hard not to sit at the computer since this is the last week of classes for school etc. So, I still have pain but it is bearable with Tylenol, so you can see it has decreased a lot. Resting helps too. This is a challenge in my bedroom which has become a repository for items from the other rooms that are being worked on. The house repairs are very slow, due in part to the inconsistent showing up of the workers.

This week I attended the white coat ceremony at my son Stephen's medical school where the 1st year medical students make the transfer from their medical studies in the classroom to clinical on the wards. The ceremony was very inspiring as the professors reminded students that they are treating not a disease but a person. The white coat, they were told, is a responsibility to wear and carries with it the requirements of good character, compassion and care. It was really a wonderful ceremony, and I am thankful that through the faithful prayers of you all I was able to attend. My next goal is to be at his graduation in 3 more years, as well as my youngest son Andrew's graduation from UT!

Here is a picture of the actual cloaking event - it's a bit blurry since we were in the back of the lecture hall, but wonderful nonetheless.

I was reminded of these verses from the Old and New Testaments which I'd like to share with you:

Isaiah 61:10
10 I will rejoice greatly in Jehovah, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness; I am like a bridegroom who wears the headdress of the priest, And like a bride who adorns herself with her jewels.

Zechariah 3:4
4 And He answered and spoke to those standing before Him, saying, Remove the filthy garments from him. Then He said to him, See, I hereby make your iniquity pass from you and clothe you with stately robes.

Luke 15:22:
22 But the father said to his slaves, Bring out quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

Galatians 3:27:
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.


These verses all speak about the exchange from the rags of our own attempts of righteousness, our sinful state, to be clothed with a righteousness which is God's alone. What an exchange! Even more, I realized that the righteousness with which we are clothed when we believe into Christ is a person, it is Christ Himself. In the booklet Christ our Righteousness, Watchman Nee writes:

How do we come to God? First Corinthians 1:30 is a great verse in the New Testament. This verse reveals that a Christian does not come to God through his own righteousness. Neither does he come to God with his many sins. Rather, he comes to God through Christ alone. A Christian's access to God is not based on his righteousness or his unrighteousness. This verse shows us clearly that Christ has become the righteousness of the believers. It is not something about Christ that has become our righteousness; rather, Christ Himself in His entirety has become our righteousness. Something of Christ can never be as absolute and perfect as Christ Himself. When Christ Himself becomes our righteousness, God receives us.

The experience of many Christians follows a certain pattern: If they read the Bible in the morning and manage to control their temper during the day, they can pray in a strong way at night. But if they fail during the day, their prayer at night is very weak. Actually, even when we sin, Christ is still our righteousness. The fact has not changed, because we are in Christ. If we behave well today and think that we are more qualified to come to God, we are coming to Him by our own righteousness. This is a wrong concept. God does not receive us based on our righteousness, much less on our unrighteousness. His receiving is based on Christ. A Christian does not become more unrighteous through sinning, nor does he become more righteous through doing good. Sin does not diminish a Christian's righteousness, nor do good works increase his righteousness. Our righteousness before God is not dependent on our conduct, but on Christ Himself. Our righteousness before God never changes. Righteousness is a person; it is not a thing. The righteousness that a Christian has is the living Christ; it is not some dead object. Even if we committed all the sins of the world, our righteousness is still Christ Himself. Sooner or later every Christian must realize who this One is who is his righteousness.

We have not put on a robe of righteousness; we have put on Christ Himself. We have not put on the garment of Christ; we have put on Christ Himself. Galatians 3:27 speaks of the putting on of Christ. The righteousness which we now have far exceeds our own righteousness. It is Christ Himself becoming our righteousness. Hence we are perfect, and God can now accept us....

I come to God through Christ as my righteousness, not through the righteousness of Christ. Before the Lord I have my own righteousnesses as well as my own unrighteousnesses. Of course, my own unrighteousnesses cannot be reckoned as righteous in His eyes, but my righteousness cannot be reckoned as righteous in His eyes either. This has nothing to do with me loving Him but with Him loving me. I do not preserve myself; He preserves me. It is not my hands that are holding Him but His hands that are holding me. It is not a matter of my faithfulness but His faithfulness." I may have sinned more than all of you sitting here, but I can be bold before the Lord because my righteousness is Christ alone.

Isn't this wonderful? Our righteousness is not just a cloak or a robe but a living person Christ Himself. How amazing is this fact!

1 Corinthians 1:30 says But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

The hymn I am reminded of is truly one of my favorites by Count Zinzendorf. Here is a link to the tune:

1 God's Christ, who is my righteousness,
My beauty is, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in this arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

2 Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e'en for my soul, was shed.

3 Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full redemption made.

4 Bold can I stand in every way,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully, by Thee, absolved I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

5 This spotless robe the same appears,
When ruined nature sinks in years;
No age can change its glorious hue,
Its glory is forever new.

6 Thou God of power, Thou God of love,
Let all Thy saints Thy mercy prove;
Our beauty this, our glorious dress,
Jesus the Lord, our Righteousness.



What a mercy! We are clothed with Christ. He is our white coat, our garment that is forever new!

Much love to you all,
Joanne