Prayer-Put on Righteousness (T Mart)

First off, I'd like to apologize to goin' MIA this past week to two weeks on my day, no excuses cause i dont believe in that, just my bad, sorry.

Alright, so another step to preparing for prayer is found in Lev. 16:4, "putting on righteousness."  It corresponds with the NT admonition found in Eph. 4:24.  But as we look at Lev. 16:4, it states:

"He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. ⁵ From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering."

In effect God is getting the point across that if you want to be in His presence, to clothe ourselves with what He tells us to put on.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 to put on the "full armor of God", this being a preparatory concept.  Yes, you need this armor before each day, but you also need it before prayer.  We are to put on the "breastplate of righteousness", meaning that we are to be right with God through the righteousness of Christ.

So, why was the priest to wear linen?  Maybe....because linen is a fabric that breathes; there was to be no perspiration in God's presence.  Because sweat was representative of rebellion against God (Gen. 3:17-19).  Well, obviously sweat is usually a sign of either being hot or hard work (at least in sports).  But here, sweat represents any attempt to reach God on our own merits.  It means trying to work ourselves into God's presence.  You probably see examples of this today.  Maybe someone's heart is not right before God so, they decide to beef up the collection plate or a large Red Cross donation.  But that is not going to get us into God's presence. That is sweating. That is trying to get to God by doing good deeds, while at the same time you're living in contrary to God's Word.

But see the breastplate protects the heart and other precious organs, so God wants us to be pure in the most vital areas of our lives.  We can only do this through appropriating the righteousness of Christ through faith: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).  Then we need to live in the righteousness, doing what is right by keeping in step with the Spirit.  When we put on God's righteousness, we can rejoice before the Lord.

      "I delight greatly in the LORD; 
       my soul rejoices in my God. 
       For he has clothed me with garments of salvation 
       and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, 
       as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, 
       and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."  (Isa. 61:10)

If somebody could post it to the site, I would appreciate it.  Hope the e-fellas are great!

trying to die to myself,

-todd