Isaiah 61:10
“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
When our eldest daughter was preparing to get married I got sucked into watching two programs—“Say ‘Yes’ to the Dress” and “Bridezilla”— both showing the worst side of brides as they prepared for their big day: shopping for a dress, a wedding cake, flowers, and a reception venue. One thing that struck me was that the brides looked pretty ordinary—sometimes even frumpy—until the big event approached. When the day arrived, extra pounds had melted off, hair had been coiffed, nails perfectly manicured, the princess gown had been zipped, and the bride made her way to the long-anticipated ceremony, ready to walk down the aisle to say, “I do.” Miraculously, as if a fairy godmother had waved a magic wand, the bride’s appearance is entirely different from the way she looked weeks before. No wonder the groom had a look of complete shock at her entrance!
In a spiritual sense, some of you—and this includes everyone: men, women, boys, and girls alike—are like the “bride-to-be.” You’ve been through a dating process of sorts, getting to know who Jesus is and what He’s like by reading your Bible and perhaps talking to Him through prayer. Maybe you’ve even spent time with members of His family—folks who have a loving relationship with Him; you enjoy being in their company. In your own heart, love has blossomed, and you’re thinking it may be time to consider committing. A lot of thought has gone into taking this big step, but the day of “pledging your life”—declaring your belief in Jesus—is a different matter. You are still getting ready, maybe even trying to get “cleaned up,” more presentable, before you are prepared to say, “I do.”
My friends, until you say those words, “I do” or “I believe,” a fully devoted relationship with Jesus will evade you. You won’t have His name, eternal security, or all the other benefits and privileges that go along with being His. You can’t start the journey with Him until you say to Him, “I do, I believe in You, Jesus!” When you do, He will clothe you in a “robe of righteousness.” He will cleanse you thoroughly, without any stain, disgrace, defect, guilt, or impurity remaining. And rather than a kiss to seal the moment, you will be irrevocably sealed with the Holy Spirit. On that day in the future when Jesus, our Bridegroom, comes again, He will proclaim to His beloved church, “This is my beloved bride!”
Won’t you say “I do” today? He is ready to bestow upon you the promise of eternal life and all the spiritual blessings that are His to give. And you know what? It’s all free, by His grace. You don’t have to get a makeover, buy a princess dress or tuxedo, or pay for a reception. He says, “Come,” just as you are.
Father in heaven, we praise You that Your gift of eternal life, through Your Son, Jesus, is free. There is not one thing we can do to make ourselves more acceptable to You. We already are. All we have to do is take that step to receive salvation by believing in Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for all the promises waiting for us once we say “I do.” In Your name we pray. Amen.
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