Clothes
By: Rev. Kelvin N. Broadus

There is a scripture that tells how we are the temple of God:
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you”

This morning when I was preparing my clothes (I actually was ironing, can you believe it), I began to see how we are kind of like the clothes ourselves. The Spirit residing in us in a way is like the same way we are with our clothes. Check out this analogy.
In order for us to find our clothing acceptable to wear, or presentable, they have to be crisp, clean, and spotless, with everything in order. As we know from the Bible, Jesus was the sacrifice, and the work of His sacrifice was used to make us as acceptable before God. The represents the purchase of our clothes for analogy purposes; Jesus purchased us through His blood. Now, once we purchase clothes, we have to make them presentable by first matching them with other clothes that they compliment, the same way that we have to be matched with similar clothes (other Christians) in fellowship that we may be properly presented and a pleasing way.
Next comes the real preparation for each individual item. First we wash the new clothes to get rid of any excess ink or contaminants; this is accomplished through the blood of Christ also. Next we have to iron it by selecting the appropriate heat for the type of fabric that we have. Now note that we all are not the same, just as all types of fabric are not the same, so some of us have to go through a little more heat in our trials and tribulations in order to get the wrinkles out. In fact, some of us are quite stubborn, like wool or extra thick denim compounds, so we have to take the highest temperatures, plus additional steam pressing. With that in mind, when the heat gets turned up on you, try to just hold on, as often God is just preparing you for His glorious presentation, that He may present you in excellence before all that would see. And once we get that together, we go out with our clothes on exposing them for the world to see.
Sometimes though, when we take our clothes out into the world, they get a little dirty. How long was it since you were saved, or since you got “holy” on Sunday, before you sinned again in word, thought, or deed? See the thing is – when we go out into the world, sin (just as dirt to clothes) comes charging at us and it is very difficult to stay clean. In fact, it would take great preparation (putting on the full armor of God and staying highly prayed up and focused), which would be similar for clothing purposes to spraying on and utilizing all of those stain and water protection products that are sold for clothing. As a result of the dirt though, the clothes, just like us, have to be cleaned. So, we place the clothes in the washing machine and dryer in the same way that we become placed in the cleansing cycles of our lives, and this becomes a regular pattern throughout our lives, just as it is a regular cycle throughout the lives of our clothes.
A final point in this analogy is that every now and then something really damaging may happen to our clothes. It might be a burn, some type of chemical stain, but whatever it is; it won’t come out through regular washing, sometimes not even through scrubbing. Tough stains that come out through scrubbing are kind of like bad habits or stubborn, negative behaviors – and just the same you have to go through some painful scrubbing sometimes to be rid of those ways. But, those that won’t come out sometimes have to be completely cut out. (Matthew 5:30 “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”) You know what though, for every section that has to be severed cut out, those stains/habits/relationships that just won’t leave any other way, there is an even better patch (which is clean, durable, and trustworthy) ready to take it’s place. Anything that God has to take away from you or causes to have to be removed, He can bless you with something even better. So, in all that is said here, there is one thing I want for you to remember, don’t hate the fire, but embrace the cleansing and preparation that it produces. Troubles don’t last always.