I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. [Isaiah 61:10 (NLT)]

When on a photo safari in Tanzania, I couldn’t believe how grimy I got. Tooling around on unpaved roads all day long in an open Range Rover meant for a lot of dust and, by the end of the day, I was caked with it. I’m sure you’ve had days when you’ve gotten incredibly dirty, as well. There’s nothing like hours spent gardening or cleaning out the garage to leave you and your clothes filthy, sweaty, and less than fragrant. Your hands and fingernails are coated with grime and even your teeth feel gritty. How refreshing it feels to strip off your dirty clothing and step into a hot shower and scrub away the dirt. Once clean, isn’t it pleasant to step into freshly laundered clothes? You feel like a new person.

The prophet Zechariah had a vision. In it, the high priest Jeshua, representing the nation of Israel, was standing before the angel of the Lord. Representing the sins of his people, Jeshua’s clothes were filthy. His clothing was removed and the angel said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and I am giving you fine new clothes.” [Zechariah 3:4 (NLT)] What an amazing image this is. Sins are literally being stripped off and replaced with garments of God’s goodness. Just as we feel refreshed after a shower and fresh clothes, imagine how much better we feel when we have shed the grime of sin. Our confession and repentance serve as soap and God’s forgiveness is the warm water showering over us, cleansing us of our sins. God’s grace is like the fresh outfit that is waiting for us. He will clothe us with his love and mercy; we just have to put on our new apparel. We won’t just feel like a new person; we can be a new person!

So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. … Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Romans 13:12,14 (NLT)]

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. [Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)]