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Removing Grave Clothes

Removing Grave Clothes
Words of Faith 12-22-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 11
[43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" [44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Lazarus had a problem. A big problem. Even though he had been resurrected from death to life, he was still bound by the grave clothes wrapped tightly around him. These clothes were full of the stench of death. He could not move. He could not unwrap himself. It is likely that the cloth around his face would have soon suffocated him again. He needed help.
Jesus could have removed these grave clothes Himself but instead he asked for help. Who did Jesus call on to help Lazarus? Mary and Martha of course but also the friends who had come to mourn. The command was clear: "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
This was no simple request. For a Jew, it would render a person ritually unclean to touch a dead body or anything that had touched a dead body. Not only was it repugnant, there were serious spiritual issues in the mind of the observant Jew. Touching the wrappings required a significant sacrifice.
This is fundamentally the call of Jesus upon the church. The Body of Christ is called to greet those whom God is calling from death to life and help remove the grave clothes that impede them. Every new believer has grave clothes. Some may have a more offensive smell to us, but all wear the trappings of death even though they are coming to life.
We all carry with us something of the worldly lifestyle we left behind. Our grave clothes may be manifest in the form of selfishness, bad language, habits or serious lifestyle issues. Though we are made new, we continue to carry the stench of our rotting flesh-- our sin nature-- even though it no longer has power over us. These grave clothes are sometimes tossed aside quickly but there are those who struggle to shed them over a long time. Jesus calls us to ministries that remove grave clothes.
Removing grave clothes is an exterior matter in cooperation with the Spirit, which is dealing internally with the sin nature. It is more than just cleaning up and gaining acceptable habits. God continues to do a work of sanctification within the life of the believer who has been brought to life.
Through the Word and fellowship of love the grave clothes are removed. It is careful, loving work. It is not a matter of adapting a certain cultural trapping. It is the process of learning to submit to the Spirit within that gives life.
Paul wrote about this to the church at Colosse:
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col. 3:5-10).
This work is not just about getting rid of the old clothes. Paul reminds us that we are to be clothed with the things of Christ:
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:12-17).
The call of Jesus is clear. If a person is genuinely coming to life in Christ, they will smother in the trappings of death. That person will desire to have the grave clothes removed and needs help to do so. Are we ready?

Lord, I thank You for calling me to New Life. I praise You for the work of transformation You are doing in those You are saving. Give me the grace and courage I need to remove my own grave clothes and help remove those of others. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.