From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Wool or Linen? Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 16:27:25 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C506E8.A080C4A0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C506E8.A080C4A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable WOOL OR LINEN? By Pastor Dick You probably already have on your mind enough embarrassing incidents = that you have gone through without me trying to add any more to the = list; but still, I would like you to think about how you would feel if = you were in the horrendous situation that I am about to describe. Imagine, just for a moment, that you got all dressed up in the most = expensive outfit in your wardrobe. Someone who loved you very much gave = you that clothing; you could never have afforded to buy it yourself. And = now you were going to the park to meet that someone whom you also loved = very much. However, just as you arrived there, you came under an attack = from a group of people who ripped off your clothing. There were several = onlookers but no one wanted to offer you any assistance. You were able = to break away from the attackers and, needless to say, you left in a big = hurry! But where would you run to? And think how humiliating it would be = to be running down the street naked! When you escaped, your attackers did not chase after you, because they = had accomplished what they wanted, and that was to make you naked. The = reason they assaulted you in the first place was not that they had = anything against you personally; what bothered them was the garment you = were wearing. By now you may be wondering why I would want you to consider going = through such a terrible experience. You may be thinking that the = possibility of something so repulsive happening to you is too remote = even to think about. Still, I must tell you that this actually did = happen to a man in the Bible, and, in a sense, it is happening right now = to countless Christians. And you may be one of them. This incident is so unusual, such a strange occurrence, that it cannot = go unnoticed; therefore, it must have an important meaning. This is the = account given according to the Gospel of Mark: "A young man, wearing = nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, = he fled naked, leaving his garment behind" (Mark 14:51-52). The spiritual meaning of this bizarre event will begin to unfold as we = take a look at the only garment this young man was wearing, the one that = caused such a ruckus, the one others were so anxious to strip off him. = It was a linen garment. The word "linen" in Greek means "fine" and in = Hebrew it means "white." An angel who appeared to Daniel was dressed in = linen (Dan.10:5) as well as the ones that John saw in a vision = (Rev.15:6). In the Old Testament the Hebrew priests' garments were made = of linen. Being clothed with linen represents being covered with purity. = It is a type of a spiritual covering that cannot be earned; it is = altogether a gift from God. There are specific instructions in the Bible = for the Hebrew priests concerning linen garments: "And it shall come to = pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they = shall be clothed with linen garments . . . they shall not gird = themselves with any thing that causeth sweat" (Ezek.44:17-18). An opposite type of material from linen is wool. Wool represents = something that makes you sweat, and it was forbidden by divine law to = mix linen and wool together in the same garment. A priest entering the = inner court wearing a garment made out of linen and wool would be like = us trying to get into Heaven by a mixture of God's grace and our works. = The children of Israel were also forbidden to wear a garment that was = made of both wool and linen. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not wear a = garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together" (Deut.22:11) = and ". . . neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon = thee" (Lev.19:19). Figuratively speaking, there are Christians who, by faith, wear the pure = linen garment, which symbolizes living a life that is free from guilt. = There are others who, by trusting in their own works, wear a garment of = wool and are sweating under their own fleshly condemnation. And there = are those who wear a garment made partly of linen and partly of wool: = one moment they will be trusting in the grace of God, the next they will = be trusting in their own works. They cannot understand why they are so = unstable. Their spiritual lives resemble a roller coaster ride, going = from the mountain tops to the deep valleys.=20 Trying to combine these two garments is awfully hard; they just do not = match. For a child of God who lives in the freedom of God's grace to = have real fellowship with a child of God who lives under the bondage of = the law is next to impossible. The fine linen mentioned in the Scriptures was extremely expensive; it = was worn by royalty. It is a symbolic picture of the most costly item = that was ever purchased in the history of the universe, which is the = robe of righteousness, woven by the Son of God on the cross at Calvary! Wearing fine linen is the heavenly assigned dress code for every child = of God; it is the magnificent garment for the Bride of Christ. The Bible = says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the = marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And = to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and = white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev.19:7-8). The garment of righteousness is given to all the moment they receive = Christ and are united to Him by the mighty power of God. To own such a = gift from Him is certainly a cause for rejoicing. The Bible says, "I = will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for = he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me = with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with = ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isa.61:10). The reason the man in the Bible who was following Jesus was under attack = is because he was wearing nothing but a linen garment. This is a picture = of a Christian who covers himself with nothing but the righteousness of = Christ, which is the only covering that is acceptable to God: ". . . and = their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (Isa.54:17). Do you dare-by faith-to wear the garment of righteousness for your only = covering? If you do you also will come under attack, for there will be = many who will try their best to strip it off you; and I am sad to state = that most of them will be brothers and sisters in the Lord. Always = remember that God has given this garment to you, and no one, including = Satan, can strip it from you unless you let them. When you come under attack for wearing it, will you stand by Christ in = His righteousness, or will you leave your garment and run away from Him = in nakedness as the young man in the Bible did? There are great benefits = for standing firmly in the righteousness of Christ; it will do wonders = for any child of God. The Bible says: "And the work of righteousness = shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance = for ever" (Isa.32:17). You cannot go in two directions at once. You cannot follow Moses and = Jesus at the same time; you must choose one or the other. Law and grace = do not mix; wool and linen cannot be mingled. You must put on one or the = other. Are you willing to put on the linen? Are you willing to come all = the way into the New Testament? Are you willing to plunge all the way = into the grace of God? If you try to wear a woolen garment in the warm love of God, you are = going to sweat and you will not be able to enjoy His love the way you = should. Wearing wool is symbolic of trying to establish your own = righteousness by obeying rules and regulations. It is like trying to = follow Moses in the wilderness while living under the Old Covenant. = Being clothed in fine linen represents following Jesus, and believing = that your righteousness is secured by the finished work that He did for = you on the cross. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C506E8.A080C4A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
WOOL OR=20 LINEN?
 
By Pastor Dick
 
You probably already have on your mind enough = embarrassing=20 incidents that you have gone through without me trying to add any more = to the=20 list; but still, I would like you to think about how you would feel if = you were=20 in the horrendous situation that I am about to describe.
 
Imagine, just for a moment, that you got all dressed = up in the=20 most expensive outfit in your wardrobe. Someone who loved you very much = gave you=20 that clothing; you could never have afforded to buy it yourself. And now = you=20 were going to the park to meet that someone whom you also loved very = much.=20 However, just as you arrived there, you came under an attack from a = group of=20 people who ripped off your clothing. There were several onlookers but no = one=20 wanted to offer you any assistance. You were able to break away from the = attackers and, needless to say, you left in a big hurry! But where would = you run=20 to? And think how humiliating it would be to be running down the street=20 naked!
 
When you escaped, your attackers did not chase after = you,=20 because they had accomplished what they wanted, and that was to make you = naked.=20 The reason they assaulted you in the first place was not that they had = anything=20 against you personally; what bothered them was the garment you were=20 wearing.
 
By now you may be wondering why I would want you to = consider=20 going through such a terrible experience. You may be thinking that the=20 possibility of something so repulsive happening to you is too remote = even to=20 think about. Still, I must tell you that this actually did happen to a = man in=20 the Bible, and, in a sense, it is happening right now to countless = Christians.=20 And you may be one of them.
 
This incident is so unusual, such a strange = occurrence, that it=20 cannot go unnoticed; therefore, it must have an important meaning. This = is the=20 account given according to the Gospel of Mark: "A young man, wearing = nothing=20 but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled = naked,=20 leaving his garment behind" (Mark 14:51-52).
 
The spiritual meaning of this bizarre event will begin = to unfold=20 as we take a look at the only garment this young man was wearing, the = one that=20 caused such a ruckus, the one others were so anxious to strip off him. = It was a=20 linen garment. The word "linen" in Greek means "fine" and in Hebrew it = means=20 "white." An angel who appeared to Daniel was dressed in linen (Dan.10:5) = as well=20 as the ones that John saw in a vision (Rev.15:6). In the Old Testament = the=20 Hebrew priests' garments were made of linen. Being clothed with linen = represents=20 being covered with purity. It is a type of a spiritual covering that = cannot be=20 earned; it is altogether a gift from God. There are specific = instructions in the=20 Bible for the Hebrew priests concerning linen garments: "And it shall = come to=20 pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they = shall be=20 clothed with linen garments . . . they shall not gird themselves with = any thing=20 that causeth sweat" (Ezek.44:17-18).
 
An opposite type of material from linen is wool. Wool = represents=20 something that makes you sweat, and it was forbidden by divine law to = mix linen=20 and wool together in the same garment. A priest entering the inner court = wearing=20 a garment made out of linen and wool would be like us trying to get into = Heaven=20 by a mixture of God's grace and our works. The children of Israel were = also=20 forbidden to wear a garment that was made of both wool and linen. The = Bible=20 says, "Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen = and linen=20 together" (Deut.22:11) and ". . . neither shall a = garment=20 mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee" (Lev.19:19).
 
Figuratively speaking, there are Christians who, by = faith, wear=20 the pure linen garment, which symbolizes living a life that is free from = guilt.=20 There are others who, by trusting in their own works, wear a garment of = wool and=20 are sweating under their own fleshly condemnation. And there are those = who wear=20 a garment made partly of linen and partly of wool: one moment they will = be=20 trusting in the grace of God, the next they will be trusting in their = own works.=20 They cannot understand why they are so unstable. Their spiritual lives = resemble=20 a roller coaster ride, going from the mountain tops to the deep valleys. =
 
Trying to combine these two garments is awfully hard; = they just=20 do not match. For a child of God who lives in the freedom of God's grace = to have=20 real fellowship with a child of God who lives under the bondage of the = law is=20 next to impossible.
 
The fine linen mentioned in the Scriptures was = extremely=20 expensive; it was worn by royalty. It is a symbolic picture of the most = costly=20 item that was ever purchased in the history of the universe, which is = the robe=20 of righteousness, woven by the Son of God on the cross at Calvary!
 
Wearing fine linen is the heavenly assigned dress code = for every=20 child of God; it is the magnificent garment for the Bride of Christ. The = Bible=20 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the = marriage of=20 the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was = granted=20 that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for = the fine=20 linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev.19:7-8).
 
The garment of righteousness is given to all the = moment they=20 receive Christ and are united to Him by the mighty power of God. To own = such a=20 gift from Him is certainly a cause for rejoicing. The Bible says, "I = will=20 greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he = hath=20 clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the = robe of=20 righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a = bride=20 adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isa.61:10).
 
The reason the man in the Bible who was following = Jesus was=20 under attack is because he was wearing nothing but a linen garment. This = is a=20 picture of a Christian who covers himself with nothing but the = righteousness of=20 Christ, which is the only covering that is acceptable to God: ". . . = and=20 their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (Isa.54:17).
 
Do you dare—by faith—to wear the garment = of righteousness for=20 your only covering? If you do you also will come under attack, for there = will be=20 many who will try their best to strip it off you; and I am sad to state = that=20 most of them will be brothers and sisters in the Lord. Always remember = that God=20 has given this garment to you, and no one, including Satan, can strip it = from=20 you unless you let them.
 
When you come under attack for wearing it, will you = stand by=20 Christ in His righteousness, or will you leave your garment and run away = from=20 Him in nakedness as the young man in the Bible did? There are great = benefits for=20 standing firmly in the righteousness of Christ; it will do wonders for = any child=20 of God. The Bible says: "And the work of righteousness shall be = peace; and=20 the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever"=20 (Isa.32:17).
 
You cannot go in two directions at once. You cannot = follow Moses=20 and Jesus at the same time; you must choose one or the other. Law and = grace do=20 not mix; wool and linen cannot be mingled. You must put on one or the = other. Are=20 you willing to put on the linen? Are you willing to come all the way = into the=20 New Testament? Are you willing to plunge all the way into the grace of=20 God?
 
If you try to wear a woolen garment in the warm love = of God, you=20 are going to sweat and you will not be able to enjoy His love the way = you=20 should. Wearing wool is symbolic of trying to establish your own = righteousness=20 by obeying rules and regulations. It is like trying to follow Moses in = the=20 wilderness while living under the Old Covenant. Being clothed in fine = linen=20 represents following Jesus, and believing that your righteousness is = secured by=20 the finished work that He did for you on the cross.
 
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