<p><em>The Most Expensive Robe</em></p><p>Nice clothing too often defines the rich by worldly standards. Some people say, “I dress this way to express who I am.” But in heaven, everything other than our relationships will fade away (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%206:19-21&version=KJV&src=tools" target="_self">Matt. 6:19-21</a>, NKJV). Our personal identity should be wrapped up in Jesus and His perfect robe of righteousness.</p><p><em>Read  </em>the parable in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022:1-14&version=KJV&src=tools" target="_self">Matthew 22:1-14</a> that Jesus told to explain this. What messages can you find in this parable?</p><p>Jesus called the man without a robe “friend,” and despite his lack of response, they must have had a relationship. The man must have known about the robe but had chosen not to wear it. Jesus’ character is perfect and spotless, and He offers this to us “that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev%2019:8&version=KJV&src=tools" target="_self">Rev. 19:8</a>), “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph%205:27&version=KJV&src=tools" target="_self">Eph. 5:27</a>).</p><p>The white linen “is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.”<a href="https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/15.1349?#1367" target="_blank">--Ellen G. White, <em>Christ’s Object Lessons</em>, p. 310</a>.</p><p>Adam and Eve wore a white robe of soft light before they sinned; after they sinned, they realized they were naked (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%203:7&version=KJV&src=tools" target="_self">Gen. 3:7</a>) and made clothing of fig leaves. Then God replaced their fig leaves with a clothing from animal skins. There was a sacrifice that produced their garment. In a similar way, we accept Jesus’ sacrifice by accepting His robe of righteousness. “Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for covering…. Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence. No fig-leaf garment, no worldly citizen dress, can be worn by those who sit down with Christ and angels at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.”<a href="https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/15.1349?#1373" target="_blank">--Ellen G. White, <em>Christ’s Object Lessons</em>, p. 311</a>.</p><p>Reflect: We should daily choose to be clothed with Jesus’ robe of righteousness. What does this really mean, and how do we do this?</p><p></p>