Are You Still Wearing Your Grave Clothes?

Are you still wearing your grave clothes

By Carol Doyel –

Last Easter my husband and I attended an Easter service at a church in Jacksonville, Florida where my husband was working on a project. I flew in to spend Easter with him. I love visiting other churches to see what God is up to. The body of Christ is so fascinating, each doing their part (I Cor. 12:12), and yet not always recognizing the importance of the entire body and the power of walking in unity.

I was blessed by the message that the pastor gave on the working power of God in us, based on Ephesians 1:17-20 (KJV):

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“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places…”

The message was centered on the working power of God that changes us into the new creation that we become when we receive Jesus as our Lord and savior.

As I looked around during the worship time prior to the message though, I couldn’t help but notice that something seemed to be missing…something that seems to be missing in many churches that I’ve visited, as well as in my own life at times. It was the lack of zeal – although people we’re singing and praising God, the abundant life that Jesus died for was not evident. The working power of God that we should be experiencing as the verse in Ephesians above refers to.

A sense of grieving came on me, I believe the Lord was trying to reveal something to me. Not that there was anything wrong with the message or the worship time – but as I looked around at the people their expressions lacked an excitement or expectancy of the hope that we have in Christ. I could not see the evidence of the “abundant” life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10. I can’t tell you why, I can only share what I sensed in the spirit – instead of “joy unspeakable” that we should have, considering that as Christians we were celebrating the greatest day of our lives, there was a somberness in the air. As I continued to worship, I knew that to become too zealous or to shout and jump might be out of the question (I always try to honor the church that I’m attending by taking ques from the spiritual atmosphere, if people are not raising their hands I try to be more discreet, I can be zealous in the presence of God without offending anyone).

While I was listening to the Pastor’s message, I heard the question – Are you still wearing your grave clothes? I felt the Lord was grieved with the answer, that yes, many of us in the body are walking around in our grave clothes instead of in the liberty of the Lord, ruling and reigning with Him who sits at the right hand of the Father. We often stand with one foot in and one foot out of the tomb instead of in the fullness of the life that Jesus intended for us to have. We know we have eternal life, but if “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” shouldn’t we be experiencing a resounding life filled with the fruit of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-discipline as Galatians 5 states is the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?

At the end of the Pastor’s message he was excited to share some good news, he went on to say that the church had raised over $800,000 needed to save them from foreclosure in just a few short months, which is more than their total annual giving, which he attributed to God. He went on to say that they had also been approved by a bank for the 3.5 million dollar loan needed to keep the church open. I was shocked, to think that the congregation had given all that money to keep the church doors open. Please don’t misunderstand me, I don’t know if it was God’s will or not – but if I apply that to my own personal situation, is borrowing more money and taking on more debt God’s best? Is it really God’s will for the church – to take on a huge debt to have a place to meet?

I can’t help but wonder if they might have been able to find an empty building somewhere close by that needed a tenant where their congregation could meet to worship the Lord – people do it all over the world in huts and open air spaces, and use the $800,000 to help fund their missionaries and programs that could be offered to people in need. How might the church be perceived if we used more of our resources to feed the hungry, house the poor, and help the widows and orphans? It seems a far better option than taking on a huge mortgage – If we believe Jesus died to set us free, how can it be that we would be willing to become slaves to debt for the Kingdom?

Following the Easter service my husband and I took a drive to Amelia Island to have lunch and do some sightseeing. We enjoyed walking along the quaint streets of the town center. As we were strolling around town we heard live music down a street so we decided to check it out. We came across a little southern tavern with a large covered porch, having lived in New Orleans for almost three years it brought back many memories of the things I love about the south. I find there’s something very unique and compelling about the south. We decided to take a seat on a couple of colorful oversized wooden beach chairs that were on the lawn just off of the covered porch of the little establishment called the “Green Turtle Tavern” to listen to the music. There seemed to be an electricity in the air, people we’re smiling, and socializing, and the music was incredible. A mother and son duo, were playing a guitar and a violin – two of the best musicians I have come across in my travels.

What occurred to me as I looked around is, the people seemed more alive and excited – as evident by their expressions and the energy of the musicians (some of them may have been experiencing the effects of the libations but the duo and people around them did not appear to be drinking alcohol). As a matter of fact, I discerned the light of Christ in both of them – in the mother and son who we’re playing. A light that seemed to be missing in the people at the church that we had visited earlier that day. Their intensity and passion was evident in their music. I was asking God why, why would these people appear to have more life then the people in the church that should be filled with life, excitement, passion and creative power – the abundant life that Jesus said He came to give us?

I continued to seek and ask God in my devotional time the morning after Easter. The question continued to plague me. I was led to the book of Revelation and the scriptures about the warnings to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. There were many warnings given about the “church” having a certain appearance of godliness but in one way or another had fallen into religious works and sin, which unfortunately can cause the church to not look any different than the world, or sadly – worse. With the exception of doing some good works and conducting religious services, the church can lose sight of their first love and the two greatest commandments and end up looking like the world; a world that is also pretty good at doing good works through humanitarian efforts that seem to be reviling the works of the modern church. So what sets us apart? What sets us apart from any other religion or sec?

The difference from all of the other professed gods and saints is that Jesus is no longer in his grave clothes in the tomb, but He has risen, He is alive – as the angel in Matthew 28:6 proclaimed, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

As Christians, we should need to cast off our grave clothes. We should be the most creative, the most compassionate, and the most passionate people on earth. We should be experiencing the love, joy and peace of God regardless of our circumstances or maybe in spite of them. Maybe if we decided to focus on our relationship with the Lord instead of religious activities, loving God with all of our mind, body and strength, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves – we will begin to look different.

Lets throw off our grave clothes and come out of the tomb and join Jesus – by loving people in the world who need to know Him and need to be loved. We are told to be in this world- but “not of the world” but while we’re here on earth lets walk in the freedom that Jesus offers us, filled with the fruit of the spirit – and not let religion become our god, let relationship and love rule in our heart, and righteousness, peace and joy reign in our life!

 

Carol Doyel is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of LivingBetter50.com and an ordained minister. She is a graduate of The Full Gospel Bible Institute and has a passion for women’s ministries, issues and lives. She and her husband of 28+ years have three grown kids and four grandchildren. They reside in Los Angeles, CA. Her desire is to inspire women to live better physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

 

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Are You Still Wearing Your Grave Clothes?
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