What Not to Wear

If you have a wife or teen/young adult daughters like I do, you have probably seen this program. The show begins with a woman, wearing her favorite clothes (which are out of date or worse), seeing nothing wrong with her clothes or appearance, and totally oblivious to what others think. Then, she walks into a room surrounded by mirrors and bright lights, exposing every detail of her appearance, good or bad (mostly bad). Suddenly, two fashion consultants, Stacy and Clinton, walk in and give their caustic critique of the woman’s clothing. Such is the typical opening of the cable television program What Not to Wear. The woman eventually realizes her bad fashion, the old clothes are taken away, and an entirely new and complimentary wardrobe is provided completely free. All is well.

Dr. Philip Ryken, current President of Wheaton College (IL) and former pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia PA, says that the show What Not to Wear is like a modern parable of salvation. We are like the woman wearing what not to wear, clothed in our sinful nature. When we are confronted with the light of the gospel and God’s holiness, we are fully exposed for what we are. In spite of our sinful, hopeless condition, God takes the initiative and acts to take away our iniquity and gives us the “new clothes” of His righteousness, entirely by His grace.

Similarly, famous British Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) describes how God’s transforming grace clothes the believer in  righteousness:

"Christ has delivered us from the power of the serpent who opened our eyes and told us we were naked, by covering us from head to foot with a righteousness that adorns and protects us so that we are comfortable in heart and beautiful in the sight of God and are no more ashamed." (Spiritual Warfare in the Believer’s Life)

For Dr. Ryken’s entire chapel message on “What Not To Wear” (one of the best I have heard on God’s gift of transforming grace), click on the link below:

http://www.wheaton.edu/WETN/All-Media/Chapel/Undergraduate/101020Ryken?lightbox=true