Royalty in Rags

In many store displays and on television commercials you see beautiful images of the Disney princesses. Often the princesses are grouped together displaying a vast array of the elegant clothing befitting their royal status. The dresses all vary by the kingdoms in which their father’s reign, yet there is a distinct, regal bearing displayed in each. There is no doubt that this is a daughter of the King. Likewise, the princes in each of these movies are also clad in regal apparel. There is no doubt who is royalty and who is a peasant.

Upon this image of royalty allow your mind’s eye to place layers of dirty, tattered rags over these beautiful garments. Suddenly, the regal bearing of the young man or woman is changed. The prince or princess is still inside the elegant dress, yet all of this is covered by the appearance of poverty and poor quality living circumstances.

This image of the tattered rags over the regal robes is often what we see in the lives of the children of God. When we are first born again, our old life is replaced with the new and beautiful. “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP) With great joy we discover that we have become children of the Most High God. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 AMP) Our old life of sin is replaced with a new life of the righteousness paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross.

We, at our very core, have become royalty and have the right to live as princes and princesses in the kingdom of God. Yet so often we step outside the will of God and make choices out of our old, nature. We may blatantly sin by acting contrary to the word of God, adding rags over our royal garments. We may also attempt to please God with our own ideas of righteous actions performed to earn good standing with Him. “For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction].” (Isaiah 64:6 AMP) Every one of us has done wrong. “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.”  (Isaiah 53:6 AMP) Through these wrong choices we have added layers of rags on top of the righteous, royal garments we have been given by God.

When we approach God in prayer and study, we need to be aware of both our status as His royal children and the sin that has entered our hearts. As God begins to deal with us in areas that require change, we must first remember the identity that Christ paid such a high price to bestow on us. Self-condemnation or feelings of unworthiness will not bring about the heart change that the Lord desires in us. Yet remembering who we are as God’s children, we must also be willing to admit where we have strayed and need to confess and repent of our sinful actions. God will forgive our sins and peel away those filthy rags that cover our true identity. “And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” (Zechariah 3:4 AMP)

 The Lord will not condemn or disown us because of our actions. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1 AMP) When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, it is only for our benefit. “…My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him; For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Hebrews 12:5-6 AMP) It is our job to respond by confessing and turning from those things that do not agree with God’s Word.

Whenever the Holy Spirit lays something on our hearts that is not quite right with God, we cannot respond with feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. We remember that the Lord loves us as His children and quickly respond with repentance. Always we must allow God to take those filthy rags and reveal the child He died for us to become. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. “(1 Peter 2:9 AMP)

Respond quickly to the voice of the Holy Spirit and your true nature will be evident to all.