The Saviour prayed for His disciples, “Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold Thy glory.” And the promise of God to His people is that they shall dwell in His courts, and He will give them places to walk among those that stand by His throne of glory.

Those who go to the courts of earthly kings and queens, are very particular about their appearance. When they are “presented at court” they must wear a certain style of dress, every part of which is carefully looked over before they are allowed to pass into the presence of the sovereign.

But what have we in which to appear at the court of the King of kings? How can we stand without fear or shame among the shining angels who surround His throne, and be “presented faultless before the presence of His glory”?

In the courts of earthly kings many things are very different from what they appear to be. Those who are the most richly and beautifully clothed in the eyes of those who see only the outward appearance, may really be full of wickedness and deceit.

But in the courts of the Lord, in the light of His countenance, every one appears exactly what he really is. No one there can look beautiful outwardly, who is not “all glorious within.”

The Lord tells us how we all look to Him, when He says that “all our righteousnesses are as filth rags.” Not rags only,—that would be bad enough,—but filthy rags. But we are not to worry and mourn over this, saying, “Wherewithal shall we be, clothed?” because our “Heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things.”

Our Father will see that His children do not disgrace Him by going about in “filthy rags.” He says, “I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” He will not be satisfied with anything but “the best robe” for His children.

But in order to change our raiment He must take away the old sinful nature, which is what clothes us in “filthy rags.” And so He says, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” This He can only do by washing us in His own blood. Then think how much it has cost Him to clothe us with change of raiment!

He puts in the place of our iniquity His own purity and beauty of character. He covers us with the “robe of righteousness” by putting His own righteous life into us. This shines forth and clothes us like Himself with glory and beauty.

A poor old Frenchwoman went one evening to a mission hall in Paris, and listened with great interest to an address on “the robe of righteousness.” As she left the hall she said to one of the mission workers,—

“I believe that this is my last visit here. I am rapidly getting weaker.”

“I will come to see you,” answered the gentleman, “but should God soon call you, have you any fear of appearing before Him?”

“Oh no,” replied the old Frenchwoman with a bright smile, “I am too well dressed for that—too well dressed to dread the Judgment.”

The poor old woman was not trusting in her own righteousness, but in the beautiful garment of salvation which is the free gift of God to all who will receive it.

“What are these that are arrayed in white robes?”

“These are they which. . . have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God.”

“Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.”

The Present Truth – June 23, 1898
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf  Well Dressed