Bring The Best Robe + Celebrating Dr. Gavin Ortlund & Family!
Good morning Immanuel. In Christ, the Father has clothed us with His very best!
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet'" (Luke 15:21-22).
Have you ever shown up on your own doorstep with a filthy exterior? I did this the other day after pressure washing the patio, with every square inch of myself caked in dirt. Have you ever shown up on your own doorstep with a filthy interior? Weighed down by guilt? Ashamed of where you had been or what you had done? Many of us know this feeling.
Both were true of the prodigal son in Luke 15 as he approached home. He's been living in self-created squalor, having blown his father's inheritance on reckless living in a far country. And he arrived home with low expectations, hoping to be received back as a servant. So much can be said about the Father's shocking and gracious response to the prodigal son, but I want to zero in on one aspect — "bring quickly the best robe." His son shows up at his very worst, and the Father clothes his son with his very best.
The beauty of the gospel is that the Father has done this for all who come to Him with the empty hands of faith. He has clothed us with His very best, His Son Jesus Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism says it this way: "God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me."
Monday Memo: Celebration!
Join us in celebrating the news about our dear friend Dr. Gavin Ortlund, and his wonderful family!
For more about Dr. Gavin Ortlund’s ministry, visit his YouTube channel at Truth Unites.