"Now when He (Jesus) had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'" (John 11:43-44)
There is SO much that can be said about just this one amazing passage describing the miraculous yet very real resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus. And this was proven true through an incredibly powerful message given last week by a woman guest speaker at the church I am attending (Highway of Faith Tabernacle in West Palm Beach, FL -- yes I wanted to honor them by mentioning it!). Oh how I wish all of you had been there...
But as I was praying toward the end of the gathering, I believe I heard the Holy Spirit say to me specifically: "you need to take off the grave-clothes." Wow. And of course that made me want to come home and look a little more deeply into what grave-clothes were historically and how they were being referred to in this particular verse.
"But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..." (Colossians 3:8-10; see also Ephesians 4:20-24)
There IS a new creation that is birthed in someone who receives Jesus and is then translated into the spiritual family called the Body of Christ (or "Church" - but not as in "the building" church) (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 1:12-13; John 5:24-25; Ephesians 2:1-6). Often in God's Word this "new creation" (also known as being "born of the Spirit" - John 1:13, 3:5-8) is referred to as the "new man," which somehow, in his or her supernaturally-imbued way, is able to more and more walk in and reflect the very characteristics of Jesus Himself...wow (Galatians 5:16-25).
It was incredibly eye-opening to find out when doing a little research that it is in this passage only (John 11:44) that this particular definition of grave-clothes is used: "...the bands or straps by which the linen sheet was fastened to the body, and which kept the spice from falling out" (biblehub.com; see also classic.studylight.org).
But I'm not (nor are you) dead yet...so why would God tell me or any one of us to "take off our grave-clothes"...?!
It's because once we are "in Him" (born again of the Spirit), there still remains in us that "old man" that is for whatever reason...self-gratification, fear, control, etc., etc., etc...warring to stay alive: like it reveals in Galatians 5:17, there IS a battle going on within (also Romans 7:15, 19, 21-24)! And it is critical to note that these "grave-clothes" are not just bad habits, mean ways, or not-so-likable parts of ourselves that we would like to improve (on our own or with earthly help): these "bands" that bind us are that very "old man" that is becoming more and more corrupt (Ephesians 4:22) and also fighting within us to rise up (often with demonic coaxing) and remain alive! But even more importantly (and read this carefully), by being kept or choosing to remain "bound" by the "straps" (aka "grave-clothes") of this old nature, we are also keeping in (or holding back) the "sweet spices" of the NEW nature...NEW creation...the NEW man that is birthed within us by the Holy Spirit once we receive Jesus into our lives. We are being kept or keeping ourselves in bondage to walk ("the walking dead") more as the old, decaying man (yes, with its bad habits, mean ways, etc., etc. - Galatians 5:19-21) instead of as the resurrected NEW man who is meant to walk in all the fruit of the Spirit (of Jesus) Himself (Galatians 5:22-23)....AND...IN...FREEDOM! (Can you IMAGINE?! FREEDOM! John 8:36). Again: WOW.
But as is also revealed in the opening passage, we cannot disentangle ourselves from that old man...those "grave-clothes"...it has to be Jesus Himself, the Son of God, Who calls us forward to be freed. But we have to be willing. And here is where I KNOW that God was speaking to me personally about being released from my grave-clothes/old man...because I have been (and maybe still will...Lord help me) clinging onto them sometimes as much as they are wrapped like bands around me! But Jesus does not want me...or you...to stay in this state. So like last Sunday, He (yet again) called MY name: "Terri, come forth; be freed from your grave-clothes!" as I'm sure He was calling many others' names who were in attendance at that service.
Is He calling your name...?
Is He wanting you to come forth from your grave, to be released from your grave-clothes...to enable your (as a Believer) resurrected new man to walk freely in love (yay), joy (oh to have it all the time), peace (sigh...), patience (yeah right!), kindness (a lost art), goodness (dying in this world), faithfulness (beautiful), gentleness (also wonderful), (and) self-control?
ONLY He (Jesus) can do this...ONLY ONLY ONLY Him...
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25)
"'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live...'" (John 5:24-25)
"'Lazarus, come forth!'"
In Jesus Name.
Terri
(And I'm certainly not the only person who has been tapped on the shoulder about removing grave-clothes. This link is an entire spiritual counseling site that discusses this very real process. I found it while researching the devotional, but didn't actually read it until after the devotional was done! http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/freedom/graveclothes.html )
