New Garment

Luke 5:36
And Jesus also spoke this parable unto them:
No person sews a new piece of fabric onto an old (antique) garment—for when that happens, as the new material shrinks (as it normally does when washed and worn), it pulls on the old material that has already shrunken from extended wear and washing (no longer with the ability to flex and stretch—brittle); and as such, the new piece ends up tearing the old piece. The old garment and new material aren't agreeable (compatible / harmonious) with each other.

We have the new being instilled into the old.

We want to patch the old holes with new material, but it fails us.

We want to fill ourselves with the new wine, but that fails us too.

And then we aren't used to the taste of the new wine because we've only known the old.

The new is incompatible with the old.

The old must be turned into the new.

But we live a life where it is impossible to unclothe ourselves all at once, to put on an all-new garment.

We only have old wineskins to use and old garments to wear.

This parable reflects both theological religion ("Law" vs "Grace"), but also the Spiritual (New Man) vs the flesh (old man) that is our existence.

Our old "us" being replaced with a new "us".

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From Impossible, to Possible.

The Law was not wrong, it's how the Law was interpreted by humanity as religion. The Law demonstrated what Love looked like, but instead of just people loving to fulfil the Law, the Law became a ritual to appease God (not just love one-another).

The daily and yearly sacrifices were meant as symbol of how you can live free from guilt and condemnation.

They were so busy trying to live up to satisfying God through a checklist, than just living in love for the people around them.

And because humanity was faulty in that the Law couldn't be seen and understood as Love (because the Law appeals to the flesh), the Lord had to send a pure-Love human (Spirit) to demonstrate the Law as Love (Spiritual).

And that Jesus died in that pure Love, so that we would be set free from our own strongholds of the Law (and the stronghold that is the flesh).

The Law is extinct (completed, fulfilled, concluded, satisfied, signed-off as finalised). Therefore, everyone that has existed from the time of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection has never existing under any of the Law. It was fulfilled for us.

What is left is what is only instructed of us to do: Love: to Love the Lord, Love our own self, and Love everyone else.

And how we do that is understanding how Jesus did it—in the Spirit.

Our Spirit (New Man) overriding our old man (flesh).

If there is something in you that opposes how Jesus showed, then that old can (and should) get replaced with the new.

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Out with the Old, in with the New.

John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" Nicodemus queried Jesus, "How can a man be born when he is old—can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit'. Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'you must be born again.' The wind (spirit) blows where it desires and intends; indeed, you hear the sound thereof, but you cannot tell where it comes from, nor where it goes to--so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

So, if we are born-again, this means we are made new (not in appearance), but in being (both in being and as to our being).

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful 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 ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Our garment:

Our struggle is that when we accept the Lord (believe in Him), we don't fully comprehend the newness we are.

His Spirit in us begins to flow out from us and we can start seeing and recognising Him. And then, sometimes start recognising what isn't Him (discerning of the Spirit of the Lord from the spirit of our being/flesh).

Our patterns of behaviour, actions, reactions, and attitudes still reflect our pre-born-again reality. Those ingrained habits and reliances continue to dominate our lives.

Yes, some break immediately, but some are concealed in the myriad of our hurts and pains reality of this world (our upbringing, our environment, and our own self). What we became so accustomed to on relying on (unintentionally) now becomes an opposition to how the Spirit moves.

Then, when we start seeing those splotches and imperfections in our way of doing things (our outer garment), we start wanting to patch them with our new Spiritual ways of living life.

Yet, no matter how hard we try, we can't seem to keep the patch on or the garment together. We keep getting torn apart. Our soul in continual conflict.

We are continually trying to patch something that needs to be discarded.

When our garment gets a hole in it, it exposes what is beneath the garment. We instinctively want to "hide our shame"—that is both the shame of the garment having a hole, and the shame that is the vulnerability of what lies underneath that someone may see.

But wat if what is underneath your old garment is your new garment?

Wouldn't it be best to just start pulling away the old garment to reveal the new instead of trying to patch the old?

How much easier would that be? How much less would we suffer the turmoil of a patch, tear, patch, tear, patch, tear process?

How much time and energy can be saved by just taking away the old!

For we ARE clothed in the new.

Ephesians 4:20-24
Moreover (not learning as non-believers) you have learned Christ. Indeed, you have heard him and have been taught by him: according to the truth that is Jesus: of you casting-off the opposition that is your former manner of life (that "old/antique man"), which is corrupt (shrivelled / withered) stemming from desires that have deceived you. Moreover now, be renewed (reborn / made new) in the spirit of your mind; indeed, clothes yourself (sink into) the new man, which, from God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The "antique" that refers to the "old garment" is the same Greek word [G3820] used to define the "old man".

You are NOW created (designed) in righteousness and holiness. Your identity is Righteousness and Holiness.

We just don't (can't) comprehend what that looks like, feels like, or is like.

Everything we have known our whole life is what was natured and nurtured in us—whether of the Lord or not. With the imperfect trying to live in unison with the perfect. Which it can't.

Hence why we demonstrate both the design of the Lord and the corruption of this world.

The world around us clothing over (obscuring as a "mirror darkly") the purity of who we were designed to be.

1 Corinthians 13:11-13
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became an adult, I put away childish things. For now we see through a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now, abide and remain in: faith, hope, and love (these three); yet the greatest of these is love.

We were raised as children in this world with the unintentional imperfections of our parents. But now, as adults, no longer being parented with the imperfections of the world around us, we must "re-parent" ourselves with the perfections of the Lord (Trusting the Father)—stripping away the garments of this world to reveal the Holy garment of the Lord underneath.

Thus, instead of needing to patch the old, we expose the new!

This new garment we have been given can never wear out, nor ever needs patching.

This is what we cannot comprehend that has actually happened at being Born-Again.

We see ourselves as a flawed garment—which we WERE. But now have to examine ourselves as what we ARE now: a new incorruptible garment that never needs patching (just exposing).

The easiest thing we can do is reveal the new; not trying to patch the old.

This has been my mistake—trying to put new parts on the old, instead of discovering, believing, revealing, and accepting myself as new—a continual process that is unique to me (unique for every person).

So, as much as I can share my journey in this life with you, it is sharing how I am "working out my own Salvation" with the Lord. In hopes that some of those realms of Salvation I do seek or achieve can minister and help you in your own Salvation-journey.

Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation [amid the fear and anxiety that comes with it]; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.