In my house, growing up, it was always fun to put on a robe. Or, if I really wanted to have an adventure I would put on my mom’s robe and transform into royalty, or Moses, Abraham, or even Jesus. Getting to carry a big stick to serve as my “rod or my staff” was a bonus that compounded the fun. Nobody but me really knew who I was pretending to be since the costumes for all my characters looked basically the same.

That wasn’t the case in 2 Kings 10:22. That’s where we read about how Jehu, the King of Israel at the time, tricked all the ministers of Baal (false god) into putting on robes. This action made them easily identifiable so Jehu could have them put to death.

King Jehu called together an assembly of all the people. He told them they were there for the purpose of holding a great sacrifice for Baal. Jehu said, “… Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.”

When the temple was crowded, “full from one end to the other,” Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the ministers of Baal.” Then, after sending everyone away who was not a minister of Baal, Jehu ordered them to be slaughtered. The bodies were thrown out, the temple was demolished, and people after that used the temple site as a latrine.

So what does this mean to us? Things are not always as they appear. And sometimes, culture can even convince us to put on robes that identify us with the world even though we profess to side with God. In your spiritual battles, you have the choice everyday of putting on a robe that identifies you as being on the world’s side, or you can choose everyday to put on a robe that identifies you with God’s team. Evil forces in this world are very clever at disguising sinful activities as things that bring lasting joy. But the robe of sin will only weigh you down and lead toward spiritual death.

Sometimes, we think we can fool people as to which side we’re on. The fact is, most people are not fooled for long. The true color of your robe is usually revealed at some point in your life. And God is NEVER fooled.

Revelation 6:11 and 7:9 indicates that God can clearly distinguish those who have given up their lives for the hope of life in heaven.

They are the ones with white robes, washed in the blood of Jesus the Lamb. Are you washed in the blood of Jesus?

Acts 22:16 tells us the apostle Paul was baptized to wash his sins away. Romans 6:1-11 tells us that after you’re baptized, you can live a new life. Acts 2:36-47 says that 3,000 people were baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and that the “saved” were added to the church.

May God bless each of us with the wisdom to lay down our pride and do whatever God asks of us to be saved.

Will your robe be white when God returns?