Clothed in Christ

Rose Turner, a fashion psychologist at the London College of Fashion, studies the impact clothing has on how people think, how they behave, and even how clothes affect their mood. As the closest thing to our bodies, clothing forms a type of “second skin” and girds us for whatever the day might hold. For example, donning professional attire can “help with motivation and concentration” at work, and wearing vintage pieces with sentimental value can bring comfort during stressful situations.

This psychological phenomenon offers an insight into Isaiah’s prophetic words about Jesus’ sacrificial act. He records the future deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon, assuring them they would one day “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated” in their absence (Isaiah 61:4). In that day, they would wear “a robe of his righteousness” (v. 10).

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled first in the nation’s return to Jerusalem and then fully when “God made [Jesus] . . . sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness describes our right relationship with God when we trust in Christ’s sacrifice. God doesn’t see someone outfitted in shame or disgrace because of our sin; instead, He sees us clothed in Jesus’ enduring righteousness—a “second skin” that girds us with joy today and for eternity.