(John 19:23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.
Fulfilment of (Ps 22:18) You wear a tunic as the first layer of clothing next to the skin. Completely seamless garments, like the one Jesus wore, were unique to Palestine. They were woven on upright looms that used two sets of vertical warp threads, one at the front and one at the back of a crossbar. The weaver would alternate his shuttle, which carried the horizontal weft thread, from the front part of the web to the back, “thus creating a cylindric piece of fabric,” says one reference work. A seamless tunic would likely have been a rare possession, and the soldiers considered it a desirable one.
The mention of the garment tells us the Jesus was acting as High Priest. The High Priest wore such a garment at Passover. In fact, without the garment, the priest was not fit to serve (Ezekiel 44:19). Ezekiel 44:18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat.
A SEAMLESS LIFE IS ONE WHERE:
• Our thoughts, words, and actions line up straight - (Mat 6:21-22)
• There is no compartmentalization, cognitive dissonance, compartments, start and stop spirituality. All the parts fit and nestle together instead of competing and jostle for your attention. Being salt and being light is seamless energy. (Mat 5:13-16)
• There is no start and finish, in or out. Continuum
• The gift of Righteousness has made it possible for us to live from the point of His righteousness… Hence we always start in Him. (Mat 6:33) See Alan Platt’s book: “Not do, but done.”
Jesus hated hypocrites. He never uses such strong language addressing any other sin, fault, or error. Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15). He said such people are like “whited sepulchers . . . Which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt. 23:27). Jesus excoriated the Pharisees for saying and doing not; For “. . . Tithing mint, anise and cumin, and leaving off the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” Jesus said, “these ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone” (Matt. 23). Like many today, the Pharisees had a polka dot hermeneutic; they believed the Bible in spots. They were very meticulous in bringing their “mint, anise and cumin” to the treasury of the temple, but in their private lives they ignored “justice, mercy, and faith.”
Hypocrites are known for how they compartmentalized life. We need to realize that if a person is not a Christian everywhere, he is not a Christian anywhere. The Bible makes this very clear in such passages as (1 Cor 10:31) “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:6).
We have terms in Harvester for this kind of Jesus-Centred Christological lifestyle: "being God inside minded" or "naturally supernatural" Over time we have allowed God to break down the boundaries and walls we have erected to cover our shame. We seek to be real, authentic, and honest. We resist the desire to pretend and make a show in the flesh. Gal 6:12. Living a life in His rest means no more striving, working, straining towards holiness. Holiness is an outflow of His abiding rest and joy. You move at a comfortable, natural pace--no rushing. You handle details of your life before they become crises or chronic irritations. Every moment counts, "Sola Deo Gloria."
A seamless life is concerned more with the now experience during the journey than the destination. Today is important, yet I am conscious of the mission and destination. You have a long view of your life, a sense of the path you are on. Kingdom now, yet to come paradox. Instead of praying and believing it yet to come, Mat 6:10 we are God's Kingdom here and now. (Mat 4:12), In essence, we can say like Christ, God's kingdom (presence & rule) is near because He is in us! (Mat 10:7-8; Luk 10:9, 11) The problematic of God’s now vs future-then Kingdom is solved by us simply obeying the Spirit. (Rom 8:14) He controls what part of His Kingdom He wants to reveal through us at a certain point in time and place.
Dan McCollam - Refers to another form of the opposite of seamless living he calls -anachronistic living. An anachronism (from the Greek ??? ana, "against" and ?????? Khronos, "time") is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of person(s), events, objects, or customs from different periods of time. The most common type of anachronism is an object misplaced in time, but it may be a verbal expression, a technology, a philosophical idea, a musical style, a material/textile, a plant or animal, a custom or anything else associated with a particular period in time so that it is incorrect to place it outside its proper temporal domain. (The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, 1498, depicts the apostles sitting at a long table. This kind of table was unknown at the time and place of the Last Supper.) Religion tends to seize people in a time warp. Religious sects of this kind still wear the clothing of a particular period in time.
"Everything is spiritual" - Rob Bell explains in his DVD how everything from the smallest to the most significant part is connected. My work, and the way I do it is all spiritual. Being spiritual means, I am alive, I am evolving, changing and organically growing day by day into maturity, not of age, but maturity in Christ! Your work is an expression of who you are, your needs are met, and you’re living out your values. This is all seamless.
In Christ we cannot hide anything. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. (Luk 8:17) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. (Rom 2:15) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. (1 Cor 4:5) And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:13) The only way to live in the grace and righteousness of Christ, is in openness, integrity and honesty. No more hiding our shame and mistakes. God use our mistakes too! (Col 1:24)
We live a seamless life in His presence. He was the sacrifice for our sins “once and for all” (Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10) So that we now with boldness can enter His presence and holiness. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22) No more in and out… by faith my life began in Him!
