Could you wear the white dress?
Just attended a wedding. It was a beautiful and poignant event. The bride (we’ve known here since she was a little girl) and groom glowed with love and joy. The father of the bride made some of the best remarks I’ve ever heard about a couple—especially his new son-in-law–and presented the Gospel, simply and elegantly. Siblings played music and a brother made a toast to his sister that brought both laughter and tears to most eyes.
Oh, did I fail to mention that the bride is “showing”? Some might think she shouldn’t have worn white. Maybe they should have quietly gotten married. But, not this family. They celebrated the marriage just as they would if the couple weren’t in this circumstance. It reminded me of my wife’s lecture on a passage in Hosea. She talked about how our fairy tales usually revolve around the hero male fighting to get the virginal maiden (e.g., Prince Philip and Sleeping Beauty). But the tale of Hosea turns fairy tales on their heads. The perfect male comes and rescues his unfaithful wife, even buys her back from a slave owner. His sacrifice is for one who certainly does not deserve it. And he proceeds to be tender to her and to clean her up.
The thought that I had during the wedding, while looking at the bride’s white dress, is that none of us deserve to wear white—virginal or not. But that is exactly the wedding clothes that God gives us in His economy of Love. And last night as I watched family and friends toast the lovely couple I got to have a glimpse of that future wedding feast of the Lamb.
Rev. 7:13-17: Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes–who are they, and where did they come from?”
I answered, “Sir, you know.”And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,
“they are before the throne of Godand serve him day and night in his temple;and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger;never again will they thirst.The sun will not beat upon them,nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
Interesting take on wearing white to a wedding. Doesn’t the fact that someone who is not sexually pure wearing white delute the meaning, though? If everyone wears white, then it means nothing special to those that did remain pure and want to show it, I would think.
I totally agree that we are all sinners and are all washed clean by Him, but the sin that we have has consequences beyond forgiveness– for example the theif on the cross still suffered the consequences even though he was forgiven. Some of the requirements of church positions require right living for life.
I understand your concern when you talk about everyone wearing white diluting its meaning. If she boldly stood in her sin and was laughing at the face of God in it then I would whole heartily agree…but I imagine she was humbled by her choices and her family and friends acted as Christ seeing her rightly – perfect in Christ, washed by His blood. I imagine that their showering of love was a poignant expression of Christ’s amazing acceptence of us….based on His sacrifice and righteousness and not our right behavior.
White in the bible conveys being part of the family of God, being made righteous in Christ. Culturally, it used to mean the bride was a virgin. But notice what you say, it would lose its meaning if everyone did it. Those who were pure wouldn’t be distinguished from those who were not. Two things come to mind. First, the parable of the workers. Those who worked all day and got what they were promised did not like it that those who worked only a little got paid the same amount. They wanted to distinguish themselves from those who didn’t do much. Seems the moral of the story is that God’s economy is different from our own. Second thought is that you are right that sin has consequences. In this case, they have a child on the way to take care of. No first year to ge acclimated to each other. But, one of the consequences of forgiveness/repentance is that we get the white clothes even though we are “showing.”
From Rev. 19:6ff
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
All of us deserve to wear black, but Jesus gives us white, clean linen. All of grace, even the good things we do (Ephesians 2:10). I don’t think all wearing white dilutes the meaning, but makes the point that all have fallen short of the glory of God…. but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. It is about His righteousness, not ours.