...in accord
"Matching or agreeing with someone or something."
Did you know it is possible to walk in complete accord with the Holy Spirit? As He clothes us with Jesus so that we take on more and more His nature and semblance, perfect unity with Him transforms our daily lives into a oneness with Him that has no seam in the garment.
In the various Gospel accounts about Jesus' crucifixion, John includes an important piece of information about the scene that may seem trivial or simply interesting, but not significant:
"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece." John 19:23.
What an amazing detail John gives us about Jesus' clothing. As was the custom of the day, His garments were worn in layers. The outer fabric that draped over Him was probably a woven length of cloth wrapped over and around Him so it covered His body, but was manageable when walking or carrying out the chores of daily living.
Next to His body He wore an inner garment, here called a tunic. How a tunic was constructed ordinarily we're not sure. But the narrative makes it sound like Jesus' tunic was unique, in that it was woven in one piece. It had no seams.
Making clothing in New Testament times had to have been much more difficult without our modern technology. They had no scissors, sewing machines, or other accessories we take for granted today. They did have looms on which straight pieces of cloth could be woven and then could be adjusted to the liking and wearing by an individual.
Beneath the long, rectangular cloth wrapped around and over the body, the wearer was clad in a tunic close to their skin. Perhaps most tunics were actually two straight pieces of cloth joined at the shoulders with a center opening for putting the tunic over one's head and the sides seamed together with holes for the arms. Even when the wearer removed the outer robes, their bodies were modestly covered by the tunic.
The scripture verse stresses that Jesus' tunic had no seams. Nothing had been cut or sewn on it at all. It had no rough places at the joining of seams that would have made it uncomfortable to wear. It had no starting place nor ending point. How descriptive of Jesus: "The same yesterday, today and forever!"
Seamless garments must have been reserved for royalty because of the extra skill and expense involved in weaving them. Someone had lovingly made certain Jesus was clothed so finely. Scripture does not name His benefactor, but mentions only the gift He wore.
The Apostle Paul speaks of our being clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). Not only are our robes to be white, but we are to also wear a tunic close to our body that is perfect, as well...no seams. And that is where the definition of 'accord' comes in: we can be so dead to ourself and so submitted in holy fear and fellowship with the Holy Spirt, we walk in accord with Him...no seams. No 'Him' and 'me' but HIM. Perfect fellowship, harmony, unity, oneness.
The seamless tunic is woven by the Holy Spirit as we die more and more to ourselves and to what we consider the norms of earthly existence. Instead, we are to be transformed to Kingdom life. "Abide in Me and I in you." Oneness. Seamlessness. Single-mindedness. Spirit-inspired. Harmoniousness and perfect agreement in desire and motive. The peace of God. Simplicity. Accord.
Jeff Benner, an ardent scholar of ancient Hebrew, describes the language as being not like any other on earth. Unlike Greek, English or other Western languages and culture, 'concreteness' is the basis of the Hebrew alphabet, word and sentence structures. Hebrew is not complex intellectualization like Greek thought, but the application of intended actions or movement that strike the senses or emotions. It is based on simple philosophy originally followed by the nomadic Hebrews of ancient days.
While Hebrew is the peculiarly spiritual language God gave the Israelites in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is the spiritual 'language,' 'the Word' Jesus gave us in the New Testament. 'Accord' is not merely knowledge or intellectual agreement with God. The Spirit is God's accord: He is the 'action' of changing us from glory to glory so that we are transformed and literally do put on Christ. In no way is He mere mental assent based on a complex philosophy or abstract meaning. He is definite. He is supernatural life. He is spiritual. He is our intimate relationship with the Godhead.
Accord with the Spirit is realized by action. Jesus said we are to "ask...seek...knock." That is the route to being one with Him...to being clothed with the seamless tunic!