The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Path to Glory, continued

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (II Corinthians 5:1—NIV)

The house from Heaven will possess the characteristics we are placing in it today as we sow our present body to the death of the cross.

Just as after a wedding the bride is unveiled, so it is true that after we meet the Lord in the air and descend with Him, we will be unveiled. That which has been wrought in us as we have learned to live by the body and blood of the Lamb will be revealed for the world to see. And the nations will witness what we have become for it will be portrayed in the robe that has clothed our resurrected flesh and bone body.

Those of us who are living at the time of the Lord's appearing will be changed into immortality. The vast multitude of saints who have returned with the Lord will stand on the earth. We all shall be clothed with our house from Heaven, for the Lord will bring our house with Him at His coming. Then together we will rise to meet the Lord in the air.

In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (I Corinthians 15:52,53—NIV)

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (II Corinthians 5:4—NIV)

The following verse describes the rejoicing of the saint at the time of his being clothed with immortality.

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10—NIV)

The experience of being clothed with immortality will take place at the appearing of the Lord for those who have made themselves ready by keeping their robes spotless.

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 her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Revelation 19:7,8—NIV)

I think the fine linen is the same as the house from Heaven, of II Corinthians 5:4. It is the clothing that will cover our resurrected flesh and bones. If the house is in addition to this, then I am all for that also.

The point I am making is that the robe (and the house if it is something additional) is the product of our behavior. We see this in the expression (above): "Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints."

Paul told us in Galatians that if we choose to sow to the Spirit of God during our time on earth we will reap eternal life—presumably in the day of resurrection. If, however, we sow to our flesh, we will reap corruption. Reaping corruption may mean we enter the Kingdom of God as a naked spirit, or it may indicate a situation even worse than this. In any case it is something to be avoided.

To be continued.