(tm) An Eternal Weight of Glory
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For we know if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (II Corinthians 5:1)
Here we see our two bodies in contrast. Our present physical body is liable, as was Paul’s, to dissolution. Paul was in danger of his life on many occasions, the most recent instance having occurred "in Asia" (II Corinthians 1:8).
None of us knows when his body may succumb to sickness or to an accident. But we have also a "building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." That house cannot be dissolved. The "weight" of our house from Heaven is created by our "light affliction." Our present body will be glorified by being clothed with the eternal body.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven: (II Corinthians 5:2)
When we state the "weight" of our house from Heaven is created by our "light affliction" we are explaining that our response to our afflictions and tests, as we are brought down to death and raised again by the Life of Jesus, is creating the body from Heaven with which we shall be clothed in the Day of the Lord.
Now—today—we are weaving our eternal robe, our house from Heaven. As we sow, so shall we reap. If we do everything in our power to escape the tests and prisons the Lord would have us endure we will be clothed with corruption in the Day of the Lord. If we faithfully endure the tests and remain in the prisons assigned by the Lord we will be clothed with a body of eternal life.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)
The above verse was written to Christians. It applies only to Christians. A non-Christian does not have the choice of sowing to the Spirit.
If a believer continues to live in the flesh he will slay his own resurrection. Today’s overemphasis on grace, which is a perversion of the true doctrine of Divine grace, has destroyed the truth of Galatians 6:8. If we would be clothed with a body of glory like the body of the Lord Jesus, then we must come to know the power of His resurrection and we must share His sufferings. Those who do so will attain the first resurrection from the dead. Those who do not will be judged by the Lord.
From Paul’s writings we know he was pressing toward the "mark" of being clothed with the house from Heaven. As soon as we move past Pentecost in our Christian experience, the Holy Spirit begins to create in our heart the fervent desire to attain the body of resurrection life.
We always are more than willing to escape this present wilderness, whether by death, by translation, or by any other means. But such a desire is to be expected when one compares the life of bliss that God’s creatures enjoy in Paradise with our daily problems in the world. Who wouldn’t want to go to Heaven? Yet, there are loved ones in the world, and these ties of love temper our desire to go home to be with the Lord Jesus.
But being clothed with the body of life—this is something else again! This is no sorrowful leaving of loved ones on the earth so we can go to Paradise. Rather, the clothing of life is the triumphant overcoming of the last enemy. Here is victory! Here is joy! Here is reunion!
On that Day there will be no breaking hearts (among those who have served the Lord faithfully), no tears of anguish then. This is the Year of Jubilee when the slaves go free and everyone returns to his inheritance in the Lord. May God hasten the day when the sons of God are revealed.
The Spirit of Christ in Isaiah portrays the wonderful joy and glory of the saint at the moment of being clothed with eternal life.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
We already have the first installment (earnest; pledge) of the Holy Spirit. But if we serve Christ faithfully until He returns, or until we go home to be with the Lord, whichever comes first, then we can look forward to the Day when our mortal body is made alive by His Spirit who dwells in us (Romans 8:11). The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead will set our body free by His eternal power and glory.
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. (II Corinthians 5:3)
It appears from the Scriptures that some Christians will be saved apart from any reward. They will be saved in the Day of the Lord but will be found naked as far as any spiritual accomplishment is concerned.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Corinthians 3:15)
People will be saved who have not laid up for themselves an eternal weight of glory. They will not be destroyed in the day of God’s wrath, but they will be found "naked."
Paul emphasizes the desire of the saint for immortality:
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed up, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (II Corinthians 5:4)
We who are in the body of flesh do groan because we are burdened. But we are not groaning "that we would be unclothed" (leave the body and go to Heaven). Rather, we are groaning that we might be clothed with resurrection life. We are groaning that "mortality might be swallowed up of life."`
Paul asks, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24).
God’s answer to Paul is, "The Lord Jesus is coming with a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The Holy Spirit who now dwells in you will make alive your mortal body and you will be free from sin and death just as your Lord Jesus Christ is free from sin and death."
Resurrection life will swallow up mortality, as portrayed by the covering of the acacia wood of the Ark of the Covenant with gold (Exodus 25:10,11).
Acacia wood, symbolizing mortality, was always present in the Ark, but the wood was never seen because it was completely covered with gold, which typifies Divinity. Our original body will be our dwelling place throughout the ages to come. But it will never be seen as it is now because it will be "swallowed up of life."
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