Have you ever had one of those crazy dreams where you are in the public and you don't have a stitch of clothes on?  Almost everyone has, I suppose. There is a sense of deep embarrassment in the dream.  Everyone is looking at you, laughing at you.  Not a good dream, to say the least.  Since the time that God slew animals and made clothes for Adam and Eve, we have been meant to wear clothes in public.  And if we are converted and have God's Holy Spirit, we are meant to be clothed spiritually too.  Christ gives warning about "walking naked" in Revelation.

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."  Revelation 16:15   Maybe it is a good thing for us to remember that we can lose our spiritual garments.  Christ especially warned the proud church in Laodicea.  "Because thou say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked..."  Revelation 3:17

The difference between being Spiritually clothed and being Spiritually naked is about attaining ETERNAL LIFE.  Paul explains the concept of being clothed spiritually.  Most likely, he wrote this passage during the Feast of Tabernacles, because Paul makes reference to "this tabernacle."

5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle (our body) were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, (want to die) but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.             2 Corinthians 5:1-4

Don't mistake this scripture for some kind of proof that we are all going to heaven.  Yes, it says we will "be clothed with our house which is from heaven."  But, if you read Revelation 21:2-4, it plainly tells us that even God the Father will come down out of heaven and dwell with men on this earth in a permanent kingdom that comes down from heaven to stay.  We are not going up to heaven---God is coming down here.  The Bible promises the meek that they will inherit the earth because, this is where the headquarters of God, the City of God will be...not up in heaven.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  Revelation 21:2-4  KJV

Paul was a deep man.  He taught deep concepts.  But, this is a simple concept...ETERNAL LIFE IS COMING FOR MEN.  WE WILL BE CLOTHED WITH "OUR HOUSE" (spiritual body) WHICH IS FROM HEAVEN."  The former things will all pass away, but for now, we still dwell in a physical tabernacle.  We still dwell in a temporary dwelling, a tent, our physical body.  Paul speaks of being clothed in the future with a permanent dwelling...a building of God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. A permanent home.

TYPOLOGY OF THE PERMANENT HOME USED BY PAUL...

God caused Israel to wander in the wilderness and live in booths for 40 years...THEY HAD NO PERMANENT HOUSE.  Again, a type of something spiritual.

In the command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, God says, "Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.  Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 23:41-43  NIV

Paul helps us understand that our physical body will be replaced with a spiritual body, unless we are spiritually naked, and that would mean that we would remain in this physical tabernacle and not BE CLOTHED with immortality...God forbid.  "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."  Revelation 16:15

 

Related Streaming Sermons  THE BOOK OF LIFE  and GOD AND REPENTANCE

 

 

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