2 Corinthians 5:2-3
For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1971 & 1902
Longing: strain after, desire greatly, have affection for, intensely crave
From the Greek word 'epipotheó' (pronounced ep-ee-poth-eh'-o): to have a yearning love for
To Be Clothed: to have on over (oneself)
From the Greek word 'ependuomai' (pronounced ep-en-doo'-om-ahee): refers to the glorified body the Lord gives (puts on) each believer at Christ's return.
DEATH NOT OURS TO WEAR
Being the body of Christ is a spiritual thing. Having risen from the grave and being clothed in a glorified body, Christ has ascended to be with His Father in heaven, seated on His right hand, where He intercedes for His followers: all of His followers: we who are alive and have come to Christ until this point in time and we who will be His followers until His enemies are annihilated.
Death is not our garment. It merely wraps itself around our corrupted bodies, which were created with sinful natures, sin having reigned in this world since Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Because they were the first people and all people descended from them, all people are created with a sinful nature. We needed a Savior to save us and save us Christ Jesus did. (1 Corinthians 15:55).
When we make a decision to follow Christ, we also should be making a commitment to live a holy and blameless life/lifestyle. We decide for ourselves that it is better to live a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled life than it is to live a life without God in it.
Which is the life we had before we came to Christ. It was no good then, it will be even worse for us were we to turn our backs on God after believing Him for our salvation. Proverbs 26:11 warns us of this folly: "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." (cf 2 Peter 2:20-22).
As we age, we groan when we sit up, stand up, stretch, sit down; basically, whenever we shift position, we groan. The groan escapes our mouths though we try not to. That's life. For now.
We LOOOONNNNGGG to be clothed with our eternal bodies. We anticipate living on the other side of our eternity with joy and hope, knowing that even as we are in Christ now, we will be even more so then.
UPGRADED
We who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior--Lord of our lives and Savior who saves us from our sins--await the day we receive our divine glorified covering/garment. We know that the garment we are currently clothed with is considered a filthy rag, a filthy garment, by God and must be taken off of us before we can receive the divine garment prepared for us.
In Zechariah 3 we learn of Joshua the high priest, who stands before God in his filthy garments. Satan is at one side of him ready to accuse him before God. But God knows that Joshua is innocent and demands that his filthy garments be removed so that his 'splendid' clothes may be put on him.
Joshua could not remove the filthy garments he was clothed in: only God could do that. Joshua could not dress himself in splendid clothes: only God could do that. This passage is a shadow of Christ being our covering.
We cannot in and of ourselves remove sin from ourselves: only God can do that through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We needed an upgrade that only God can provide. So He did (John 3:16).
We put Christ on (Romans 13:14) when we believe on His name for our salvation (Romans 10:13). But it is God who clothes us with Christ, not we ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-10).
WEDDING GARMENTS
Matthew 22:1-14 tells us the Parable of The Wedding Banquet. Though many of the king's servants went out into the fields to call the invited guests to the wedding feast he had prepared for his son, none would come in; each had his own excuse for not attending.
So the king sent His servants into the streets to invite everyone else and soon his tables were full. But someone had come in who was not invited.
See, in order to get seated at the tables, everyone had to have wedding garments on. You know, nice clothes; clean and respectable clothes. They had to be cleaned up and made presentable. It was easy to recognize the uninvited guest because he wasn't cleaned up, nor covered in the wedding garment.
The king ordered the uninvited guest, who had no defense, to be bound hand and foot and thrown into utter darkness (cf Matthew 8:12; Matthew 25:30; Luke 13:28).
We who will be clothed with Christ as our Wedding Garment will take our places at the heavenly wedding banquet which has been prepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb and His bride (Revelation 19:9).
Which guest are you going to be? The invited guest or the uninvited guest? It is, after all, a decision each of us has to make while the invitation is being made.
