2Co 5:1-3 “For we know that 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. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.”
Paul closed chapter four of this epistle with the thought that we do not concentrate on temporal (temporary) things, but rather on eternal things. As the children of God, if all we had to look upon were the temporary things of this world, we would certainly be filled with despair. When we consider the eternal things of God, then we have hope (confidence) beyond this present world.
Paul speaks here of something that we know. He describes in the previous chapter how we come to such knowledge; because God has shined in our hearts. We know when this earthen vessel is dissolved there is something for us to yet look forward to. It is marvelous to consider that Paul did not simply say when this body dies, but when our earthly house is dissolved.
We have all seen things dissolve. You put sugar in warm tea, and it dissolves; disappears as though it never existed. Yet, we know that the sugar is not gone (as proved by the sweet taste of the tea). Its form has been changed so that it can no more be discerned as it was in its original state.
Our earthly house of this tabernacle will dissolve. This does not distress us because we have a building of God that is not made with hands (as this tabernacle was when God formed man from the dust of the earth). We have a house which is eternal in the heavens. This body will dissolve; mortal shall put on immortality and corruptible shall put on incorruption. The form will change until it is no longer recognizable as what is once was.
In this house we groan (sight, pray inaudibly – see Strong’s). We have a sincere desire to be dressed in our house not made with hands. Our longing is for the fullness of the eternal things, of which we have only an earnest here. We long to have the nakedness of our Adam nature covered in such a way that it is dissolved. Yet, we rejoice to know that we are not left without a covering here in this tabernacle.
Once we stood naked before God, our Creator, fully exposed in our sinfulness. Rather than despise our nakedness, He has clothed us with the righteousness of His only begotten Son. Even now, although this earthly house is not yet dissolved, it is covered in such a way as to give us a glimpse of the eternal. How marvelous it is to consider the depths of God’s love that covers us here and provides that in all eternity we shall not be found naked!
May we rejoice greatly in the unfailing, amazing grace of our God!
