“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”
1 Corinthians 15:53
The apostle Paul wrote wistfully about the resurrection body, and my sentiments are his. I, too, groan over my earthly tent. Age, disease, or disability has a way of making us long for a trade-in.
How we will be clothed with the imperishable, I do not know. Perhaps C.H. Spurgeon explained it best: “At present we wear our bodies on the outside and our souls on the inside. But in heaven, we shall wear our bodies on the inside, and our souls on the outside.”
Oh, to wear our souls on the outside! Perhaps that’s what the Bible means when it says that one day we will be clothed in righteousness. We will wear our right-standing with God on the outside as though it were a beautiful garment. Our bright-shining raiment will be all glorious, reflecting on the outside the life of Christ cultivated on the inside.
While we wait to be clothed with the imperishable for eternity, we can put on the advice of Colossians 3:12: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
The best way to guarantee our being clothed with righteousness in heaven is to clothe ourselves with godly attributes down here on earth.
Lord of the resurrection, I cannot begin to comprehend what it means to, one day, be clothed with the imperishable, to put on immortality as if it were a garment. But I want to prepare for that glorious day as I demonstrate compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience to all those around me. Prepare me for heaven. Fit me for eternity. Fashion me into the person You want me to be so that I will be ready for my eternal clothes of righteousness.
