Most of us spend a considerable amount of time, money and attention on our clothes. But there are some clothes we may not have thought much about. Several years ago, I met Ruth Catalano, a teacher, prophet, and missionary to the American Indians, Sallisaw,Oklahoma. ‘Sister Ruth’ while visiting in Virginia and NC spoke on II Corinthians 5:1-4 and I had the privilege of hearing it. She spoke about clothing, ‘a clothing upon’ as the King James version says, that has an eternal value to us.
“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. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”
I would like to share some of what I understand as I re-listened to the tape of her talk. She said, from my understanding, that the Holy Spirit clothes us. He clothes the soul, that is the mind, will and emotions. He clothes us with Himself, with the life of Jesus Christ as we follow Him in obedience. The more we groan (hunger and thirst for Him) and allow Him to change us, the more clothing we have of Him. She said we may think we are going to get a heavenly mansion or house some day in heaven, but the Holy Ghost is the house and when we want Him and His ways, He clothes us with Himself. He is housing our souls and He is preparing our house right here, right now, in this life, in us. This is our eternal destiny, our heavenly home. When this body has to go in death, she asks, ‘what’s left?’ She says if we have been allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in our lives, then He is our clothing, our housing. And our souls are protected in this ‘house’ and we are taken by the angels, without fear, to the Father. But, if we have rejected Christ and His blood, then we don’t have any clothes on. Our soul is naked. And because it is bare and unprotected, the enemy powers can take it to hell because either Jesus is the master or the devil is the master. God doesn’t send us there, she says. We get taken there because we chose in this life to reject the Lord’s protective housing, the clothes of the Holy Spirit.
Clothes for the body are necessary but clothes for our souls are priceless. This is something to think about.
thedailylily.com 
Not sure I get all this!
I may not have communicated well Sis Ruth’s subject which, if listened to by others in it’s entirety would likely be clear. On the level I understood it, it has to do with the importance of living life now truly submitted and obedient to Jesus and His teachings. To the extent you do this in all you think, say and do, is the extent that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and the character virtues of Jesus. These are the clothes you wear now and are ‘on you’ when you enter eternity.
Maybe this scripture relates:”Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ” Col 3:12-13
Paul in the book of Romans, among other letters he wrote to the Body of Christ, says in 14:13, ‘But CLOTHE yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and make NO provision for indulging the flesh and giving in to its lusts and desires.” And Peter tells us in 1Pet. 3:3-4, “Let it not be, (merely) the elaborate hair-dos and exquisite jewelry and many changes of clothing but let it be the INWARD adorning and beauty, the hidden person of the heart, gentle and peaceful spirit which is so very precious in the Lord’s sight.”
I suppose that is what it means to “put on Christ” or to clothe oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that we shouldn’t always look our best wheneaver possible but the clothing of the human spirit wherein dwells the Holy Spirit should always be immaculate and well garnished and well-prepared for new infillings and breathing in of Holy Spirit every day.
Thanks Debi and MG. Makes me think of one of Anne Graham’s books, “Just Give Me Jesus.”
Isaiah 61 :10 writes, “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my GOD. For he has clothed me with GARMENTS of SALVATION and arrayed me in a ROBE of righteousness.”
I was thinking about this verse; that God has provided us with this mystical clothing, supernatural garments, but it is up to us to PUT THEM ON each & every day. We cast off the filthy rags of sin and mistakes and mishaps and failures and disobedience and we PUT on the GARMENT of PRAISE, Salvation and righteousness that belong to Jesus Christ and that HE has shared with us through His death and resurrection so that we may be clothed as HE is. WOW!!!
Quite a lot of discussion on clothes in the Bible when you start looking at it, MG. There’s also all the pieces of armor that we are told to put on daily: belt of truth buckled around your waist; breastplate of righteousness in place;feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace; shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one;the helmet of salvation;sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:13-17). We really do have a wonderful wardrobe to choose from that will assure us that we are storing up treasures in heaven where the moths can’t get to them.
I think I am able to relate to this scripture (as you quoted above) in relation to your blog.”Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ” Col 3:12-13
I think I witness the lack there of week after week in church groups. And of that I am a part. This is a big wardrobe and lots of expensive accessories. Earrings of love and finger rings and arm and toe and angle bracelets of unity that binds the hearts in one accord.
We read the Bible often and some read the whole thing through in a year. And, some more than once in a year yet have a hard time dressing in its words. I do understand that The Word is Divine and it has all the Divine Words that could ever be used and we are to grow into them. But, as President Obama quoted in his Inaugural address, “in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.”
1 Corinthians 15:54
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” We will be wearing clothing that’s imperishable and we will be immortal – could that be. Yes! In the beginning God slay animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve who had sinned. Blood was shed! When Christ came to earth, he lived, and he died with blood again being shed for sin. This time it was our sin. This time we are clothed in Jesus – just Jesus that’s all that’s needed Just Jesus. I suppose it’s time to readjust our attitudes about the perishable outerwear and concentrate on the imperishable clothing that identify us as children of God. What expensive clothing that we wear. Bought with a price that value that is priceless. Such a high price was paid for this piece of clothing – the death of our Lord and savior on a Calvary’s cross – may we not soil or damage it by our lack of attention, respect, and love for the gift that was given to us in this garment. Lord we praise you and thank you.
Cast off greed, darkness, fear, these are rags.