II Corinthians 5:1-8: "Longing for Heaven"
Paul continues his focus on the eternal vs the temporal and the believers longing to be present with Christ in their new glorified bodies. Daily facing the possibility of death we can see the strong desire in Paul to receive his new glorified body and be in the presence of God. We can also see, through his perspective, why Paul could be so bold in his testimony. With his strong desire to be with the Lord, death did not scare him, and therefore, he was able to strongly proclaim the gospel amidst strong opposition.
Paul begins, "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens". Paul is not uncertain or wavering in any way (for we know). Paul here uses earthly tent to describe our mortal human bodies. Being a tent maker, Paul chose to use a metaphor that he was familiar with. Therefore, Paul is saying that when our earthly bodies are torn down, or when we die, we will have a new glorified body in heaven. We move from the temporary tent to a firm foundation eternal building. MacArthur writes, "Paul further described the glorified, resurrection body as a house not made with hands. It is not a procreated, physical body. Referring to Jesus' words in John 2:19, the false witnesses at His trial said, 'We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands;" (Mark 14:58)". In Hebrews 9:11 we read, "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation". Therefore, we can understand that "not made with hands" refers to a spiritual, eternal, divine body that we will receive from our creator.
Paul continues to explain the next life, "For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked". Paul faced all the trials, suffering, and temptation to give up that anyone had faced. Because he was confident in knowing where he was headed, he groaned in his being, longing to be in heaven with Christ. MacArthur writes, "To be naked, then, is to be only a soul without a resurrection body. The apsotle's hope of a future glorified body was in sharp contrast to the philosophical dualism that permeated Greek culture. That philosophy taught that matter is evil and spirit is good. Therefore the ultimate goal for its adherents was to be freed from their bodies and to become disembodied spirits". Continuing to confess his desire to leave this earth and attain his heavenly body Pual writes, "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life". Paul wrote something similar in Rom 8:23, "We ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body". Paul felt the wait of sin, affliction and suffering, and new that he all of it would pass away in the glory of God's presence and he longed to be there. Paul new the mortal would be gone and in its place would be the wonderful, eternal, perfect, glorified body.
God in his divine purpose has given this wonderful gift to all those who believe. Paul gives glory to God for this gift, "Now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge". From eternity past, God prepared not only a place for us in heaven, but our new glorified bodies that can dwell with Him forever. MacArthur writes, "In eternity past, God sovereignly chose believers for salvation; in time, he redeemed them; in the future, He will give them their glorified, resurrection bodies. The phrase for this very purpose emphatically states that believers obtain their glorified bodies in fulfilment of god's sovereign plan from all eternity, bound up in His elective decree". God's witness and verification of this gift was first given when we repented and turned to Him and He gave us His Spirit. This is our testimony that God will fulfill this promise when we die. This is what drove Paul and gave him his hope.
Paul continues, "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord". On the basis of the truths Paul has given us in verses 1-5, Paul was confident that all believers should be of good courage. If the worst thing that can happen to us on earth is that we are killed, that would usher us into the presence of God, therefore, nothing should sway our courage. While we still live here on earth we are absent from God and have our earthly bodies. Therefore, we should not fear death and persecution for God's sake, but rather, know we are only closer to being with God. Paul continues, "for we walk by faith, not by sight". It is this faith in God's promise that began with the Holy Spirit and will one day become our new heavenly bodies that we live by. Although we cannot see it happening, we know it to be true because God's Word tells us so. Paul reiterates that "we are of good courage" because all believers with the right mindset would "prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord". It is for this reason we can live life boldly without fear of death. MacArthur concludes, "The reality of death faces every believer who dies before the Lord raptures the church. Those who look forward to receiving their glorified bodies, to the perfections of life in heaven, to the fulfillment of God's purpose for them, and to living forever in His presence will be able to say triumphantly with Paul, 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' (I Cor. 15:55)".
Paul begins, "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens". Paul is not uncertain or wavering in any way (for we know). Paul here uses earthly tent to describe our mortal human bodies. Being a tent maker, Paul chose to use a metaphor that he was familiar with. Therefore, Paul is saying that when our earthly bodies are torn down, or when we die, we will have a new glorified body in heaven. We move from the temporary tent to a firm foundation eternal building. MacArthur writes, "Paul further described the glorified, resurrection body as a house not made with hands. It is not a procreated, physical body. Referring to Jesus' words in John 2:19, the false witnesses at His trial said, 'We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands;" (Mark 14:58)". In Hebrews 9:11 we read, "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation". Therefore, we can understand that "not made with hands" refers to a spiritual, eternal, divine body that we will receive from our creator.
Paul continues to explain the next life, "For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked". Paul faced all the trials, suffering, and temptation to give up that anyone had faced. Because he was confident in knowing where he was headed, he groaned in his being, longing to be in heaven with Christ. MacArthur writes, "To be naked, then, is to be only a soul without a resurrection body. The apsotle's hope of a future glorified body was in sharp contrast to the philosophical dualism that permeated Greek culture. That philosophy taught that matter is evil and spirit is good. Therefore the ultimate goal for its adherents was to be freed from their bodies and to become disembodied spirits". Continuing to confess his desire to leave this earth and attain his heavenly body Pual writes, "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life". Paul wrote something similar in Rom 8:23, "We ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body". Paul felt the wait of sin, affliction and suffering, and new that he all of it would pass away in the glory of God's presence and he longed to be there. Paul new the mortal would be gone and in its place would be the wonderful, eternal, perfect, glorified body.
God in his divine purpose has given this wonderful gift to all those who believe. Paul gives glory to God for this gift, "Now he who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge". From eternity past, God prepared not only a place for us in heaven, but our new glorified bodies that can dwell with Him forever. MacArthur writes, "In eternity past, God sovereignly chose believers for salvation; in time, he redeemed them; in the future, He will give them their glorified, resurrection bodies. The phrase for this very purpose emphatically states that believers obtain their glorified bodies in fulfilment of god's sovereign plan from all eternity, bound up in His elective decree". God's witness and verification of this gift was first given when we repented and turned to Him and He gave us His Spirit. This is our testimony that God will fulfill this promise when we die. This is what drove Paul and gave him his hope.
Paul continues, "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord". On the basis of the truths Paul has given us in verses 1-5, Paul was confident that all believers should be of good courage. If the worst thing that can happen to us on earth is that we are killed, that would usher us into the presence of God, therefore, nothing should sway our courage. While we still live here on earth we are absent from God and have our earthly bodies. Therefore, we should not fear death and persecution for God's sake, but rather, know we are only closer to being with God. Paul continues, "for we walk by faith, not by sight". It is this faith in God's promise that began with the Holy Spirit and will one day become our new heavenly bodies that we live by. Although we cannot see it happening, we know it to be true because God's Word tells us so. Paul reiterates that "we are of good courage" because all believers with the right mindset would "prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord". It is for this reason we can live life boldly without fear of death. MacArthur concludes, "The reality of death faces every believer who dies before the Lord raptures the church. Those who look forward to receiving their glorified bodies, to the perfections of life in heaven, to the fulfillment of God's purpose for them, and to living forever in His presence will be able to say triumphantly with Paul, 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' (I Cor. 15:55)".
posted by amesfam | 10:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home