The Guarantee

 DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

THE GUARANTEE 

 2 Cor 5:1-5

5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

NIV

There are several thoughts concerning this idea of the earthy tent we live in and that it will be destroyed by death. Again, as Paul has continually pointed to this idea of the outer man and the inner man, we are not this body but a soul who dwells in this temporary tent that someday we will be freed from through the death of the body. As far as what Paul refers to as an eternal house in heaven is a little difficult to understand his meaning. We know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We also know there is a resurrection of the body at some time in the future. So, while we lay to rest this temporary tent and leave it we, our soul, travels into the presence of our Lord. As to what that looks like exactly is not clear. However, while we are dwelling in this tent, we groan and are burdened. That is our bodies are subject to the aches and pains, infirmities, and simple the aging process and all that happens to us. But we know this is just temporary and we do not live for the body, but the body is for us to live until we receive our heavenly dwelling. What happens to those who are not going to receive their heavenly dwelling is too harsh to comprehend fully, but we know that whatever perish means, that will be their fate, for they shall remain unclothed. We will not have to worry about being found naked, for this mortal may be clothed with immortality in our heavenly dwelling. Although this body dies, we will live. We know this is true as we have been given the Spirit, and we sense the Spirit within, dwelling within, giving us that hope, that confidence of what is to come. He is, in fact, a guarantee from God as to what is to become of us as we leave this body. The kind of celestial being we will be until the resurrection of our bodies has not been described for us, but we know it will be wonderful and glorious as we will be in the presence of our Lord and God. However, we also know that someday we will live in the new city of Jerusalem on a new earth in a physically resurrected form living in that place that Jesus has prepared for us. But, for now, we live in this temporary dwelling yearning to be in our eternal home with our Lord. This is our guarantee.