BIG IDEA:
THE LONGING FOR THE RESURRECTION BODY MOTIVATES US TO FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL MINISTRY EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF PHYSICAL SUFFERING –
FUTURE GLORY INSPIRES COURAGE AND COMMITMENT IN LIVING TO PLEASE OUR LORD
I. (5:1-5) PRESENT SUFFERING SHOULD INTENSIFY THE LONGING FOR FUTURE GLORY (THE RESURRECTION BODY)
Context = extreme physical suffering in the ministry
Understood from previous section in Chapter 4
A. (:1) The Superiority of the Resurrection Body
1. Prospect of Physical Death — Limitations of Our Physical Body
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down”
For all of you campers out there, what are some of the drawbacks of living in a tent?
“torn down” seems to suggest more than just death by old age
2. Promise of Permanent Dwelling
a. Superstructure
“we have a building from God”
not from Bob the Builder or Bob Vila
b. Spiritual
“a house not made with hands”
c. Eternal
“eternal in the heavens”
B. (:2-4) The Preference for the Resurrection Body
1. (:2a) The Groaning Associated with this Present Body
“For indeed in this house we groan”
Ryrie: in this earthly body we groan because of the burdens of life (cf. Rom. 8:23).
2. (:2b-3) The Longing for Permanent Glorious Clothing
“longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked”
3. (:4) Summary: Preference for Immortality (clothed in Resurrection Body)
“For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
C. (:5) The Assurance of the Resurrection Body
1. God’s Purpose — it cannot be defeated
“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God”
2. God’s Pledge — the indwelling Holy Spirit
“who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”
II. (5:6-10) TWO RESULTS OF THIS LONGING FOR FUTURE GLORY
A. (:6-8) Future Glory Inspires Courage
“Therefore, being always of good courage”
1. Because we recognize the limitations of this earthly life
“and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord”
Guzik: As it is true that to be absent from the body means we will be present with the Lord, it proves two false doctrines to be false. It refutes the false doctrine of “soul sleep,” (saying that the believing dead are held in some sort of suspended animation until the resurrection occurs) and the false doctrine of “purgatory” (saying that the believing dead must be “cleaned up” through their own suffering before coming into the presence of God).
2. Because we walk by faith not by sight
“for we walk by faith, not by sight”
3. Because we prefer our eternal home
“we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
Stedman: I love that phrasing. Notice how it is put here. The word is used both for our life in the body and our coming presence with the Lord. They are both said to be an experience of being “at home.” What does that mean? Well, you feel “at home” in your body, don’t you, right now? You do not feel strange in it. You do not feel unnatural. You feel relaxed. You would feel very strained and unnatural if you did not have your body. You feel at home in it. That is what it means. Now, using the same language, the apostle says when you leave this earthly body and are given the body of glory that is awaiting you, you will be at home there too. It will be an experience not of strain or difference, but natural. In fact, later on in this letter, in Chapter 12, he speaks of being caught up into the third heaven into the very presence of God. He says, “I didn’t know whether I was in the body or out of it. I couldn’t tell. I felt so much at home it didn’t make any difference,” {cf., 2 Cor, 12:3}.
That is an encouragement to us that what we are headed toward is not something dreadful or so terribly different that we need to be afraid. We will be at home with the Lord, in his very presence, seeing him no longer only with the Spirit within, but face to face. If it is true, as Peter puts it, that “Without having seen him you love him” {cf,, 1 Pet 1:8}, how much more will that be true when we see him face to face? So we are nerved to go through the difficulty of these days and to be of good courage because we are heading into light instead of darkness.
B. (:9-10) Future Glory Inspires Commitment
1. (:9) Single-minded Ambition
“Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”
2. (:10) Sobering Accountability
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
* * * * * * * * * *
PREACHING CHRIST:
1) Our eternal home is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We live as pilgrims in this world and in the tent of this temporary body. Our permanent dwelling is a building from God.
2) Presently we walk by faith in Jesus Christ, complete dependence upon His guidance and strength.
3) We measure everything we do up against the one motive of striving to please Jesus. That is the focus of all of our ambition. (cf. the movement: What Would Jesus Do?)
4) We live soberly in light of the absolute accountability we will face before the judgment seat of Christ.