Heavenly Dwelling – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

I’ve heard it said many times, but this time by the father of a 57 year old son who died unexpectedly, leaving a wife fighting cancer. He said, “I don’t know how non-Christians can handle a situation like this.” He was simultaneously testifying to the horrible tragedy and grief of losing a loved one and the incredible hope he had of being with his son again.

Paul appeals to the hope Christians have as he seeks to encourage the Corinthians to stay true to the gospel.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10 ESV)

Our outer person, our body of clay jar, is wasting away, while our inner person is being renewed day by day by the treasure God is building in us. When our clay jars break, part of the eternal weight of glory that awaits us is our resurrection bodies.  Our bodies, our tents for our spirits, will die.  But we have in Jesus the promise of an eternal body or house and we long for it.  To die, go to heaven, and leave our body, is like being naked and we long to be clothed again the way God made us.  We are body/spirit creatures and this unnatural state will avail until the resurrection. The Holy Spirit given to us by the Father is our guarantee of this future resurrection. His presence in our lives, as Paul told us, is the down-payment insuring the future revivification of our bodies.

So even now, as we serve the Lord and even suffer for it, we have courage, knowing that to be absent from the body will mean being present with the Lord.  We will be “naked” in heaven until the resurrection but we will be with Jesus.  Then at the resurrection we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to determine our rewards in heaven.  Everyone who appears at this judgment is saved so it is not a determination of heaven or hell.  But it is essential that we be evaluated for what kind of life we have lived before the Lord.

Will “evil” things done in the body be exposed in this judgment of Christians? Yes. It won’t cost us our salvation. Jesus died for our sins, our guilt was placed on him and he bore it for us. It will affect our reward. Can any level of reward in the kingdom be disappointing? I don’t think so. But there will somehow be a greater level of fulfillment relative to others.

The message to the Corinthians is to live in accord with the New Covenant gospel message, and that undoubtedly is living in agreement with the message of the apostle Paul.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. If you could re-experience a moment in your life, what would it be and why?
2. What are your feelings about your time in heaven feeling like you are missing something, i.e., your body? Will this ruin heaven for you? Why or why not?
3. What level of encouragement do you experience knowing that when your body dies your spirit will be immediately in the presence of the Lord?
4. How motivated are you to please the Lord because your efforts will be rewarded in the kingdom?
5. We can’t relive any moments in our lives, so what if we’ve messed up a lot in our walk with Christ – do we have any hope for reward in the kingdom?
6. How would you teach this passage to children?