An Earthly Tent—A Heavenly Closet  (November 22, 2015, Bulletin Article)

 

 

13 Its is written, “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 5:1 For we know that if this earthly tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with out 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 instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

(2 Corinthians 4:13-5:5)

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          Paul’s preaching and his New Testament letters stress resurrection—which led to questions concerning the individual’s disposition until that event. The Thessalonians [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18] and the Corinthians [above]both were concerned, so Paul wrote to encourage them that dying (becoming a Christian does not stop the aging process!) did not interfere with God’s care for his people; though our “tents” (i.e., bodies) wear out before Jesus returns, we have an interim home in heaven, a heavenly closet, as it were, from which we will be clothed until such time that God raises us with Jesus and presents us with one another to himself. (4:14)

          “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God…”

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