Second Corinthians 5 Part 1 One Day Death Will Come. Are You Ready To Stand Before God?

We move on to chapter five and Paul is going to teach us about our physical body, resurrection life, and some of the blessings we have in Christ.

Our physical body is a temporary home for our eternal soul.

2 Corinthians 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

Paul teaches us that our physical body is a temporary home for our soul, that new man in Christ.

The apostle refers to our physical body as an earthly house. 

He also teaches us that we have another building or house made by God that is fitted for eternal life. 

Finally, Paul makes a comparison with the tabernacle God had Moses build as their meeting place for sacrifice and worship.

A home is a complex integration of many individual parts like our body.

Psalm 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 

With all its various parts, systems and supporting structures, our physical body is similar when compared to a the structure of a house. 

We have more than 200 bones, plus tendons, ligaments and muscle. We have many distinct systems (Such as Endocrine, Nervous, Digestive, Circulation, Lymphatic, and Respiratory systems). 

As King David exclaimed, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God put all of these vastly different components together in a way that pleases Him.

In like manner, a house has various supporting structures, framing and components like doors, roofs and windows. 

It has various functional systems like plumbing, electrical and HVAC. 

Craftsmen must assemble all of these many different things together to build a home that meets all building code requirements.

Just as a house needs in depth engineering and design, so our bodies were marvelously made by our Omnipotent, Omniscient God.

Our body shows the power and wisdom of God as Divine Designer and Architect.  He made our body for the dwelling place of our soul. 

Our soul is more excellent than the body and is independent of it, capable of a separate existence from it. 

Paul tells us our body is an earthly house because it is from the earth, is supported by earthly things and presently abides on earth. 

We will all die one day and our body will turn to dust. 

Genesis 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

One day our body will die and go to the grave. 

Our body will revert to the dust that it was originally made from and our spirit will return to God who gave it (See Ecclesiastes 12:7).

When we die we will stand before the God of glory in the resurrection.

Job 19:25-27  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. 

The book of Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible. The patriarch endured so many personal calamities at the hand of Satan, according to the permissive will of God.

Concerning our physical body, Job tells us that even though his body goes to the grave to decay and return to dust, he knew he would see his glorious Redeemer and God. 

Thus, Job hints at the resurrection of life and the new, glorified body that awaits each saint. 

The tabernacle of Israel was also taken down and readied for a new location.

Numbers 1:50-53  But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51  And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 52  And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. 53  But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

God gave the signal when the Hebrews were to move by having the cloud of His glory rise up from the tabernacle.

The Levites were responsible to carefully pack up the tabernacle and the Nethinim were to carry all of the components until they reached the destination God had for them.

The picture is that God alone tells them when to pack up and move the tabernacle. God alone directs this process and He leads them to the new location.

Our physical body will one day be dissolved. This word refers to taking down a tent and putting it away. 

Paul uses this word to describe the death of a child of God.

Our body will be taken down and put away in the ground. God alone knows the year, month day and moment that our life on earth will be over.

Paul tells us that it is appointed unto all people once to die and death is followed by judgment (See Hebrews 9:27).

The apostle previously warned the Corinthians that they must build rightly on the foundation of repentant faith in Jesus Christ.

How we love God and others will be judged. How we serve God and others will be critiqued.  

The motivation of our heart will be revealed (See Hebrews 4:12) and if we loved and served ourselves rather than God, our works will burn as wood, hay or stubble.

If we truly loved and served God with all our heart, then our works will endure the fires of judgment as gold, silver or precious gems (See 1 Corinthians 3:9-16).

Life is a vapor and we must use each moment of each day for God's glory.

Psalm 90:9-12  9  For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11  Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 

Surely this is a beautiful picture reminding us that God knows the number of the hairs on our head. God knows the number of our days. 

The total days of our life is compared with reading a short story. It has a subject, a plot and an ending. 

However, it does not take much time to read a short story and in like manner, this life passes away rapidly.

Generally speaking our lifespan is about 70 years and we may reach 80 by reason of strength. 

Our time on earth is like flowers that bloom and wither quickly (See Psalm 90:5-6; Isaiah 40:7-8). 

This is why King David asked for wisdom and understanding that he might number his days. He wanted to live each day loving and serving Jehovah.

Paul would tell us to redeem the time wisely and use each day to the fullest for the glory of God in whatever we think about, talk about or do (See Ephesians 5:16-17).

We must learn to use our time and resources wisely for God's glory.

Psalm 39:4-5  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. 5  Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 

Again, King David asked Jehovah to show consistently remind him how brief life on earth really is. 

David wanted to use his time and resources and talents wisely, knowing that he would see the LORD when he died.

Jesus tells us that He is building a dwelling place for us in heaven. 

John 14:1-3  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Jesus taught us that the Father's abode has many dwelling places. 

Christ returned to the Father to prepare a dwelling place for each one who places their trust in Christ's redeeming work.

Jesus will come again at the rapture of the church and will take us home to heaven where we will be received by our Father in heaven. 

All the dead in Christ shall rise first and receive a new, resurrection body fit for heaven. 

All living saints will be caught up into the air and be changed, receiving their new body fit for heaven (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Paul has much more to teach us about our physical body being the dwelling place of our soul. 

We have learned important truth about setting our agenda and priorities to reflect God's will and His priorities.

May the LORD help us understand more each day how to live for His glory.

Bob