September 26, 2021 SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. 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. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord-for we walk by faith, not by sight-we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgement 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.”
We may have the belief that death is our great enemy and we may live in fear of death. Our fear of death is likely an indicator of us being tied to life in this world rather than seeing ourselves as a pilgrim who is passing through this life on earth. (Do not misunderstand; hardly anyone wants to die, and there is a sadness when one dies-that is normal.) Also, having a fear of death is a result of not understanding or not believing what the scriptures say about death. It may sound amazing to us, but Paul said that he would rather die so that he could be present with the Lord; but he also wanted to continue his life on earth that he might fulfill the purposes God had for him. It is simple; while we live in this mortal body, we are not at home with the Lord. Think about this: inside this mortal body of ours, lives the immortal Spirit of God-the super-natural living in the natural; we are spiritual beings living in a natural body. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a pledge that one day, this mortal body of ours will be swallowed up in life and we will forever be with the Lord. Because the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us, we have this groaning deep within because we know that there is more-something greater than the life we experience in this mortal life. Like Paul, we can always be of good courage because we know that God’s plan is for this mortal body of ours to be made immortal. WOW! We face trials and difficulties now, but they are temporary. If we walk by sight, we will be discouraged; but by walking by faith-by believing the plans God has for us, we are always of good courage. Our focus must shift form a fear or dread of death, to having an ambition to live our lives in a way that pleases Him; one day we will see Him face-to-face and at that time we will be “recompensed for our deeds in the body, according to what we have done, whether good or bad.” Our desire to be pleasing to Him comes out of our love for Him-not out of an unholy fear of Him. So, if we fear death, let us replace that fear with the realization that we are destined to put on immortality-and that happens when this mortal body dies.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 53-55, 58 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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