Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 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. Now 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. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Devotional: Paul writes with remarkable confidence about what happens when a believer dies. He describes the body as a temporary dwelling, a tent, while the life to come is a permanent and eternal home. His conclusion in verse 8 is one of the most comforting statements in all of Scripture: to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. Notice that Paul does not describe a waiting period, a long unconscious sleep, or a process of earning one's way into God's presence. The transition is immediate. For the believer, the moment this life ends, the next one begins in the presence of Jesus himself.
Reflection: How does the truth that heaven is described as being "at home with the Lord" change the way you think about death, both your own and that of people you love?
Practical Application: Write a short letter to God expressing what it means to you that he does not leave you to face death alone, and that his presence is both your destination and your reward.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 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. Now 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. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Devotional: Paul writes with remarkable confidence about what happens when a believer dies. He describes the body as a temporary dwelling, a tent, while the life to come is a permanent and eternal home. His conclusion in verse 8 is one of the most comforting statements in all of Scripture: to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. Notice that Paul does not describe a waiting period, a long unconscious sleep, or a process of earning one's way into God's presence. The transition is immediate. For the believer, the moment this life ends, the next one begins in the presence of Jesus himself.
Reflection: How does the truth that heaven is described as being "at home with the Lord" change the way you think about death, both your own and that of people you love?
Practical Application: Write a short letter to God expressing what it means to you that he does not leave you to face death alone, and that his presence is both your destination and your reward.
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