When Grandma passed away a few months ago, it reminded me of the exciting promise of eternal life. Reading through 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 is a wonderful insight into passing from life on earth to life in heaven. Here is how I broke the passage down in brief to help me understand certain sections and to encourage myself.
The Promise:
1Now 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.
When you accept Jesus into your heart, you become a child of God and are automatically eligible for the inheritance of eternal life.
Longing for Rest:
2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Just like a long hard day, we long for rest and relaxation where we can unwind and leave the problems of that day behind us. Its the same with life on earth! It is tiring and we long to rest and be with our heavenly Father.
The Guarantee:
5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given
us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ to the sacrifice for our Sins. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are given the gift of Gods Holy Spirit as a guide, a strength and a comfort. And as this verse reminds us, as a guarantee of how serious God is about his promise to us.
Faith:
7We live by faith, not
by sight.
Unlike doubting Thomas, we believe in Jesus without needed to see Him. We do not demand proof! In my own life things have changed so much since I met Him that I can not deny His existence! Looking at the beauty of creation, its impossible to imagine there was no creator!
Preparation:
10For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Matthew 6:19-24 – Treasures in Heaven. We will be judged on that final day! The things that we do for His glory will earn us spiritual rewards in heaven. We don’t know what they are to be, but they must be awesome to be described as treasures!
