2 Corinthians 5 -- One More Possession We Have In Christ

In the first part of this chapter, Paul lists one more possession we have in Christ to go along with the other three he mentioned in chapter 4:  "We have a future hope."

"We have a building of God, not the believer's heavenly home, but his glorified body ... he knew that believers would one day receive a wonderful glorified body, suited to the glorious environment of heaven... We know because we trust the Word of God ... God has told us all that we need to know in the pages of His Word... We know that death cannot claim us."

"Paul was not expressing a morbid desire for death ... he was eager for Jesus Christ to return so that he would be clothed upon with a glorified body."

"He gave us three possibilities, using the image of the body as a tent -- residing in the tent:  

     (1) alive -- residing in the tent;

     (2) dead -- unclothed, out of the tent;

     (3) clothed upon -- the transformation of the body at the return of Christ."  

"Paul was hoping that he would be alive and on the earth at the return of Christ, so that he might not have to go through the experience of death ... Paul was not groaning because he was in a human body, but because he longed to see Jesus and receive a glorified body.  He was groaning for glory!"

"Because he had this kind of confidence, Paul was not afraid of suffering and trials, or even of dangers ... He walked by faith and not by sight.  He looked at the eternal unseen, not the temporal seen."

Father, thank You that my friend Cel knew this, and knew Your Son and accepted His sacrifice for her.  How I groan for that heavenly body that she now has.  Glorify her now for the fact that she glorified You on earth.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford