Have you ever been camping in a tent? Some people enjoy taking their vacations that way, enjoying some rustic living outdoors for a while. However, not too many people would want to live that way. After a week or two, they look forward to returning to their nice homes, with all the modern conveniences. In our Scripture passage for today the Apostle Paul describes our current body as like a tent, compared with our heavenly body which is as a house. Let’s take a look at this passage from the Bible.
A tent is usually meant to be only temporary. It is quickly set up and then taken down. It is also not very sturdy. A strong storm can easily knock it over. When it rains, one wonders how dry and comfortable they will remain, and if the temperature drops, it is not easy to stay warm. Like a temporary tent, man’s earthly existence is fragile, insecure, and lowly. But the believer’s resurrected body is a building from God (vs. 1). It is solid, secure, certain, and permanent. It is a glorified body, not an earthly creation.
Paul longed to be free from his earthly body, the “tent” that he currently had, with its sins, frustrations, and weaknesses, and have his heavenly, perfect and immortal body, the permanent “house”. It wasn’t that he wished to die, in a somewhat suicidal type of wishing. He just longed to be with the Lord, in his heavenly and perfect body and existence. As we all grow older, we see that our physical bodies are slowly fading. With some of us the failing bodies and physical problems come more and more quickly, and the knowledge of a new, physically perfect body is something to look forward to.
Because Heaven is a better place than earth, Paul would rather have been there with God. He was also not afraid to die because he was confident of spending eternity with Jesus. For those who are saved, death is only a prelude to eternal life with God. We will continue to live. We do not have to fear death or suffering, for when we die we are immediately with Jesus (vs. 8). One day we will see the Savior and receive a perfect body that is unaffected by sin.
Often the unsaved will scoff at believers for their belief in heaven with new bodies. Nobody has actually seen heaven and brought back a report about it, so how can we know for sure, they argued. Paul’s answer was that Christians walk by faith and not by sight (vs. 7). If we could see, why would we need to have faith? “Sight” would also include feelings and emotions that we often seem to rely on, that urge us to take our eyes off of God, His Word, and His promises. Because Jesus promised to care for us every day, we can live by faith one day at a time (Matthew 6:33-34).
As Paul continues, he reminds us that if we love Jesus, we should make it our aim to please Him by the way we live (vs. 9). It is good for the believer to strive for excellence and have spiritual goals. Paul cared for how he lived for the Lord, and so should we.
Paul closes this Scripture passage with the teaching that Christians will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ after death (vs. 10), which is one reason to strive to live a life pleasing to Him. Every Christian is ultimately accountable to God. The Judgment Seat of Christ is where the Lord will evaluate believers’ lives for the purpose of giving them eternal rewards. The judgment for the unsaved is referred to in the Bible as the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
The Judgment Seat of Christ referred to in today’s passage is for believers whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). This is not judging for sins, as that took place at the Cross. This is for all the activities Christians do during their life for an eternal reward. Paul compares worthwhile, eternally valuable activities with useless ones. When we stand before Jesus He will look to see which of our choices were in keeping with His will. He will see every act of obedient service, remembering and rewarding them. There will also be tears when Jesus sees our selfishness, our laziness, and unrighteousness. Even as Christians, we will be held accountable for our actions. We need to consider our choices and what would please God. When we do, then we can eagerly look forward to being with Jesus, and trading our “tent” body for our permanent, glorious resurrection body.
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