{"id":17392,"date":"2021-09-14T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-4_13-18-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-09-07T23:35:25","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T06:35:25","slug":"2corinthians-5_1-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2corinthians-5_1-10\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hope of Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>1<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong><\/em>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Now 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01: What is Paul talking about when he says, \u201cNow we know if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed\u2026\u201d?\u00a0 What earthly tent is Paul referring to?\u00a0 The earthly tent Paul is talking about is our physical bodies, which, like a tent, are useful but susceptible to wear and tear.\u00a0 Our earthly bodies are great temporary dwellings, but they are also subject to hunger, fatigue, disease and death.\u00a0 Paul is saying that, as Christians, one day when we die, we can look forward to going to heaven where we will have \u201can eternal house\u201d, a physical body that will never decay and cannot be destroyed.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 The Bible describes heaven as a place where God \u201cwill wipe every tear from their eyes.\u00a0 There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u201d (Revelation 21:4)\u00a0 So if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you have much to look forward to after you die.\u00a0 For when you die, you don\u2019t\u00a0leave<\/em>\u00a0home; you\u00a0go<\/em>\u00a0home!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>2<\/strong>–<\/strong>5<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong><\/em>
\n2<\/sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.<\/em>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>For 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.<\/em>
\n5<\/sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Now 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a02-5: Paul is saying that deep within each of us is a groaning, a longing, a yearning for heaven that cannot be satisfied by anything this world can offer.\u00a0 As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God \u201chas set eternity in our hearts\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Put another way: God made you with a \u201cGod-sized hole\u201d in your life that only God can fill.\u00a0 You can try to fill that hole with other things, but only God can satisfy that longing in your heart.\u00a0 That is why verse 4 says, \u201cfor while we are in this tent\u201d \u2013 that is, while we live on earth \u2013 \u201cwe groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0This is no accident; that\u2019s how God \u201cmade us for this very purpose\u201d (v5). God made you to be with Him forever in heaven.<\/p>\n

So for as long as we live on this earth and are away from our home with Jesus in heaven, that longing for heaven will persist.\u00a0 But in the meantime, for those of us who place our faith in Jesus Christ, God gives His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts, to give us a taste of heaven, a \u201cdeposit guaranteeing what is come\u201d (v5).<\/p>\n

By faith, let\u2019s live our lives to give glory to God, knowing that our ultimate home is not here on earth, but in heaven with Jesus.\u00a0 And let\u2019s treasure this heavenly deposit God has placed in us \u2013 the Holy Spirit \u2013 and build our relationship with Him.<\/p>\n

As a further note on verse 4,\u00a0\u201cwhat is mortal\u201d is not just referring to our mortal physical bodies on earth, which will one day be replaced by immortal physical bodies in heaven.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhat is mortal\u201d is also a reference to what is weak in us \u2013 our personal weaknesses and our sinful tendencies, whether that be a bad temper, oversensitivity or something else.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God that the weaknesses we see in ourselves \u2013 whether physical, emotional or spiritual \u2013 will one day be swallowed up by strength that will not go away.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>6<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 6:\u00a0\u00a0Because as Christians we live with the assurance that we will be with God in heaven one day, that brings two things: first, a confidence with which we can live each day (as Paul says, \u201cwe are always confident\u201d), and second, the understanding that earth is not our final home, but heaven is.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Corinthians<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>7<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We live by faith, not by sight.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 7:\u00a0\u00a0What does it mean to \u201clive by faith, not by sight\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0I believe it means at least three things.\u00a0\u00a0First, it\u2019s learning to live each day with heaven in mind, even though we can\u2019t see it now and aren\u2019t there yet.\u00a0\u00a0Second, it\u2019s learning to live each day trusting in God\u2019s promises, regardless of what our current circumstances may look like.\u00a0\u00a0Third, it\u2019s fixing our eyes not on what is seen (2 Corinthians 4:18), but what is unseen: most of all, God the Father and Jesus His Son, with the help of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>8-9<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 8-9:\u00a0\u00a0For as long as we are on earth and not yet where we most long to be which is heaven, we make it our goal to please the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0This life is not so much about pleasing ourselves as it is about pleasing God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/em>Corinthians<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>5<\/strong>:<\/strong>10<\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 10:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Bible teaches that we can never earn our way to heaven, because imperfect sinners like us could never meet the perfect standards of a holy God and the wages of our sin is death, that is, separation from God.\u00a0\u00a0But because God loves us and didn\u2019t want us to be apart from Him, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven, reconciled to God, and enter heaven on the basis of Jesus\u2019 righteousness, not our own.\u00a0\u00a0So it is only by God\u2019s grace (undeserved kindness) that we can enter heaven.\u00a0\u00a0But even so, verse 10 teaches us that Christ will still judge every person for the way they lived this life.\u00a0\u00a0So\u00a0although the way we lived our lives on earth does not determine whether or not we go to heaven, it does determine what how much reward and blessing we will enjoy in heaven<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, thank You that through Your Son Jesus I am a citizen of heaven, that earth is not my final home.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit so that I can get a foretaste of what heaven is like even while I\u2019m on earth.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that because of the hope of heaven, I can live with confidence all my days on earth that the best is yet to come.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a05:1\u00a0(NIV)
\n1\u00a0Now 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.<\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01: What is Paul talking about when he says, \u201cNow we know if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed\u2026\u201d?\u00a0 What earthly tent is Paul referring to?\u00a0 The earthly tent Paul is talking about is our physical bodies, which, like a tent, are useful but susceptible to wear and tear.\u00a0 Our earthly bodies are great temporary dwellings, but they are also subject to hunger, fatigue, disease and death.\u00a0 Paul is saying that, as Christians, one day when we die, we can look forward to going to heaven where we will have \u201can eternal house\u201d, a physical body that will never decay and cannot be destroyed.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 The Bible describes heaven as a place where God \u201cwill wipe every tear from their eyes.\u00a0 There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u201d (Revelation 21:4)\u00a0 So if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you have much to look forward to after you die.\u00a0 For when you die, you don\u2019t\u00a0leave\u00a0home; you\u00a0go\u00a0home!<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a05:2-5\u00a0(NIV)
\n2\u00a0Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
\n3\u00a0because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17392"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17393,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17392\/revisions\/17393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}