For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2Corinthians 5:1-4 ESV
How are you living? Is your focus only upon the tangible, the stuff that you can grab hold of or are you living with the absolute awareness of a promised future – one that begins in the here and now but goes on into eternity? Are you a sojourner?
Sojourner – 1. a temporary resident 2. a person who resides temporarily in a place –
“A TRAVELER”
Paul lived “in” the assurance of his hope… immortal glory. Many don’t like to discuss death; I get that the idea of dying can be scary but for the believer in Jesus Christ this shouldn’t be!
When those who don’t know the Lord share with me their fear of dying, they actually present an open door to the offer of hope – a life everlasting! But when those who know the Lord share this same fear, something is wrong…
I’ve heard it said that all Christians want to get to Heaven; they just don’t want to die to get there. Well…to put it bluntly, there ain’t no other way to pass from this earthly into the next! We all are going to die, this is fact. The challenge we face is – do we, with fear and trembling, do everything possible to hold on to our physical life, hoping to attain the maximum 120 yrs (read Genesis 6); hey let’s say you do reach birthday #120, at the absolute most you will only have 12 more months to live but you will not escape it - death will come to all of us! Or do we embrace this temporary life in the same fashion as Paul, recognizing that life is in fact short, but in the physical end...the eternal begins. Paul was a traveler, he knew that his permanent address was not here on earth.
Death need not be something which is feared. Those who are “IN” Christ, should actually live towards that end – yes, I meant to structure it that way… Christians, must understand that man was created to be in eternal fellowship with the living God and that one day what is mortal WILL be swallowed up by life!!!! Paul also said this, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 ESV
Paul didn’t have any “special magic dust” making him into the perfect Christian, able to live in such a way that no one else could. No, he was just like you and me…human. The only difference may be that he embraced his cross and lived for one reason…to the glory of His King! He knew, that he knew, that he knew - when his physical life came to an end…true life would then begin!
Embrace this life, live it boldly, look to eternity!
Wag
