OUR HOUSE FROM HEAVEN

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:1-8).

Devotion 6 of 12

THE RESURRECTION BODY

The Word of God does speak about the resurrection body itself--our "house from heaven." The
information conveyed to us is not intended to answer the questions of people who are basically disinterested in the resurrection of the dead, or those whose hearts are attached to "this present evil world." It will, however, be of great value to those who, with Paul, have determined to "attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil 3:11). What is said appeals to those with spiritual minds, who realize the handicap of "flesh and blood" (which "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 15:51).

The passage that addresses this subject was written to correct wayward thinking. It is more than an official statement of Apostolic doctrine, although it is surely that. Here we learn to think like the Lord concerning a subject of fundamental importance. Remember, this is about your "house from heaven."

"But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?'
You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body" (1 Cor 15:35-44, NASB).

Here we enter into an arena not suited for those without the Spirit of God. Consideration of spiritual things brings the best out of sanctified ones. It also brings the worst out of those who walk according to the flesh. From the heavenly vantage (and we have been raised to sit in heavenly places, Eph 1:3; 2:6), the individual who stumbles at the reality of the resurrection is a "fool," particularly if he articulates the confusion stimulated by unbelief. Paul here declares things that are obvious to faith. Conversely, they are hidden to flesh.

We cannot enter the house until we leave the tent

Here is an apparent fact! The only way to miss it is to walk in the flesh. "That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies" (v 36). In the end, our understanding of the resurrection body will come by participation, not philosophizing! As valuable as pedagogical approaches may be, they are not the heart of spiritual life. The purpose of Scripture is not to simply give us information to be absorbed by the intellect. In the case of the resurrection body, as with other subjects, Scriptural teaching is the prelude to taking part in its reality. If we were not involved in the matter, there would be no point to providing instruction on it.

Our house from heaven, or our resurrection body, is reserved for us in heaven. However, we must leave this mortal frame in order to obtain it. Knowing this, holy men of old desired to leave this world. For them, it was not a morbid thought. Neither, indeed, was it reflective of them being "fed up" with the difficulties and vicissitudes of life in the flesh. For them to live was "Christ," and to die was "gain." However, their anticipation of inhabiting their "house from heaven" was central in their thinking.

The anticipation of Peter

Toward the close of Peter's life, he referred to leaving his earthly body. "Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me" (2 Pet 1:14). For him, this was not a fearful thought, and it need not be one for you! He knew the nature of the Kingdom of God. Gripped by an awareness that we have an inheritance "which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven" for us (1 Pet 1:4), he anticipated leaving this house of clay.

The anticipation of Paul

When the time for transition arrived, Paul was ready. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Tim 4:6). His confidence was strong relating to this matter, and that strength remains the standard for the kingdom. "We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:6). Although he acquiesced with the will of the Lord to remain in the body for the sake of others, he confessed it was "far better" to leave the realm of temporality. "But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better" (Phil 1:23).

Precious in the sight of the Lord

No wonder the death of the saints is "precious" in God's sight. As it is written, "Precious in the
sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones" (Psa 116:15, NASB). Our exit from this frail tent is the prelude to being ushered into the presence of our Lord. He is anticipating that transition!

As Christ is "formed" in us (Gal 4:19), this becomes our sentiment also. The consideration of our
resurrection body assists the development of this spiritual perspective. After all, we must leave this body in order to inhabit that one.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I praise You through Christ for the hope of the resurrection--the anticipation of being delivered from every vestige of corruption. Until I leave this frail tent, I will continue to buffet my body, and bring it into subjection. I do so in hope of inhabiting my house from heaven. Accept my thanksgiving in Jesus' name for such a glorious hope.

-- TOMORROW: IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF BODY --