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 8 of 12

A BLESSED CHANGE

Our house from heaven involves a blessed change. It is a body that is "imperishable," incapable of deterioration and decay. It will blend perfectly with the eternal order, being a suitable habitation for those possessing eternal life. It will also be characterized by "glory," a quality of Deity. Speaking of this aspect of our "house from heaven," the Spirit witnesses, "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Col 3:4). The epistle of First John also refers to the transcendent glory of that occasion. "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2). Then, we will not dwell in a weak frame. Praise the Lord!

Our bodies will be raised "in power," able to navigate in heavenly realms and endure the Presence of the Almighty. No more "trembling," intimidating "fear," or inability. We will be able to fully execute the will of our Lord, with no deficiencies whatsoever! At last, the connection with cursed "nature" will be severed, and we will be absolutely "spiritual," "spirit, soul, AND body" (1 Thess 5:23). Blessed contemplation, indeed!

It reflects the will of God

The resurrection body, our "house from heaven," involves the will of the Lord. As in the natural realm, God will give us the kind of body He wants us to have. "But God gives it a body just as He wished" (v 38). In salvation, the Lord has provided for our entire person. How marvelous to contemplate this reality. We will have the sort of body that pleases Him. For that reason, it will be thoroughly satisfying to us also.

There is a spiritual body!

We are not in the realm of speculation! "There is also a spiritual body" (v 44). Just as surely as there is a "natural" body, there also is a spiritual one--for you! A "spiritual body" is not an ethereal body, or one that is not real. This is not a philosophical argument, i.e., it is not merely valid or proper to think of both a natural and a spiritual body. The point of the text is that both of them exist now, at this present time.

The weight of Paul's argument depends upon the existence of the "natural" body. There is no question about its reality, and there must be no question about the existence of our "house from heaven." The affirmation is undeniably strong, designed to bolster our faith. "If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body" (v 44, NASB).

INCOMPATIBILITY AND COMPATIBILITY

Our "house which is from heaven," or "our heavenly dwelling" (NIV), is our resurrection body. The necessity of having such a body is seen in the constitution of the individual. Each of us is a tripartite being, composed of three distinct and vital components. The desire of the Lord is that these be sanctified, or set apart wholly, for Himself. Paul expressed this desire to the Thessalonians. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 5:23, NASB). Each of these parts was effected by the fall, and God has provided for the reclamation of each segment in salvation.

In this world, the believer experiences the incompatibility of these three parts. Together, they comprise the individual, but they are not harmonious with each other. The human spirit is regenerated by the power of God, being made suitable for concourse with Deity. The soul, or rational and emotion part of our makeup, can be affected for good or evil. It can be "cast down" or lifted up. It has been blighted by transgression! The body is "vile" and a source of "humiliation" (Phil 3:20). As such, it "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 15:50). That is one of the primary reasons why the saints long for their "house which is from heaven."

PRAYER POINT: Father, the closer I am to You through Christ, the more acutely aware I am of the vileness of my body. I thank You for giving me grace to keep it under subjection. I also long for the time I will be delivered from this body of death, and enter into my house from heaven. In Jesus' name, I seek grace and strength to be ready when the time comes to leave my current body--a mere clay jar.

-- TOMORROW: THE COURSE OF THE WORLD --