Paul

December 5

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Living in a tent

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul encouraged the believers to look forward to what God has prepared.

He wrote: “We know that when this earthly tent we now live in is taken down (when we die), God will give us new bodies—homes in heaven that will last for ever. Sometimes we get tired of living in bodies that are not perfect. That is why we look forward to the new bodies we will have in heaven, which God will put on us like new clothes. Then our bodies, which are like flimsy tents, will be made new and completely perfect.

It is God who has made us and prepared us for this change. He has sent the Holy Spirit to live in us as a promise of what lies ahead; and so we believe these things even though we cannot see them. That is why we make it our goal to please the Lord.”

In what way is our body like a tent?

Have you ever spent a whole night in a small tent? It is fun when the weather is fine. But when the wind is howling and it is pouring with rain, a flapping, shaky tent no longer seems the best place to be. In the same way, our bodies are fragile in a world that is often unfriendly and unsafe. Yet, just as you can stay dry inside a tent, even in a storm, so your spirit will be kept safe inside your body until God gives your spirit a new home—a body that will last forever!

When we get our new bodies in heaven, we will be absolutely perfect. We won’t just be like invisible spirits or like angels, we will have real bodies. And the best part is that our new bodies will never feel pain, embarrass us or make us feel that we are not good enough. We will be totally happy forever and ever!

Verse for today

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who … will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21