CHAPTER 5

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Having surrendered to Jesus as LORD, the Christian "know(s),"
or has full and absolute assurance of ETERNAL life.

And, though our bodies may die and turned to dust again,
our spirit, PERSON inside that body does NOT die!

Therefore, the Christian has full assurance that, when he/she dies,
God will one day raise up that dust and join the person with it;
and it will be IMMORTAL, and INCORRUPTIBLE!
(See 1Cor 15:52-54, See 1Pet 1:3-4)

Even Job, thousands of years ago declared this!
(See Job 19:26)

The Christian's body is an "earthly house" in which the
PERSON, or SPIRIT resides.
God formed the first body (Adam) out of "the dust of the ground."
(See Gen. 2:7)
Then, God gave procreative ability to Adam and Eve. (See Gen 1:28)

Since that time, EVERY conceived child is born of "the dust of the ground."
Each child inherits the form of Adam and Eve.
However, each child ALSO inherits eternal existence!

God breathed into Adam and made him a "living soul"! (See Gen. 2:7)
That means the PERSON, or "spirit" of man will exist for eternity!

Because man sinned (did not obey God), death was decreed! (See Gen 3:19)
Unless our LORD returns before death, we are CERTAIN to face physical death!
For ALL of us are SINNERS!

But, God, in love, mercy and grace, has provided eternal life through
Jesus Christ!

So, each person is an existing soul.
WHERE a person exists is left up to the PERSON!

There are only two places to exist eternally:
WITH God "eternal in the heavens," or
WITHOUT God in the eternal "lake of fire!" (See Rev. 20:15)

QUESTION:
Do YOU "KNOW", or have full assurance that you will
exist "eternal in the heavens?"

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

The word "we" above refers to Christians.

It IS a difficult world, to say the least.
Daily, we face sickness, sorrow, hardships because of our
own sin - and hardships because of other's sin!

Christians LONG to be "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven."
Yet, as long as God desires, He will keep us here to share the Gospel of Jesus!

But KNOWING our eternal existence with Christ in glory,
makes it easier to stay here as long as God desires.
And, being here, it is our JOY to share what God OFFERS to ALL mankind!

"Being clothed" (vs 3) with our "house which is from heaven,"
we will never be "naked," or exposed to agony and death again!!

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:
not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life.
5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God,
Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

Each Christian "groan(s)" because of the burdens
of this sinful world.
However, we do not yearn for death, we yearn to be
"swallowed up of LIFE!"

We would not desire death in order to be free of the burdens
of the world.
For we JOY in the privilege of being servants to God here.

But God has ALREADY granted "earnest" (or down payment)
for eternal life.
Because He has given us His PRESENCE by His Holy Spirit!
He "wrought us," or created us for the desire of His
full and complete PRESENCE!

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,
whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from
the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The Christian remains "confident" even though he/she
knows that while we are in this earth, we are "absent" from
the full and complete presence of the Lord.
That's FAITH!
It is a gift of God to those who have surrendered to Christ.
It is the ability to CLING TO Christ, even in the most severe trials!

Even with that confidence (faith), still our desire remains
to be "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

There's no doubt that I would rather be RID OF:
fighting, arguing, war, abortion, gambling, and ALL sins which
"burden" the saved soul!!

But, as long as God keeps me here, I have a great JOY!
The greatest joy is to lead someone to Jesus so that they
can have the same CONFIDENCE of eternal life without
sins degradation!
AND, that they will have the KNOWLEDGE of one day being
RID of the burdens sin brings upon the soul.

We, Christians, walk by FAITH, and not by the SIGHT of
the evil that is among us.
We walk KNOWING that one blessed day we will be
TOTALLY FREED from the effects of sin!!

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We "labour" THROUGH the sinful world, telling others
of salvation through Jesus, because we KNOW we are
"ACCEPTED" in Christ!

AND, we "labour" for Christ because we KNOW that ONE DAY
"we must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ!"
THERE, we will SEE that He KNOWS all the things we have
done "whether it be good or bad!"

For those who do not surrender to Jesus as Lord, that will
be an AWFUL day!!
But, for we who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord, we
ALREADY HAVE the assurance of His acquital and acceptance!!
It is not something we have accomplished, but it is what He has GIVEN!

It is because we "know," and are "confident" of
HIM that we live in FAITH!

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
but we are made manifest unto God;
and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Judgment day will exhibit the awful "terror of the LORD!"
To NOT be acquitted and accepted, one will be subject to
the ETERNAL wrath of God!!

"Knowing" that, we seek to "persuade men" to
surrender their lives to Jesus.
IN that persuading of others, we are "made manifest unto God."
Our leading others to Jesus EXHIBITS our surrender to Jesus!
AND, it makes us KNOW in our own "consciences" that
we have received adoption through Jesus!

Paul's actions made him known among the believers at Corinth as
one who was surrendered to Christ.
YOUR actions can make that known to others also!

12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you
occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to
answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God:
or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

Paul is not writing these things to "commend" himself to
the people of Corinth.
He is not trying to APPEAR to be something he is not.
And, living the life he lives (persuading men to receive Jesus),
Paul (and any Christian) places an "answer" before others
of his (and our) SINCERITY in Christ.
You see, the people of the WORLD seek to "glory in appearance."
But God's people are confident "in heart!"

Probably, some of those in Corinth (who strayed from the will of God)
had labeled Paul as deranged, or crazy.
(That is the most acceptable understanding of "beside ourselves.")
(See Acts 26:24)

But we are reminded that some also thoght Jesus was crazy!
(See Mark 3:21)

However, if Paul appeared to be crazy or over-zealous
it was because of his love for Christ! "it is to God"
And, if (to some) he appeared "sober," it was for their benefit!

Many in Christianity have been called crazy because of their
love of Christ and desire to serve Him conscientously.
But the movement of God's Holy Spirit IN us, causes us
to CONTINUE!

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge,
that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The Greek word from which "constraineth" is translated is:
sunecho (pronounced soon ek' o).
It has several meanings: being preoccupied, arrested, compelled.
The "love of Christ" arrests us for salvation;
compels us to be strong in faith;
and, causes us to be preoccupied with telling others about Jesus!

"because we thus judge" or, let us learn this:
"that if One died for ALL, then were all DEAD!"
THAT is why we strive to tell EVERYONE about salvation through Jesus!

See, the end of verse 15 says, "and ROSE AGAIN!"

Jesus' death "condemned sin in the flesh"! (See Rom. 8:3)
Then, He rose again to bring salvation to those who believe in Him!

AND, after we are saved, we do not "live unto themselves (ourselves)."
Rather, we live "unto Him" Who DIED FOR us!!

16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:
yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,
yet now henceforth know we him no more

Paul, had resolved upon his salvation, to NOT estimate a person
by their intellect, wealth, nationality, influence, or any other worldly manner.
He instead, determined to know them by their spirit!
To understand and estimate each person by what is exuded FROM them.

Paul had not known Jesus in the flesh, though he might have
seen Jesus before he was saved.
But Paul HAD estimated, or formed opinions of Christ by
Jewish TRADITION rather that what came from INSIDE Christ!
Paul, like almost all Jewish people, wanted to see a Messiah Who
appeared on a white horse, took control of the world, and then
delivered the world over to the Jewish nation to rule.

But those opinions were made BEFORE Paul met Jesus!

For instance, you HEAR about an important person through others.
Then, you SEE them landing in a private jet at the airport, and
being transported via limousine.
But -- you DON'T know their HEART!
When you MEET that person, you might find they were a
multi-millionare starting a project of building homes for
the elderly and the homeless!!

You've heard it said, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."
And we should not form opinions based upon what we hear
from others, nor by appearances, intellect or nationality.
We should base our opinions of the person on how they
EXHIBIT their HEART!

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When a person truly surrenders to Jesus as Lord (See Luke 9:23),
that person is CHANGED!!
He/she is a NEW CREATURE!

The reason is because God's Holy Spirit has MOVED IN!
And that person no longer has the same attitudes and actions!

He/she is changed from the INSIDE, from the HEART, or the SPIRIT!

Now, then....when God changes the heart of man, here's what happens!

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them;
and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

When a person surrenders to Christ as Lord, then that person is
"reconciled" to God through what Jesus accomplished
at the cross and His resurrection!

IMMEDIATELY, "the MINISTRY of reconciliation" to God is
placed in the heart of the believer!

That ministry of reconciliation is sharing the GOSPEL!
Jesus came into the world, condemning sin in the flesh,
dying for all who would believe and surrender to Him,
paying the price of God's blood for reconciliation to God!

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

AMBASSADORS!
SENT by God to TELL THE WORLD!

An ambassador is sent by the head of a nation to another nation.
He/she is to express the views of the head of his/her nation!

Here is God's VIEW of the world:
He made Jesus "to be sin for us" and caused Him to
be crucified to pay for our sins!
AND, for those who surrender to Jesus as Lord, God will
make them "righteous" IN Christ!

Christians are sinners who have been CHANGED!
They are now AMBASSADORS!
They are to carry the views of God to the world!

Christian, are YOU acting as an AMBASSADOR for God?

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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