Longing for Home
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
I. You can be sure you’re going home because God is building you a home.
A. We Christians know what is going to happen to us after we die (vs. 1). Paul compares our earthly bodies to a tent. And tents are temporary. King Hezekiah also compared his dying body to a tent in Isaiah 38:12: “My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end.”
B. But the resurrection body that God will give you is a permanent home that has been built by God Himself. That resurrection, heavenly body will last forever in heaven (vs. 1). Just like the tabernacle tent in the wilderness was temporary which gave way to the glorious and permanent temple in the Promised Land, so our earthly bodies are temporary tents. When we enter the Promised Land of heaven, we will be given a far more glorious and permanent body.
II. You can be sure you’re going home because your body will be swallowed up by life.
A. Paul writes about the groaning we do in the earthly tents of our body in vs. 2. Paul wanted then to put off the earthly tent of his body. And at the same time, he longed to put on the heavenly body he would have for eternity. He did not want to be a naked soul without a body (vs. 3). To be absent from the body at death for a Christian means to be present with the Lord (vs. 8) in our souls. But when will receive our resurrection body? At Christ’s return.
B. 1 Corinthians 15:22-23: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” Jesus’ resurrected body is the guarantee that all of us who have faith that Jesus died for our sins will also receive a resurrected body at Christ’s coming. Our bodies will not be raised as they are. We will be further clothed (vs. 4). Our mortal bodies will be swallowed up by life.
III. You can be sure you’re going home because the Holy Spirit guarantees it.
A. The Holy Spirit who lives within every Christian is our guarantee that we are going home (vs. 5). Ephesians 1:13-14: “In (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Since the Holy Spirit is changing you now while you live in this earthly body, that is a guarantee that the Spirit will change your earthly body into a resurrection body when you go home.
Application:
You’re almost home. And you will go home. The Holy Spirit guarantees it.
Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by Trent Casto, David Garland, and Gary Millar.
Sermon Discussion Questions
- What has God promised to give Christians after they die? Do you have assurance that you will have a resurrection body?
- What do we Christians do while living in our earthly bodies? What are we longing for? When will we receive our heavenly bodies?
- Since the Holy Spirit is changing you into Christ’s likeness while you live out your days on earth, what does that mean for your future? What change is guaranteed to happen at your death since the Spirit lives in you?