WHILE WE WAIT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:2-5

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Death is not the end for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior. This is truth.

In yesterday’s message from the opening verse of 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we have an “eternal house in heaven” which wasn’t “built by human hands” but rather the hands of God. For Jesus followers, it will be one last move, one final address change.

But what do we do until then while we wait?

As we continue looking at the next verses in chapter 5, we find Paul giving us a few things and I will add one to it.

First, let’s look again at what the Apostle had to say:

Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  2 Corinthians 5:2-5

Here we find Paul using an illustration of two states of dress, being naked and being clothed, to explain the delineation between living in this temporary worldly life and the eternal one to come.

In this present life, the pre-heaven existence for Christians, we groan and feel burdened because of our “nakedness” while abiding “in this (earthly) tent”. We grow increasingly dissatisfied with this world and the evil we see within it every day. We yearn for the better life, the best ever life yet to come, the life where we will see that death does lose its sting as it is swallowed up by a victory that leads Christians to everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). As I grow older, I find these verses mean more and more to me as I begrudge my nakedness and look forward to be clothed in my “heavenly dwelling” with other Jesus believers. 

This is how Paul sees Christians as they live in the world waiting with the promise of heaven after death assured.

But is this all we are to do, sit around and wallow naked in our earthly tent, impatiently waiting for glory?

Jesus certainly didn’t tell us to do that. Rather, He called us to be busy carrying on His work. Here’s His tasker for all believers:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Our Savior called us to action here. He commissioned all Christians to go and make disciples, baptizing them in His name as well as the name of God the Father and the Holy Spirit while teaching them to obey what He commanded which includes carrying out this great commission themselves.

This is what we are to do while we wait and note we don’t do it alone. Jesus promised He would be with us until the end of the age, the day when He returns to judge the earth and everyone on it. He guides us, convicts us, comforts us, encourages us, and loves us through the Holy Spirit, the Counselor and Advocate sent by God to help us, the Spirit given to us by God “as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come”.

Jesus tells us to labor in our nakedness as we live in this earthly tent while we wait to be clothed with the splendor and majesty of our heavenly dwelling once we leave this temporary life for the exponentially better one to come.

This is our call from the Savior who saved us, the call we are to answer while we wait.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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