2 Corinthians 5

2Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

What a wonderful hope we have that we will be clothed with a house that cannot ever perish. If we picture our life here as just a temporary dwelling place and that the permanent one is yet to come, perhaps we will not be as distressed when things go wrong.

Every time we feel our knees ache going down the stairs, we can remember that it is only temporary.

2Corinthians 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
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.

Mortality will be swallowed up. We will become immortal and live for eternity. As Jesus did, so will those who believe in Him. He was the first fruit of the resurrection paving the way for us to follow.

2Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is just the beginning. As great as the presence of the Holy Spirit is in the life of a believer, it is only the beginning. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. What a hope.

Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Waiting, watching and occupying is what we are to do until that day He returns for His faithful believers.

2Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

Except for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we seemingly are absent from the Lord in the body, however, never in the spirit. When we leave this body, will are present with the Lord visibly.

2Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Verse 7 is not a commandment instructing us to walk by faith although it would not be wrong to always walk by faith but Paul is stating that we are walking by faith in regard to knowing that even if we are not physically with the Lord while in the mortal body, we know that the Lord dwells within us by faith not by seeing Him with the natural eyes. Sometimes we may feel the presence of the Lord but most of the time we walk by faith just knowing He is with us.

2Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labor, 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 all will answer to Christ for our behavior and whether or not we were faithful to the word. We will be judged by the word. We will be judged whether or not we have obeyed the call of God on our lives and many such things. Our motives, our obedience to the things we know to do or not do will be part of that judgment also our attitude, whether we forgive as Christ forgave us and many things may come into play here. This judgment seat of Christ is not the judgment that is for those that have rejected Christ, that will come later. To know more about what this is we can study the word of God to discern God's will for us as individuals. To know to do good but not do it is sin for instance. We are to occupy faithfully until He returns.

2Corinthians 5:11 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.

Its important to have a spiritual ear tuned to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit by searching the word, repenting of error and being willing to change as the spirit directs us.

2Corinthians 5:12 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.

This is such a weakness in us humans to judge by appearances. Sometimes we may see something and not knowing the motive in the heart of someone, we can misjudge their intent. It happens all the time. This is called making assumptions.

It is natural to assume someone is going into a bank to deposit or receive money. It is natural of assume someone going into a bar is going in to drink. Yet there are times when our assumptions are wrong.

The assumptions that bother me is these kind:

Someone sitting in church that never raises their hands or shows any outward sign of worship may be thought to be "non spiritual". WRONG. We know them by their fruits, not their outward appearance or movements.

We use to have one of these in our church that never and I mean never moved a muscle during worship service. Yet when something breaks down, guess who fixes it?

His ministry is something else. He shows his love for the church and for God by his service in things he was good at and knew how to do. Yet those that judge by appearance might assume this man is not spiritual. This person is not one who gets mad and runs to another place when offended. He stays there through good times as well as bad. Christ really knew what he was talking about when he said not to judge by appearance but judge righteous judgments.

I've seen those considered to be spiritual easily fly off the handle and become unstable at times. Not all I will add. There is nothing wrong with shouting, praising and worshipping God out loud. Jesus said that if we are silent, the rocks may cry out. The point is not to judge by appearances or how someone may worship. Don't assume the loud ones are crazy or the quiet ones are not spiritual or assume the loud ones are more spiritual than the quiet ones. Only God knows. Allow people to be themselves, only to be themselves in Christ.

2Corinthians 5:13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
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.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of eternal death so we are to live not for ourselves but for Him who died to save us. We owe Him our lives.

2Corinthians 5:16 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.

We are not to judge by the flesh and consider a person by the former ways in which he or she lived. We now judge by the spirit. The old ways are to be gone and done away with in Christ.

2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The past is gone and all the sin is gone. We are not to return to that sin nor remember someone's former sins and hold them against him if he has become a new creature in Jesus Christ.

2Corinthians 5:18 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.

It doesn't matter what anyone has done in the past, we are new creatures in Christ. The whole world can receive this and be saved if only they would. Murderers, drunkards, thieves and all sinners can be saved and the slate wiped cleaned all by having faith in Jesus to cleanse them of sin and give them a life in the spirit.

2Corinthians 5:20 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.
2Co 5:21 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.

Our precious savior actually became sin. He was sinless, pure and holy but allowed our filthy sins to come upon His body when He was upon the cross. That sin that we did, is what finally caused Him to die. He died for our sins. Yet, it didn't overcome Him for He got victory over death and was raised in a new life. He was the first fruit of what we can have only by believing in Him and what He did for us. We don't have to understand every detail of how this occurred but just believe that He made the way and the only way for all who believe in Him to be saved and inherit eternal life.

11 Corinthians 6