2 Corinthians 5:1-5

 

2 Cor 5:1 (KJB)

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.

 

Tabernacle - Tent or temporary dwelling place

Dissolved - Demolished or brought to an end

 

Paul now builds upon his knowledge of the eternal, in that, he speaks of his present body as a tabernacle. A tabernacle is like a tent or a temporary dwelling place. He likens this to our earthly bodies. He teaches us that one day all our earthly bodies are going to be dissolved, in other words, unless the Lord returns first, we are all going to die but that is not the end for the Christian. We will be changing residences from the temporary to the eternal. We can look forward to living in Heaven in a body which God has specially prepared for each of His children which would qualify us to live in the presence of the glory of God. Just as the tabernacle in the wilderness was temporary, so is our bodies. If you remember the outside of the tabernacle was very bland with dark colors but on the inside there was absolute beauty with many colors including Gold and Silver. This is how it is with the true believer, on the outside we may not look so good because of all our physical blemishes and problems, but the Holy Spirit indwelling the true believer creates a beauty internally which will be seen in it all its splendor in our glorified bodies.

 

2 Cor 5:2 (KJB)

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

 

We groan - Grieve or sigh

Earnestly desiring - Longing for

 

Until the time we are able to put on the new house in heaven, we will continue to groan while we are in the flesh. (Rom 8:22-23 KJV) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. {23} And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. As true believers we are not at home in this world and we desire to be at home with the Lord. (Phil 1:23-24 KJV) For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: {24} Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. It is the great dilemma of the believer, we want to be done with all the pain and suffering of this life and be home with the Lord but until we have completed the task or tasks the Lord has for us, we must continue on in the present, troubles and all. It will be a great and glorious day when the Lord gives us our eternal bodies and we never again suffer any pain.

 

2 Cor 5:3 (KJB)

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

 

(Isa 61:10 KJV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. The moment we became saved, we were given the robe of Christ’s righteousness which means the believer is clothed. In the Bible, to be naked means that you are still under God’s judgment because you have no covering pertaining to salvation.

 

(Gen 3:7 KJV) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

 

Remember how ashamed Adam and Eve were when their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked.

 

(Job 26:6 KJV) Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

 

Here Job speaks of hell and how it has no covering because it is naked before God.

 

(Ezek 16:22 KJV) And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

 

Here God is condemning Judah for the whoredoms they played with the false gods of the surrounding nations. If you notice, that God called them naked and bare.

 

(Acts 19:15-16 KJV) And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? {16} And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

 

To have a demon is to be unsaved and if you notice that the evil spirits had jumped to the seven sons of Sceva and as a result they fled out of the house naked. They were under the judgment of God at that point.

 

(Rev 3:17 KJV) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ rebuking the church of Laodicea by telling them they have much worldly goods but the fact was they were naked, which meant they had no gospel and were under the wrath of God and that is why the Lord Jesus was warning them. There are many churches like that today who have much property and big buildings but are void of the true Gospel. This means that all those who think they are saved, are really naked before God with no covering of righteousness.

 

2 Cor 5:4 (KJB)

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.

 

Being burdened - Weighed down or being oppressed

Might be swallowed up - Devoured, consumed, or drink down

 

Here Paul gives us a one verse sermon on the superiority of eternal life in heaven. He states that at present we are still groaning while in this temporary body. We are oppressed by the things of the world and all it has to offer, brings more heartache and trouble than it does happiness. The true believer is not desiring to be unclothed, that is, to die for no reason, but the true believer anticipates the time when our mortality will be swallowed up or consumed by life. The life in view here is eternal life in Heaven and with that eternal life, there is never again the threat of death which brings to an end our earthly existence. Even when things are going good we always have the threat of death hanging over us but that threat and all the other pitfalls of this life will be forever removed and life will be real life without the thought or reality of termination.

 

2 Cor 5:5 (KJB)

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

 

Hath wrought - Accomplished or brought about

Earnest - Down payment or pledge

 

Here Paul is stating that God has accomplished this for us by means of Calvary. He has prepared those the Lord Jesus came to save by giving us the new birth and then placing the Holy Spirit within us as a pledge of what the believer can expect in the future. (Eph 1:13-14 KJV) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. With the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we can look confidently to the future knowing what God has in store for every one of His children.

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