II Corinthians 5:1-9
Dearly beloved of God, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and I Corinthians 15:50-57 reveal “the word of the Lord” concerning our hope in Christ.
By this information we clearly know that God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem the dead in Christ from the state of death, and to change those who are living to be immortal. Both will be gathered together up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will we ever be with the Lord.
Until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to raise the dead, the dead will remain in the state of death. Corruption does not automatically inherit incorruption.
This redemption and salvation will take place when God sends the Lord Jesus Christ for the Church and we are gathered up to meet him in the air on the Day of Redemption.
II Corinthians 5:1-5 teaches the same truth.
“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.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
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.
Now he that wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit.”
Verses 1-4 are an allegory, which is a figure of speech of implied comparison.
These verses compare the earthly house of a tent and the present physical life of body and soul with the comparison of the house from heaven and the new body at the return of Christ. Verses 6-9 continue with this subject using the word “body” to refer to our present physical life.
Our present body is compared to a tent that will be dissolved. In this tent we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our permanent house from heaven.
Being clothed upon with our house from heaven will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to gather us up to meet him in the air. He will transform these vile bodies to be like his glorious body at his coming. See Philippians 3:20 and 21.
Our desire is not to be found naked, which is to die, but to be clothed upon with the new body from heaven so that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Mortality is the state of being subject to death, while corruption is what takes place at death. This again points to the Apostle Paul’s desire for the return of Christ, not for death.
II Corinthians 5:5-8
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
God has prepared us for this very thing; He has given us the spirit as a guarantee. Ephesians 1:13 and 14 says that we are sealed with the holy spirit, which is the earnest of our future inheritance that we will receive when Christ returns for us. God called us to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, in this mortal body we are absent from the presence of the Lord. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns we will be clothed upon with a glorious new spiritual body, and we will be present with the Lord.
The scriptures make it clear that the only way to be present with the Lord is for the Lord to return and to gather us up to him in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
We consider it an honor, whether being present or absent, to be well pleasing to him.
Every scripture regarding our hope in Christ must agree if we are to have the truth of the Word of God. If we run across a verse or verses that may be difficult to understand they must fit with the other clear scriptures that speak of the identical subject.
Rejoice dearly beloved, the Lord is coming and our redemption draws nigh.