Lesson 9 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 5:1-10

We’ve been tracking Paul, taking in his recorded messages to us, which is the inspired Word of God. As we have followed him on his God-given journey, we learned not of his misfortune, but of his trials and testings, which as believers we have all experienced, just not at Paul’s level.

What Paul has gone through shows his witness to perseverance, faith, and God-given ministry. His writings, whether from prison, in the midst of missionary travels, or addressing the early churches, reveal a man who was deeply committed to Christ, even when facing immense hardships.

At the end of chapter 4, Paul raises the flag of courage by saying, “We do not lose heart,” and then he characterizes his trials as being “light afflictions.” He can do this because he is constantly looking through the lens of eternal life, which is something each of us should do… it will keep our earthly experience in perspective.

As we start chapter 5, I think we will find it to be uplifting and full of wonderful things to look forward to.

2 Cor. 5:1:
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Paul was a tent maker; he made tents to support himself and his ministry. In Acts 18:3 we read that Paul stayed with Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, “Because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” This wasn’t just a side job, it was a strategic choice. Paul often chose to work so he wouldn’t be a financial burden to the churches he served.

By having so much knowledge about tents, he uses a tent as an illustration of our human bodies. For those of us who have enjoyed the outdoor experience by camping in a tent, you know first hand that tents don’t last forever, even if you take very good care of them.

He says, this tent, is destroyed… ever since we left our mother’s womb and entered this world, our bodies have been deteriorating one day at a time. Paul himself speaks to this reality in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Our physical decline is inevitable, but it’s not the whole story.

Here’s the good news, we have a building from God…

A tent is: Lightweight, and temporary… gives minimal protection and is vulnerable to the elements. It is easily moved, it’s a basic shelter that has no foundation.

On the other hand, the building or house is: Solid and permanent, strong… resistant to weather, Fixed in one location, designed for long-term living, and it’s built on a firm foundation.

A house not made with hands…

Looking at a tent in comparison to a building from an eternal perspective, knowing that it needs to last billions and billions of years, which one would you choose? I know, it’s a no-brainer… we would pick a building.

What makes this even better, the house we will receive will be made by God and not some contractor down the street… it’s handcrafted by the Creator Himself.

And the best part?

This house isn’t just durable, it’s glorious. It’s not subject to decay, disease, or disaster. It’s a place of rest, joy, and communion with God. No earthly contractor could dream of such a design. It’s the fulfillment of every longing, the answer to every groan, and the reward of every trial.

From his book, “Imagine Heaven,” pastor John Burke writes;
“Not only will we be free of the pains and worries of this earthly body, we will feel young again! Remember what it was like to have endless energy as a child? Recall the strength and stamina of those teen years? Imagine a new body that feels even better than that?”

Romans 8:19:
“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.”

How many times in the past five years have you said, “Come soon Lord Jesus?” If you’re like me, you’ve been “waiting eagerly” for that day to come.

Eternal in the heavens… quite simply, we will receive our new glorious bodies that are designed to stand face-to-face with God, and last for all eternity.

This isn’t just a hope, it’s a promise. It’s what fuels our perseverance, our worship, and our yearning. The tent will be folded up, and the eternal house will be revealed. Until then, we wait, not passively, but with purpose, preparing our hearts for the day when our faith becomes sight.

2 Cor. 5:2:
“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,”

For in this we groan… let’s be clear, our groaning isn’t the same as grumbling. To groan is a sigh.

Groaning, in the biblical sense, is not complaining or bitterness. It’s a deep, soul-level sigh that comes from longing, from hope with anticipation, and from the ache of waiting for what we know is coming but hasn’t yet arrived. It’s kind of like house hunting, we want to move from our tent to our perfect house, and in the process, we tend to groan.

Romans 8:22 (NLT):
“For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

Our groaning isn’t just for exchanging our worn-out bodies for new ones, our groaning is spiritual. Believers long for the day when the battle against sin will finally be over. It’s the ache of a soul that’s tasted grace, but still feels the sting of sin’s presence.

Matthew 5:4:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Jesus is addressing the ache of a redeemed heart, still living in a fallen world, longing for the day when sin will no longer cloud our thoughts, distort our desires, or wound our relationships.

This isn’t mourning over the loss of a loved one, it’s mourning over sin, over brokenness, over the distance between what is and what should be… and the good news is that day is coming!

Earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven…

Paul is sharing with us what the Holy Spirit has instructed him… the life that is in our future will be far greater than what we experience in the here and now, and it will be in our new habitation, our new dwelling, our new house. To be clothed in it means it’s a coming reality.

This isn’t poetic wishful thinking, it’s a divine revelation, a promise sealed by the Holy Spirit. The “clothing” we’re desiring is our resurrection body, which is fit for all eternity, unmarred by sin, and untouched by decay.

Those who truly love the Lord and eagerly anticipate the life to come, look forward to the moment when “the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Paul, burdened by the trials, setbacks, frailties, and sinfulness of this present world, longed deeply for the day of full redemption, “the revealing of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19)

2 Cor. 5:3:
“If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.”

In this context, “nakedness” refers to being without a physical body, a disembodiment. Paul is correcting the mistaken notion that upon death a person becomes a bodiless spirit. This idea stands in direct contradiction to the truth revealed in Scripture. Unlike the teachings of Buddha, which point toward Nirvana, a state likened to a snuffed-out candle, the true hope for humanity is not termination, but resurrection. Our destiny is to be clothed in the glorified body God has prepared for us, one so magnificent that our current earthly body will seem like a mere tent in comparison.

Paul refutes the idea of some kind of disembodied bliss. The goal of the believer is not to be absorbed into total nothingness, nor to reach a state of extinguished consciousness, but to be clothed in a glorified body. This was a sharp contrast that permeated the Greek culture at that time, which was once you died, you went into a state of nothingness.

We shall not be found naked…

To Paul, life in his mortal body felt like a state of nakedness… exposed, frail, and marked by weakness and dependence.

It was a condition that carried the weight of humiliation and limitations. In light of the eternal glory that awaited him, it would be ridiculous to dwell on such a miserable and temporary reality. Paul’s eyes were fixed on the promise of being clothed with immortality, a future so radiant that the struggles of the present life faded in comparison.

2 Cor. 5:4:
“For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.”

In what ways do you personally experience spiritual groaning? Is it more about your physical exhaustion, and the struggle with sin, or is it your longing for a deeper intimacy with God? Something to seriously think about.

(NLT) “While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.”

Believers feel the heavy weight of sin and suffering in their earthly bodies, and that’s what makes them long for the new spiritual bodies God has promised. Paul makes it clear he didn’t want to be a spirit without a body. Instead, he looked forward to being fully covered with the glorious, eternal body that God had prepared for him.

The groaning we feel within us is not despair, it’s the Spirit’s whisper to us that something better is coming, and we know it in our hearts.

2 Cor. 5:5:
“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

This is God’s plan; it was in place before anyone or anything even existed. Verse 5 reminds us that our future glory isn’t a last-minute fix or a hopeful wish, it’s part of God’s eternal design. Before time began, before the stars were hung or the earth was formed, God had already prepared a plan for our redemption, restoration, and resurrection… this includes our new bodies.

Romans 8:28-30 (NLT):
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.”

God’s magnificent plan for His people spans from eternity past to eternity future. It was set in motion before time began and will reach its fulfillment beyond time’s end.

Our earthly lives, no matter how spiritually mature we become or how faithfully we serve God, are just a brief moment within that eternal story. The fullness of God’s purpose will only be realized when we are clothed in the glorified bodies He has prepared for us.

Who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee…

Perhaps there’s a lot of believers who would like to be from Missouri, the “show me’ state… saying out loud “I’m from Missouri, and you’ve got to show me.” They say this because many of them in Missouri show signs of skepticism, and have a demand for clear evidence. God’s Word gives the evidence they’re looking for.

Romans 5:5:
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Ephesians 1:13–14:
“When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…”

The seal of the Holy Spirit shows ownership: Just like a royal seal marks something as belonging to the king, the Spirit marks believers as God’s own. The Holy Spirit living within us is God’s assurance that He will carry out His ultimate plan for every believer. It’s His personal guarantee that what He began, He will bring to completion… it’s His promise to us.

God’s Promises Are: Unbreakable – “God is not a man, that He should lie…” (Numbers 23:19). They are eternal, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

His promises are also personal…

Phil. 1:6:
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

God’s faithfulness isn’t just a promise, it’s a covenant. Know that He doesn’t make promises lightly, and He never breaks them. When He speaks, it stands. When He promises, it comes to pass. God sealing us with the Holy Spirit is a promise we can take that to the bank.

2 Cor. 5:6-7:
“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight”

Another translation starts with, “Therefore, being always of good courage.” Paul is just reflecting on what he has said inverses 1 to 5.

Where did his confidence lie, and what was he courageous about? It was that God was in him, instructing, protecting, and guiding him throughout his ministry… this was Paul’s state of mind. When trials and dangers pursued him, he was confident that God was always with him, even if it meant certain death.
Paul was indeed on a mission from God, and in other passages he describes it as running a race. He knew that while he was doing the Lord’s work, he was invincible.

Knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord… for we walk by faith, not by sight…

Paul also knew that as long as he was still alive and kicking, God was in him, but he wasn’t with the Lord. Like Paul, we walk by faith and not by sight. Paul’s confidence came from knowing that his life was anchored in faith, and not in what he could see or control.

For us, it’s the tension between our physical existence here on earth, and our longing for eternal communion with God… our hearts and souls long to be with God.

Psalm 42:1-2 :
“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Until we are at home with the Lord, we communicate with Him through prayer and studying His Word… and we have communion with Him through the Holy Spirit.

How do we walk by faith and not by sight? It’s not something we can physically perceive or control, but it’s by our confidence in God’s promises, even when the path ahead is unclear for us.

Hebrews 11:1:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Walking by faith means: Trusting God’s character even when our circumstances seem to be unhinged. Also believing in His plan even when we don’t understand it. Then living with an eternal perspective, and not just reacting to what’s going on at the moment.

2 Cor. 5:8:
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Here’s the flip-side of verse 6, and this is for sure in our wheelhouse. Deep down inside we all want to be present with the Lord.

Paul’s expressing a confident hope in God’s promise, not a vague wish… to be “absent from the body” is not a loss for believers, it’s a gain, because it means being “present with the Lord.”

The truth for believers is pretty straightforward: they are either living on earth or dwelling in heaven with God. There is no lingering in the grave, no descent into hell, and no temporary holding place between earth and heaven.

Those still alive are described as being “at home in the body,” while those who have passed on are “absent from the body.” While believers on earth are “absent from the Lord,” those in heaven are joyfully “present with the Lord.”

John MacArthur writes, “The reality of death faces every believer who dies before the Lord raptures the church. Those who look forward to receiving their glorified bodies, to the perfections of life in heaven, to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for them, and to living forever in His presence will be able to say triumphantly with Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

With all this in mind, Paul says…

2 Cor. 5:9:
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”

So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to always please God.

We make it our aim…

To aim here means to be ambitious or to strive earnestly.

The word ambitious is good, as long as it’s in a godly sense. To be “ambitious” during the Roman times was used of politicians who went around canvasing for votes to get themselves elected. It was used of those with no convictions, who sought promotion at any cost, doing anything to achieve their selfish ends. We can see that politicians haven’t changed over the centuries!

1 Thess. 4:10b-11 [Paul gives some examples]:
But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,”

As long as we have ambition to please the Lord, we have nothing to worry about. The way Paul is speaking, it becomes a type of noble ambition… and that’s a good thing to have.

Our aim, our ambition, the way we want to strive earnestly is to please the Lord. So how do we do that?

Deut. 6:5:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

1 Corinthians 10:31:
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Living a life that is pleasing to the Lord should be paramount in a believer’s life. It’s really the heartbeat of true discipleship. Living a life that pleases the Lord isn’t just about following rules, it’s about cultivating a relationship with Him that transforms every part of who we are. Scripture consistently points to this as the highest aim of a believer’s walk.

1 Peter 1:15-16:
“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Micah 6:8 (NLT):
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Living to please God means us aligning our desires with His, letting His Word shape our decisions, and allowing His Spirit to guide our steps. It’s not perfection, but it’s us pursuing a life sustaining relationship with God.

This goes back to the way Paul opens most of his letters, making the declaration that he is a bond-slave to Christ. If we are ready to submit ourselves to God each day, we will also be able to declare that we are bond-slaves as well. Remember, a slave is to always do the will of his Master.

If we are doing these things, verse 10 won’t be a problem for us…

2 Cor. 5:10:
‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

This verse is the great qualifier for mankind. For the Christian, it’s Christ’s judgment seat, for the unbeliever, it’s the White Throne Judgment.

For we must all appear…

A word that never changes is the word “all.” All means all… everyone, nobody is left out. The word “all” is unambiguous… no one escapes this divine appointment that is coming. Whether believer or unbeliever, every soul will stand before the Lord to give an account. Even the ones who deny the existence of God will have to face Him.

For the Believer: The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judgment of condemnation, but of reward and refinement. Jesus evaluates the quality of our works, not our salvation (which is secured by grace through faith).

Too many believers think The Judgment Seat of Christ is something to be weary of, fearing that there is some kind of judgment coming because of past sins. For those who think this way I say… which of your sins didn’t Jesus die for?

Romans 8:1:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 103:12:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Jesus paid it all. The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a place to dread, but a moment to anticipate with reverence and joy. It’s where our faithfulness meets reward, and grace meets glory. This is why I always tell you to continue to store up treasures in heaven, because it’s at the judgment seat you will receive dividends on those treasures.

The phrase each one stresses the personal nature of the believers’ judgment; it is as an individual, not a collective judgment. The purpose is that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

We all have a personal accountability before Christ:

Romans 14:12:
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

Galatians 6:4-5:
“Each one should test their own actions… for each one should carry their own load.”

Matthew 16:27:
“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

Whether good or bad…

I think this is the part where people get mixed up, where Paul uses the word “bad.” The Greek word for bad is “phaulon.” It refers to deeds that may have seemed good outwardly but were done with wrong motives, selfish ambition, or without eternal significance.

1 Cor. 3:11-15:
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

So the things that fall into the category of bad would be; wood, hay, and straw. If these things were done with the wrong motives, such as some kind of selfish interests, they will be burned up. No need for fire insurance at this point, just faithful living while we’re on earth.

We’ll close with this…

Tonight we’ve been reminded that these temporary bodies we live in are slowly fading, our tents are wearing thin. We feel it daily… each ache, each twinge is a quiet signal of that truth. But this is no surprise to God; it’s part of His design. In His mercy, He’s provided a solution: a promise of new, eternal bodies. That promise, however, is sealed only through spiritual rebirth… and that rebirth comes solely through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we receive our new bodies, we will be fully glorified at that time, ready to stand before our King… King Jesus. Every one of us will have a very intimate conversation with Him. Jesus will review everything we did in our old bodies. At the end of our conversation we will be rewarded for the things we’ve done. Our great hope is to hear “well done good and faithful servant.”

It might be time to take another look at you heavenly 401K.