II Corinthians 5:1-10
“Focusing On The Eternal”

Introduction
1. We live for the now…then what? High School…then what? College...then what?
Vocation…then what? Retirement…then what? Death…then what?
1. To Paul dying was a welcome friend. How could he feel that way?
2. II Corinthians 5:1-10 three reasons:

Dying was a welcome friend. How could he feel that way?
I. HIS CONDITION 5:1-5
A. A Temporary Condition 1
1. We know…He does not say, ‘hope’ ‘expect’ or ‘believe’ We know! It is a word of
assurance, a positive ‘know’. Paul why are you so positive?
2. If our earthly house were dissolved (destroyed, taken down)
* Our body is just a tent. A tent is weak, temporary, without much beauty, very
fragile. It is not designed to last too long!
*This earthly tent is wearing out. What if is taken down? No need to fear. This body
is only the house we (the real us) live in. Don’t forget this is just a tent!
3. We have a building of God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
*Some have thought that our soul has a temporary covering between death and the
resurrection. It may be so.
*It is hard to think he is talking about a temporary body…eternal in the heavens. It
may be the new bodies (glorified) we are going to receive. The contrast has been
between ‘temporal’ seen and ‘eternal’ unseen.
*Whatever it is we will receive glorified bodies at the Rapture when Jesus brings our
soul, spirit with Him. (I Cor. 15:51ff; I Thes. 4:13-17) Our soul, spirit will be
reunited with our bodies.
*There that I can see (house, shell). You or I cannot see the real you. We are spirit
personalities living for a little while in a human body. One day every tent is
folded up. There is no escaping it! This house is not designed to last too long. Our
glorified bodies are timeless.
B. A Tedious Condition 2-4a
1. In this we groan. I am groaning in this body. We all do the older we get. Earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. In this tent we
groan (4) In this tent we are burdened. Life at times can be quite a struggle…liver,
heart, lungs, accidents, surgeries, everything wearing out is a part of living. It can
be wearing!
2. Clothed with a house from heaven…if so, that being clothed we shall not be found
naked. This ‘earth suit’ clothes my soul and spirit. It was so from birth. This ‘tent’
covers the real us. From the time of conception and on in to eternity the real us is
covered. It will never be found naked!
C. A Triumphant Condition 4b-5
Not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed
up of life.
1.Paul said, For to me to live Christ…to die is gain. The Christian should not earnestly desire to die, and yet he should be prepared for it. Mortality might be swallowed up of life. Upon death I have never been so alive!!
2.Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (NKJV)
*Paul wanted the fullness of all that God had planned for him in eternal life, when
all that is earthly and human stops! He has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. *Christ has purchased us (the real you). One of these days we will move out of this
old house and meet the Lord. How do you know? We have an ‘earnest’…a down
payment in the Holy Spirit. A down payment means there is more to come.
*God has given the Holy Spirit to occupy these weak, feeble bodies with all of our frailties. He lives in us!

Dying was a welcome friend. How could he feel that way?
II. HIS CONFIDENCE 5:6-8
Therefore, we are always confident…we are confident. He presents two contrasts:
A. At Home in This Body...Absent from the Lord 6
1. We are at home in this tent. We have been through a lot. I have many scars. I’m use
to it, and I feel at home in it.
2. However, as long as I am at home in this body, I am absent from the Lord. This body
is the only thing that is keeping me from Jesus!!
B. Absent from This Body...Present with the Lord 8
1. Remember, the soul and spirit (the real you, the inward man) does not die!
2. The real you (for believers) goes immediately to be with Christ. It is the body that is
put to sleep. It is the body that must be changed and raised.
3.There is a group that will not see death, but they will be changed (I Cor. 15:50, 51). Resurrection does not refer to the soul and spirit. The body will be raised!
4.How do we know? We walk by faith and not by sight. Faith…we take God at His word.

Dying was a welcome friend. How could he feel that way?
III. HIS CONDUCT 5:9-10
Four words should jump out in NASV
A. Ambition 9a
1. We labor…we take aim. Live in such a way that I may be accepted by Him.
2. “I want to live as hard for Jesus as I did for the devil.” If every Christian were just
like me where would Christianity be.
B. Accepted 9b
We may be accepted of Him.
1.Accepted in the Beloved is my standing.
2.Accepted of Him It refers to the way we live our lives. Are you ambitious to be accepted of Him? He wants us to be servants. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan: Do you want to be a great preacher or my servant? “O Blessed Lord, I would rather be your servant than anything else!” He was a servant, but he was also a great preacher!
C. Appear 10a
For we must all appear before the Bema Seat of Christ…
1.Appear…to stand before Bema Seat. This is not for the unbeliever.
2.It is not a judgment for believer’s sins. It is a judgment for rewards. Every believer will appear. Every character and motive will be revealed. Some will hang their heads at His appearing!
D. Account 10b
1. Some will be gold, silver, precious stones or wood, hay and stubble.
2. Did I bring glory to Jesus or was it all about me? On that day it will be seen!
3. The body is just a temporary house, but it is important how and for what purpose
we use this body. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. (11)

Paul so focused on the eternal that the seen, temporal didn’t have a hold on him!