I’m glad that God didn’t create us to live only in a broken world of pain and death. He knew that we would rebel against Him, but He set us up for something better than this temporary experience where we learn to understand how bad sin and its consequences are (presumably so that we don’t want to stay in sin).
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 5:5 NIV
God has prepared us for being clothed, and for life (see verse 4). If He had made us to only be physical beings, limited to a bunch of circuits in our brain, we wouldn’t necessarily be able to live forever. After all, if we were only bodies, we couldn’t – by definition – move into new bodies. However, He created in us an eternal soul or spirit, which is ready to move from this exposed state into something that can enjoy an existence with Him forever.
(By the way, there was a belief in Greek culture [per Baker, p.206-207] that the goal of human beings was to free the spirit from the body. Instead, God – who is good – made our bodies intentionally, and I don’t think that we should expect to be some sort of disembodied spirits throughout eternity.)
And, God doesn’t just require us to take His word for this. Yes, the promise of God would be enough, as He has proven His faithfulness time and time again. However, God also gave us a sort of “down payment”, confirming that He is preparing (or has prepared) something better for us. This deposit or pledge isn’t a check or electronic funds transfer, though. Instead, it is the very person of God who is the Holy Spirit, given to those who follow God.
Now, knowing that something better is coming could cause us to focus entirely on that future event, and miss out on what remains to be done until we get there. Have you ever known (or been) a student who got “senioritis”? In the same way, imagine being so excited to go on a trip that you forgot to pack what you needed or to get your passport renewed!
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NIV
While it’s great to be looking forward to the new heaven and the new earth, God has a reason for us to finish out our mortal lives – and to finish strong. After all, walking with Jesus doesn’t start when He comes back; it starts as soon as we choose to accept and follow Him.
It’s still OK – and even acknowledged by Paul here – to look forward to what awaits us. It is going to be better, for sure, to be clothed and to be with Jesus. However, there is still work to be done today, made worthwhile by what will be fulfilled in the future. So, let’s invest in the future by following the Holy Spirit today. He is both our guarantee and our guide.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 19, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, May 19, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 2 Corinthians, by William R. Baker. © 1999 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 