Corinthians chapter 5, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, the
first eight verses. For we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, and 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 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. In chapter 4 that we looked at
last week, the last two weeks actually, the Apostle Paul declared
to these Corinthian believers that he, in his ministry, had
experienced trouble on every side. Yet, he said two times,
we faint not. Notice in verse 1 of chapter
4, the verse ends, saying we have this ministry as we have
received mercy, we faint not. And again in verse 16, he said,
for which cause we faint not. This was true. This was true
of the Apostle Paul. even though in his ministry he
met trouble on every side, yet he did not faint. And this was
true because he says unto us that the inward man was renewed
day by day. Notice that again in verse 16
of chapter 4. For which cause we faint not,
How is it, Paul, that you do not faint? How is it that you
do not give up, turn back, and quit? How is it? He said, For
which cause we faint not? Because though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. He did not faint because the
inward man was renewed day by day in the midst of all his persecutions,
in the midst of being cast down and perplexed and troubled as
he confessed. He did not faint. Why? Because
God is faithful. God is faithful. And while the
outward man struggles, and perishes, the inward man is renewed day
by day. And that suggests a question
to me and I'm sure to all of us here tonight. How is the inward
man renewed? How is the new man, the man that
is created in righteousness and true holiness, the new man that
is produced in the heart of a believer when he is regenerated by the
Spirit of God. How is the inward man renewed? Well, it is by the ministry of
God the Holy Spirit. It is by the ministry of God
the Holy Spirit that the inward man is renewed, and we know this,
that God the Holy Spirit, in renewing the inward man, he uses
the Word of God. He uses His Word as it is in
Christ, and also He uses prayer. That's how the inward man is
renewed. When we neglect the Word, when
we neglect prayer, we're not going to be renewed in the inward
man. God the Holy Spirit is the one
who renews us, but He uses the Word, the written Word, and prayer
to renew the inward man. Now, our passage tonight begins with
the Apostle Paul making this statement, For we know. For we know. Some of the things
that he mentions in this passage, some of the things that he deals
with and tells us that he knew, the greatest philosophers that
this world has ever produced could never speak with certainty.
They never had the knowledge that the Apostle Paul has. They could theorize. They might
say, well, now we have this theory. We have this theory that this
is what takes place when a person dies. But they could never say,
we know, for we know. And in looking at these verses,
that's the way I have decided to bring this tonight, that five
things that we see in these eight verses that the Apostle Paul
could say, we know. We know. He had knowledge of
these things. First, Paul knew, Paul knew that
at death God's children changed their tabernacle for a building. Now that's what he says in verse
1. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, and house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. Paul knew, he knew that at death
God's children change, they move, they relocate, from their tabernacle
into a building. Now the word tabernacle could
easily be translated tent. The tent. If you want to turn
here to 2nd Peter, he uses this word. In 2nd Peter chapter 2,
or chapter 1 rather, 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 12. The Apostle said, Wherefore,
I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of
these things, though you know them and be established in the
present truth. Yea, I think it meet as long
as I am in this tabernacle. As long as I am living in this
tabernacle. As long as I am in this tabernacle. Knowing that I must put off this
my tabernacle even as the Lord Jesus hath showed me. Now in
our text tonight the Apostle Paul calls this tabernacle in
which we live our earthly house. Our earthly house. This body
in which the soul resides. This body we know originally
was made from the earth. God from the dust of the ground
made the body of Adam. And so first of all, when he
refers to this tabernacle as an earthly house, we know that
originally it came from the earth. And it is supported by things
of the earth. The water, the food that the
earth produces support this earthly tabernacle in which we live. And it will be, it will be our
dwelling as long as we are upon this earth. This tabernacle,
this earthly house, it will be our dwelling place as long as
we are upon this earth. Now I believe when the Apostle
Paul uses the word if, notice he says, for we know that if
That has to be understood in the context of the persecutions
that the Apostle Paul was undergoing. Paul knew, and we know, it's
not a matter of if. It's not a matter of if we move
out of this earthly house. Unless the Lord comes in our
lifetime, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Paul
knew that. Some people like to believe that
Paul thought that he would live until the coming of Christ, but
when you read 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it seems evident to
me that he did not expect the Lord to come imminently in his
life because he foretold there would be a great falling away
first before that day would come. But what happens What happens
when a believer's tabernacle is taken down? God's children, God's children,
all of us like Paul, we have a new dwelling place. We have
a new dwelling place. That's what he said. For we know
that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,
if it's taken down, We have a building of God and house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens, all of God's children. And I'm
speaking to believers tonight because that's what Paul is speaking
of in this passage of Scripture, the death of believers. God's
children, like Paul, we all have a new dwelling place. We will
no longer dwell in a tent, but we're going to dwell in a building.
That's what he says, isn't it? We're going to trade this tabernacle,
this tent, for a new dwelling place. And that new dwelling
place he doesn't call a tent, he calls a building. Now what is this house? We have
a building of God and house, not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. What is this house into which
the believer moves at death? There are three answers which
are suggested as to what this house is into which a believer
moves. And I've looked at all three
of them and I'm convinced that only one is correct, that two
of them are ruled out by this very passage. One suggestion
is that believers receive a temporary body. That at death we move into
a house, which is another temporary dwelling, and we will reside
in that house until the resurrection. But the very fact that it is
temporary to me rules it out because the Apostle says eternal. Eternal in the heavens. The building
into which we're going to move is not a temporary dwelling place,
it's an eternal place. Secondly, some say no, it's the
resurrection body. That's the tabernacle. That's
the building we move into, the resurrection body in which believers
will dwell. But the believer doesn't enter
into the resurrection body immediately at death. When you look at the
Word of God and read where the resurrection is dealt with, it's
always spoken of as in the future and it is always spoken of as
taking place at the return of Christ, the return of Christ. The resurrection body is future. And what Paul is talking about
is not future, it's present. Just as soon as we move out of
this tabernacle, we move into a building. Now what is this
house? It is heaven. It is heaven itself. And the answer is just as easy
and just as clear as the words of the Lord Jesus Christ that
he spoke to his disciples in John chapter 14 when he said,
Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house, in my Father's
house there are many dwellings. Heaven in the Scriptures is spoken
of several times as a city. Remember there in Revelation,
we see a city. Abraham, we're told in Hebrews
chapter 11, he looked for a city. Now, I know he was promised the
land of Canaan and he dwelt in Canaan at times, but that wasn't
the promise he was looking for. He was looking for a city. which
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." John Gill
made these comments on this passage. He said, this designs the happiness
of the saints. When Paul says here, we have
a building of God and house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. This designs the happiness of
the saints. which will be begun, and they
shall immediately enter into at the dissolution of their bodies,
and will be consummated at the resurrection, which is all of
God's building and preparing, not made by the hands of the
creature, or obtained by the works of our righteousness, and
it lies in the heavens, and it will continue forever. The house
into which we will move is heaven. Now, I can't explain exactly
how we will exist there in heaven, but I'm convinced that the house,
the tabernacle I know is this body, this earthly body. And
the house into which God's people move when we pass out of this
life is heaven itself, the joys of the Lord. And remember this. This is very important. The comparison
that the Apostle Paul is making here in verse 1 is not between
one body and another body. If you have that in your mind,
then it's easy to be misled. The comparison is not between
one body and another body. The comparison is between one
house or one dwelling place and another dwelling place. We dwell
in this tabernacle, this tent, and the fact that it's called
a tabernacle or tent reminds us of how easily it may be taken
down. And we certainly know that's
true. Something so small we can't even see it without the help
of a microscope may bring this tent down. in just a little while. We live in a tent, but when we
leave this world, we move into a building eternal in the heavens,
heaven itself. Paul said, we know this. Number
two, Paul knew that at death, God's children continue to live. when this body dies, that God's
children continue to live. The Lord Jesus Christ told Martha. Remember, Martha was saddened
because of the death of her brother, and she told the Lord, Lord,
if you'd been here, my brother would not have died. And the
Lord Jesus Christ spoke to her, and he said, Martha, I am the
resurrection and the life. You're looking at the resurrection.
You're looking at the life. I am the resurrection and the
life. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth. And he asked her.
And we should all ask ourselves this question. Believest thou
this? Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Do you live
as God quickened you, made you alive? And do you believe in
Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life? Whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. Paul knew that. Paul preached
that. The Lord Jesus said concerning
his sheep, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Paul told the Philippian believers
that for him to die would be to depart and to be with Christ,
which he said is far better. It's far better. The soul of
the saved individual does not cease to exist at death. And that's what lost men would
like to believe. That's what all lost men would
like to believe. When I die, that's the end of
it. But that's not the end. There
is an eternity. And the soul of the believer
does not cease to exist at death. You know, the Lord Jesus Christ,
when those Sadducees, they came to the Lord, and the Sadducees
denied the resurrection. They denied the resurrection,
and the Lord told them, he said, Have you not read that which
was spoken unto you by God, saying? And God said this to Moses at
the bush that burned. He said, I am the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and of Jacob. I am the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God, our Lord said,
He's not the God of the dead, but of the living. Now when God
spoke those words to Moses, Jacob had been dead for probably over
400 years. His body had gone back to the
dust, no doubt. But he was alive. I'm the God. He doesn't say, I was the God
of Abraham. I was the God of Isaac. I was
the God of Jacob 400 years ago when they were alive. No. I am. I am. I'm not the God of the
dead. I'm the God of the living. The soul of the saved does not
cease to exist at death, and the soul of the saved does not
sink into a state of unconsciousness at death. There are some people
that have believed that. You know, our Lord and Not only
our Lord, but all the New Testament writers refer to the death of
a believer as a sleep. Sleeping. Don't you love those
words of our Lord when he told his disciples, our friend Lazarus
sleepeth. He wasn't talking about his soul.
He was talking about his body, wasn't he? Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth. The soul doesn't sleep. When
our Lord gave the lesson of that rich man who died and lifted
up his eyes in hell, that rich man in hell was conscious. And,
of course, he was one of the lost, the wicked, but what did
he see? He saw Lazarus. And Lazarus was
in the bosom of Abraham, and Abraham told that man who was
in hell, Lazarus is comforted. He's comforted. He was conscious. He wasn't unconscious. And the soul of the saved does
not sink into purgatory. That's what some people have
taught, isn't it? Some people still teach that.
But for the believer, for the child of God, we are complete
in Christ. Christ has finished the work
of our redemption. and we're complete in Him. And
to say that a man, the soul, has to pass through purgatory
to be purged from certain type of sin is to deny the effectual
work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. No. Washed in the blood of Christ
and dressed in His righteousness, the Christian lives on in His
new house, heaven. We know. We know. And third, the Apostle Paul knew
that at death God's children have mortality swallowed up in
life. Notice what he says in verses
2 through 4. 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 in life. As long as God's children dwell
in this tabernacle, that means we are here in this world We
will groan. Two times he says we groan. And the reason he said we groan
is because we are burdened. Now no man, and Paul certainly
is not saying this, no man desires to die. That's against nature. There's just something in every
one of us called self-preservation. No one wants to be unclothed.
The process of death. Paul says, we groan, and this
is what we groan. We groan because we are burdened.
As long as we are in this tabernacle, we are burdened. And what is
the burden of every child of God? As long as we dwell in this
tabernacle, what is our burden? It is the flesh. It is the old
man, that lusts against the Spirit or the new man. It is that sinful
nature that troubles us. in our thoughts and in our actions. It is like a weight, a burden. It's like a weight many times
upon our consciences to drag us down. And it comes to us when
we come here to worship. We bring it with us when we kneel
to pray and seek the Lord. He's always with us. That's the
burden. Every child of God is burdened
with the old man. And we groan. He's like a heavy
weight. And this is what caused the Apostle
Paul to cry out in that passage in Romans, O wretched man that
I am! Do you think, now think about
this, do you think that Paul has ever one time, that he's
ever one time cried out like that since he left his tabernacle
and went to dwell in the building? Do you think in heaven he has
ever cried out again, O wretched man that I am? Of course not. That was a cry of a believer
in this world, being burdened. And notice he uses the word swallowed
in verse 4. Swallowed. What does that tell us? That
tells us it's sudden. Just like you. Swallow. Sudden. Here's that. Look back to 1st
Corinthians 15, just a moment. And we know that he's talking
about something happening quickly. In 1st Corinthians 15, He said, beginning with verse
51, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. The
last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible. And we shall be changed for this
corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. Paul is saying here that at death,
God's children have mortality. Mortality is death, isn't it? Mortality. But it's swallowed
up. As long as we are in this tabernacle,
We are burdened and we groan because of that old nature that
we continue to have in us. But when we leave this tabernacle
and move to our home, eternal in the heavens, then mortality,
everything that has to do with death, is swallowed up in life,
in life, eternal life. Fourth, Paul knew that God's
children receive all spiritual blessings from God, who gives
unto us the Holy Spirit as the earnest. Verse 5, he said, Now
he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also
hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. It is God alone
who has accomplished this. It is God who prepared the glories
of heaven, eternal life, and it is God who prepares us for
the glories of heaven. How many times have you heard
this? I'm sure you've heard it before. Preachers say, from those
words of our Lord, I go to prepare a place for you. Heaven is a
prepared place for a prepared people. It's a prepared place, and it's
prepared for a prepared people. And we are prepared here. God hath wrought us for this
selfsame thing. In my mind, it's just another
way of saying that salvation is of the Lord. It's all accomplished
by God. This whole matter that He's dealing
with here. As He said in Colossians 1 and
verse 12, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us
meet, and that could be qualified, which has qualified us to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints and light. giving
thanks unto the Father. Paul said, now He that hath wrought
us for the self, same thing, wrought us to enjoy God throughout
eternity in His home, heaven. God has done this. There's the last thing, the fifth
thing. And before I mention the fifth thing, the Holy Spirit
is given to us as an earnest. The earnest is like a down payment,
isn't it? When you go to buy a house and
you look in and you find something you like, you give the man some
earnest money. And that's just a down payment.
That means more's coming. The Holy Spirit is given unto
us as earnest of the possession. Now here's the fifth thing. Paul
knew that God's children, like him, should always be confident. Should always be confident. Notice he says this two times.
If you leave out that parentheses, verse 7, read verses 6 and 8
together. Therefore we, we are always confident,
knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent
from the Lord. We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body than to be present with
the Lord, no matter how dark things may be." And like I said,
in the context here, Paul is writing to the believers in Corinth,
and he's telling about his ministry. which was different from the
ministry that those false teachers had. His ministry was one of
trouble and affliction. No matter how dark things may
appear, our confidence is well founded in God, who cannot fail. We faint not, Paul says. We faint not. Because we know
these truths. Well, I pray that the Lord would
help each one of us here tonight to know these things and to be
confident day by day, no matter what God's providence may bring,
to be confident that God is in control of all things and he
worketh all things after the counsel of his will. And He loves
you, if you're one of His children. He loves you so much that He
gave His Son for you. How can we doubt His tender mercies,
His favor? Let's sing a verse or two of
a hymn.