Scripture
By Janice Hall
Scripture Lesson Text: 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10
Related Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15: 3-54; 2 Corinthians 4: 1-12
In our lesson text today, we see Paul longs to occupy his eternal body described as a permanent house built by God Himself. Paul implores all to be reconciled to God in this way through faith in Jesus Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15: 3-54, we see Paul is writing to a church immersed within a city associated with trade but also corruption and immortality. Paul continues to give instructions for real life concerns, such as marriage, spirituality, and unity. Paul rebukes the Corinth Church by saying if Jesus did not resurrect after the crucifixion, then their is no point in the Christian faith.(v.12-19) When the last trumpet sounds and Christ returns for those whom belong to Him, all believers in Jesus, living and dead will be transformed into the glorified eternal bodies God has promised us.
Synopsis
By Pam Jones
This lesson, in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 helps us to focus on our heavenly home. It speaks of being in our temporary dwelling (physical bodies), but yet looking forward to the time when we will occupy our permanent, heavenly home. Our sight should be set on the future eternity in heaven, and not this present troubled world that we live in. We have hope and that hope is taking on our glorified bodies in heaven, just as God promised.
In verses 6-8, Paul talks about us walking by faith: “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.” Regardless of the trying times that we have, and will experience in this life, we continue to keep our head up and keep the faith that we will make it home. Looking at what is in front of us may cause us to be discouraged or depressed from time to time, but this too is also only temporal. Because we walk by faith, we look forward to those promises made to us by God, of a better life with Him forever.
Verses 9-10 helps us to maintain our steadfastness in pursuing the acceptance of the Lord and everything we have done as Christians will be judged. Will the actions that we’ve done be pleasing to God? Will we serve those who God brings into our lives for one reason or another, or will we turn them away? We must be very sure that whatever we do and say is what Jesus would do! WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) is such a powerful acronym to remember because if we think about it, and do what Jesus would do, then we are assured to please Him.
Practical Application
By Brittenne Boykin
The Apostle Paul deals with an age-old question: How do we find hope in the face of death? Paul knew peril well. He had stared death in the face on more than a few occasions. He was constantly confronted with his mortality.He gained a view of being absent from this life that brings us both comfort and enlarges our perspective.
Paul encouraged the church at Corinth to find hope that although our earthly bodies may dissolve, we as believers have a hope in Christ. A hope that assures us that we will exchange our earthly bodies for incorruptible ones. (Vs 1) He points out that we have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit within us. (V.5) Paul reminds us that although we all must face death we are to live in a way that looks toward our eternal hope and home.
Our life in these mortal bodies should be lived in such a way that we are ever ready to appear before God in hopeful expectation that He will be pleased with how we have lived. May we remember that we will all appear before Him to have our works judged whether we have lived according to His will.
