2 Corinthians 5:1-5 

¹For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now 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.

Starter House

         When you came to Canada, did you buy a house right away? Have you rented an apartment and saved money until you can afford to finance your home? If you have limited budget to buy a house in Canada, probably, you chose a tiny starter house that anyone can afford to finance.

         Our first home in Canada was very cute and small. We spent more than 7 years in our first home. But, we sold it and purchased another home that we can afford to finance when we needed a wider parking space.

         Selling and then buying another home, made me sensibly realize that in this world, everything is temporary. We can cherish practical things on earth momentarily but to treasure them forever is not realistically feasible.

         Everybody is transient in this world. Everyone will depart from this world eventually. This world is not our permanent home. Personally, how do we interpret what it declares in Hebrews 13:14 (NLT)? ¹⁴For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

         Christ is coming soon to take us into our permanent home in eternal heaven. Will there be buying and selling of homes in heaven? I hope not! God designed homes in heaven for eternal contentment. Can you imagine how majestic your home in heaven could be? We will forever cherish our homes in heaven but houses in this world will be destroyed eventually.

1.  Destroy

            ¹For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 

         If you were campers, travelers, drifters, itinerant migrants or nomads, you prefer to live in tents. When your purposes in one place are completed, you pull out your tents and pitch them on your next destination. Tents are temporal dwellings as compared to permanent buildings or houses.

         Physical body is compared to tents as temporal dwelling. When we depart this world, this tent will be destroyed. After we are transported into eternity, what is the use of earthly body? It will decomposed to dust. God formed mankind out of dust on the ground. Seriously, let’s reflect on what it declares in Ecclesiastes 3:20, ²⁰All come from dust, and to dust all return.

         Who can live on earth forever? Nobody! Everyone will return to dust.

         But by faith in Jesus Christ, we believe that the Lord has already prepared for us immortal body that won’t get destroyed. In eternity, we will be given an everlasting body that cannot feel pain. It won’t get sick. It is not yet clear how we live forever but I believe that in heaven, we will not be bothered anymore by health failure, wrinkles, acne, sprain or back pains.

         In heaven, no more high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia and not even get tired. Can you imagine how wonderful life is without problem? But don’t get too excited yet. You need to be very certain that you will enter heaven. How strong is your confidence that you’ll live in heaven forever?

         How firm is your confidence that when Christ returns he will take you into heaven? That moment when we meet Christ face to face, will you be surely confident? Together, let us review how we can be certain we enter heaven when Christ returns. Reflect on Romans 6:23, ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

         What percent is your certainty that you personally received the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord? If in case you are not 100% certain, if in case you still sense a little doubt that you received the gift of eternal life in Christ, sincerely pray and ask God to increase your faith and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. Anytime you sense a doubt of your eternal destiny, pray and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit of Christ.

         Don’t delay. Make sure now that you will enter heaven. Anytime soon, Christ may return in our generation. Seriously internalize what it revealed in

1 Corinthians 15:51-54, ⁵¹I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

         The trumpet will sound to alert every person that Christ has returned.

         The first generation Christians were hoping that Christ will return in their time but nobody knows when Christ returns. Only God knows the time. But we can still pray that in our generation, Christ will return. Meanwhile, we have to be prepared always. Don’t be caught by surprise. We should be productive spiritually and store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

         Sickness, natural calamities, man-made calamities, war can cause us to depart from this world. Violent confusion erupted somewhere. It could be intensified by vicious leaders, and we can be affected one way or another. We should seriously prepare for eventuality to be sure, we dwell in heaven.

2.  Dwell

            ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 

         We groan. We complain. We feel the burden. This physical body can be tired. Tired of extreme weather. Tired of doing things we are forced to do because we have to do it. We want to rest and hope not get tired again. But such dream will happen only when Christ returns and takes us into heaven.

         In the meantime, we persevere and prepare for our eternal residency.

Prayerfully, we behave as God’s children. Let’s reflect on 2 Peter 1:9-12,

⁹You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

         It is admirable to behave righteously. We appreciate good works but some don’t value it. If you get good grades in school, students next in rank cannot appreciate your excellent hard work. When you perform diligently at work and your employer promotes you, other employees who wish to be promoted cannot appreciate your performance and dedication in your job.

         Envy, jealousy, bitterness and resentment are human instincts. And we are commanded to live good lives. So when we behave honestly and perform diligently, we are obedient to the Lord. We expect reward from him.

Undercover Boss

         Has the reality TV Show Undercover Boss alerted employees to be observant? One CEO applied as intern to investigate the truth behind bullying scandal in his company. He endured humiliation from the villain. But there’re also honest employees who helped him from the start. When he gathered enough information, the CEO revealed his true identity at a company celebration. He dismissed on the spot the bully and promoted employees who exemplified diligence at work and care for his company.

         The Lord does not need to go undercover to catch our performance.

         God is everywhere, and he sees everything we do including things hidden in our hearts and minds. Likewise, the Lord will certainly reward diligent and faithful believers. Certainly, bully villains won’t get away from the punishment that God decreed. May all of us be mindful always and internalize what it encourages us in Colossians 3:23-25,²³Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

         Some people keep doing what they are doing. Maybe, they think that it is the right thing for them to do. Alcohol, gambling, corruption manipulated many victims. Is it wickedness to be addicted to bad vices? If they know it is wrong but they do not stop doing the wrong thing, are they not foolish?

         Anybody, church attendees or not can be manipulated by sin. Don’t be satisfied with your spiritual status. Remember what God requires of us. Reflect on Hebrews 12:1-3,¹Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

         Every Sunday, we wake up early to attend praising God. Who told you to attend church? It is by the grace of God that we regularly gather to worship God. Life concerns may bother us but still participate in church ministry activities. Why? It is transformational work of God in us. And to be certain we dwell in heaven, the Lord deposited the Holy Spirit in our heart.

3.  Deposit

            ⁵Now 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.

         When we believed in Jesus Christ, he deposited his Holy Spirit in us. He transformed, fashioned, developed and purified us for mission purposes that God designed for us. Our priorities had been redefined. Our mindset has been refocused. Our behavior has been changed. God changed us.

         Our transformation guarantees that our faith in Christ is for real. We cannot transform ourselves. Only God can change us forever. Why?

         We did not created ourselves. God created us, so only he can shape us into a person he desired us to become for his mission purposes. Most often, God causes circumstances we may disagree but has godly purpose.

Bonsai

         Do you grow bonsai plants? Bonsai plant have irregular shapes and forms. Copper or aluminum wires are wrapped around bonsai plants. Their branches are bent and twisted into a shape or form the farmer wish to see. Bonsai plants are also pruned to limit their growth. Some branches that are not vital to the shape or character of the bonsai are cut off and removed.

         Similarly, God is the gardener, and he envisioned the character he designed for us. Christ declares in John 15:1-5, ¹I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

         Disciples make disciples. Disciples are the fruit that the Lord wants to see from us. The Lord wants us to be fruitful disciples. And the Lord prunes us, if we are not productive. He removes behaviors that are not beneficial to productiveness. The Lord designed everything to be favorable for us in the long run, and that includes circumstances that we cannot appreciate.

         Together, let’s reflect on Exodus 14:13-14, ¹³Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

         Pharaoh and his army scared Israel. Crossing the Red Sea was the only option. Maybe, some can swim. How about their livestock. Then God divided the Red Sea. They were saved. But, the Egyptians died in the sea.

         Uncertainties can cause us to panic. True! Life is difficult but it is not impossible for our mighty powerful God. God allows challenges in life, why? They are opportunity for us to trust the Lord and experience his power.

         Struggles are chances for us to explore what God has prepared for us. He faithfully sustains even practical needs for us to testify of his grace and love. The Holy Spirit is a deposit and guarantees eternal home for us.

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