1For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.
6Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. 10For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
11Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences. 12For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died. 15He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.
16Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 18But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
These Earthly Tents
5 For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2 For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Years ago I took my two sons camping at Big Bend National Park. We took the twelve hour drive out from south central Texas where we live to one of the wildest places I have ever been. We had a little Toyota Prius jam packed with our camping gear. Once we got to the park entrance, it was another hour just to drive to the main campground. We set up our little tent and I noticed that it had some wear and tear at the seams. We got all settled in, and then we went down to a pavilion to listen to a welcome lecture by the park ranger. He went to great lengths to explain to us that bears had migrated back to the park and we should be careful not to leave any foodstuff outside that might attract them as bears have been known to attack people. In addition, mountain lions were regularly sighted in the park and we should also be extremely careful with them. He added that although they have not been known to attack campers, we should exercise caution. So much for a good night’s sleep.
As we got back to our feeble little tent, we laid down to sleep. I couldn’t sleep at all. I put a pistol under my pillow. The wind began to howl and that little tent began to shimmer and shake. The tent began to rip in the places where it was weak. I knew we were in very fragile housing that would probably never last for another camping trip. I threw the tent away when we got home. As we travel through this life, Paul tells us that we are in frail tents. I think it’s interesting that he uses the term tents. We all understand how temporary a tent really is. Each day that we live, our tent is dissolving. We live in “earthly tents”. But, Paul adds that we have a “building made by God, a house not made by hands, eternal, in the heavens.” Our tents here take on diseases and illnesses from the broken world in which we live, but we have a better day coming. There will come a day when this tent in which we live will be totally worn out. We will live our last day. Our time on this earth will be done. And then, in the end times, our souls will have a new body that is made in heaven. It will no longer be corruptible, but will be incorruptible.
I think a good take-away from this passage is that we are just on a short camping trip in this life. We are camping in tents that are falling apart. Some translations of the Bible describe Abraham as a “sojourner in the land” searching for a city not made with hands. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:9 WEB) Reader, you and I are heirs of the same promise. Paul tells us that someday we will no longer dwell in these tents, but we will live in a city in a new body both of which are incorruptible. Enjoy the journey today. Serve God. Love your neighbor, but realize that this is temporary and we will have a permanent home some day. In that home we will walk and talk with the Lord Jesus. Oh, what a joy that will be!