July 5, 2015
Morning Service

II Cor. 5

 

            After writing his first letter to the church at Corinth, in Greece, and upon receiving the news that they were making progress in the areas that he encouraged them to improve, the Apostle writes this second letter.    We closed chapter 4 with this:

2Co 4:14-18  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.  ( IThess. 4:13-18) & (ICor. 15)(15)  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  (16)  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  (17)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

Let’s begin with chapter 5.

 

2Co 5:1-21  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

·         It doesn’t get any clearer than that.  I will have an eternal home in heaven.  Paul is referring to when at the resurrection our bodies will be changed to immortal, and we will possess our glorified bodies, and be like Jesus.

(2)  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  (3)  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.  (4)  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. 

·         No better explanation than in I Cor. 15.

(5)  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 

·         Earnest = Money given by a purchaser as a pledge for the full payment of the sum promised. The Holy Spirit is to the believer the first installment to assure him that his full inheritance as a son of God shall follow hereafter; the token of the fulfillment of "all the promises.

·         Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

(6)  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

·         This is what we refer to when we talk of rightly dividing the Word.  Paul is referring here to our being changed into our glorified body.  We are never absent from the Lord in Spirit.

(7)  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)  (8)  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

·         I can say with Paul bring on my glorified body I am ready to eternally with God.

(9)  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 

·         Don’t think we are saved to sit on our salvation.  Paul says, “we labor to be accepted of Him.”

·         Remember what Paul said, 1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

·         Doesn’t sound like someone sitting around waiting for the Lord to return, he’s busy in the work of God.

 

(10)  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.  (11)  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;

·         Another look at the judgement seat of Christ;  Rev 20:11-15  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

·         Paul says, “knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men.” 

·         Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.  (12)  For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. 

·         There are many Christians that glory in their appearance, and appearance is important, but God looks on the heart, and knows our reactions to how we look.

(13)  For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.  (14)  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  (15)  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 

·         Paul says so much on this subject.  Because He died for me, I will do my best to live for Him.

(16)  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 

·         Notice Christ, the anointed one to come, not Jesus of Nazareth.  Paul, as did many others had his opinion of the Christ coming and sitting up His kingdom here on earth.  But not any longer.

(17)  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

·         Jesus told Nicodemus, “you must be born again, of water, and the Spirit.”  This will produce in you a new person, old things will pass away, and all things will become new.

(18)  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

·         The Gospel, the good news is that whosoever will can call on the name of the Lord, can be saved.  The message is one of reconciliation.  Repent, turn your back on the things of the world, and be reconciled to God.

(20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

·         Jesus became our blood sacrifice to God, for the forgiveness of our sins.  He bought mankind a new covenant with God, so that whosoever will may become a child of God.

·         Jesus is our righteousness in the eyes of His Father, and because of what He did for us, we love Him, and should want to do our best to serve Him.

ALMIGHTY GOD, INCREASE OUR LOVE, AND SERVITUDE FOR OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.