2 Corinthians 5
1Now 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 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 with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10, NIV)
The Daily DAVEotional
In this section of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he gives some theological perspective on what comes after this life.
Some people have the idea that when we die, we will just be spirits floating about from cloud to cloud, with our harps no doubt.
But this is not the picture Paul gives of the afterlife.
Paul compares our earthly bodies to a tent.
Why would he do that?
There is some imagery here that would have been obvious to Paul’s audience but may be more confusing to the modern reader.
People in ancient times often lived in tents – temporary structures that suited a nomadic lifestyle. In addition, the tabernacle, which is another word for “tent”, was the temporary structure in the Old Testament that signified the dwelling place of the Lord up until the more permanent temple was built.
When Paul says that our earthly bodies are like a tent, he means that our earthly bodies are temporary because our lives are temporary. While we are living in this life, we have mortal bodies that enable us to do things, like walk, talk, eat, work, play, think, etc. But our mortal bodies are temporary. They don’t last forever.
Paul says that while we are living in this life we are “away” from the Lord’s presence. He doesn’t mean that we have no access to the Lord in this life. He simply means that even if we are Christians, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, engaged and active in pursuing God, we are never fully present with the Lord because we are not yet in heaven.
But something amazing will happen to us when we die. We will be given NEW bodies! That is great news for a lot of us whose bodies are beginning to fail us in numerous ways.
Given these facts, Paul says that his preference would be to be “away” from this body because that means he would be with the Lord.
But the reality for Paul was that he was still in his mortal body. He was living on this earth, which means he was not present with the Lord in heaven yet. That being the case, the goal is always to please the Lord in whatever we do.
The reason why Paul says we should make this our goal is because we all are going to appear before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of our lives.
The idea that Christians will be judged may be confusing to some, especially since Scripture teaches that those who place their faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross are completely forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14) and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
So what is this judgment that Paul is talking about?
The judgment that Paul is talking about here is a different kind of judgment. The Bible is clear that those who have placed their faith in Christ are saved. They will experience eternity with God in heaven.
But Christians will also give an account of how they’ve served Christ and how they have managed the resources God has entrusted to them.
The word for “judgment” in verse 10 is the greek word “Bema” (pronounced “bay-muh”). It represented a platform or an elevated seat from which an official would render an important decision.
In this context, Paul is saying that there is going to be a day when everyone, Christians included, will appear before the Lord and our lives will be evaluated. This “judgment” doesn’t determine whether we will make it into heaven or not; that has already been decided at the cross. This judgment will evaluate how we’ve lived our lives as Christians and how we have stewarded the resources (time, talent, treasure) that God has entrusted to us.
In this evaluation, those things that we have done that have glorified Jesus and advanced His kingdom purposes will be rewarded. We will receive no rewards for the things that have not been worthwhile to the cause of Christ.
It’s important to emphasize that this judgment does not include punishment. Christians will either be rewarded or they will not be rewarded.
One might ask, “if there’s no punishment, why should I care?”
Scripture is clear that on that day, those whose lives have not been stewarded well for God’s purposes – those who have not lived their lives in such a way that God was glorified – will experience extreme regret.
Jesus spoke of this accounting in Matthew 25:14 with the parable of the talents. The point of this parable is that God has given us talents, abilities and resources (money and material possessions) to manage on His behalf. The judgment Paul speaks about in 2 Corinthians 5:10 is a judgment where our lives will be evaluated based on how we have stewarded those resources. How well have we served Christ? Did we make our life count for His kingdom and His purposes?
Though we don’t know exactly what that day will look like, we know it’s coming and therefore, we should prepare ourselves.
Pastor Pete Briscoe has developed a dramatic presentation that depicts what that day could look like for someone. It’s a powerful monologue that is designed to move the believer to reflect on how they’ve lived their life and perhaps think about making changes in light of that day!
Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!
Reflection
Were you aware that Christians will be judged and give an account of how they’ve lived their life for Christ?
What thoughts and emotions do you have when you think about appearing before Christ and having your actions evaluated in light of His commands and His purposes?
What changes do you think you need to make in your life to better ensure that God will say to you “well done good and faithful servant”?
What challenges do you face when you think about living your life completely for the Lord?
Photo by William Krause on Unsplash
The Lowedown 