2 Corinthians 5:7-9 New Living Translation (NLT) “7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.”
Philippians 1:20-22 Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) “20 This matches my earnest expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, so even now, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 Yes, for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to go on living in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which should I prefer? I do not know.”
Matthew 22:29-33 Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) “29 “You are mistaken,” Jesus replied, “since you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 In fact, in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage. Instead they are like the angels of God in heaven. 31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you never read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard his answer, they were amazed at his teaching.”
Both of these ideas have been percolating through my head for some time. Scripture records that while we will not know the exact day and time of Christ’s return, we will know the season by the many signs that will accompany it. So let me start by saying I don’t know when Jesus is coming. But the scriptures do call me to live in a way that I am prepared for His return every day of my life. Heavenly Father, I ask you for your clarity and truth to direct every word of this post. In Jesus Christ’s name.
The central concept I want to explore is the idea that we can eating, and breathing and going about our days aka “living” while our spirit is actually dead vs we can be totally alive and well in our spirit and no longer live in a physical body. Scripturally, it is far better to be the 2nd than the first. Let’s explore the verses.
2 Corinthians 5:1-3 New Living Translation (NLT) “5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.”
James 4:14 The Passion Translation (TPT)”14 But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!”
As always, do not take my word, read the verses and decide for yourselves what they say. I will share what I see in case some find it helpful. I have come to consider my physical body as a garment/tent of sorts. It houses my spirit and soul but scripture records that my flesh is not actually part of the eternal plans he has for me and that someday, I will put it off. Therefore, I don’t want to be overly attached to it or ruled by it. 2 Corinthians tells us in fact that for us, taking off this tent and puttin on our new eternal bodies will feel great. The image that pops to mind is the scene from “Gone with the Wind” when Scarlet is being squeezed into that corset. We will never be fully home with the Lord until this earthly body is no longer part of the equation. So this changing of garments, full translation of our bodies, is something to look forward to and not dread.
Always keeping things in razor edge balance, scripture also records via Paul that “to die is gain, but to live is Christ”. But scripture also records that our heartset as Christ-like ones is to live not for ourselves but for Christ. We are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. Our lives are not our own but rather His. The Philippians verse above says to be alive in the flesh is in part for fruitful labour. We are here in the flesh to accomplish something that God has ordained for us to do that requires this particular outfit (aka our present physical body). Therefore, for the time being, we are tied to living in these quarters.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 KJV “18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
John 17:2-4 King James Version (KJV) “2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
“Eternal life” is one thing… knowing God. It is impossible to be truly “alive” without knowing God. Keeping our lamps full and ready for Christ return hinges on “knowing Him” intimately, more intimately than you have known anyone.
Practically speaking, this means hanging out with God often, talking to Him , listening to Him, making it your top priority to know His character, His nature, His desires, His plans, His purposes, His will and living in accordance with them. It means living in communion with Him. Caring about what He thinks about hour by hour. We just read in the account of Noah that Noah walked with God. I find it helpful to imagine that He is always rights with me (cuz He is) and that it is always to my benefit to look to Him for HIs counsel and direction continually. Andrea often demonstrates this with her turning her thoughts to Him and asking “Lord, what do you say about this?”. Seeking Him and wanting to do things His way are strong indicators of genuine fellowship with God.
I think the most consistent earmark I have witnessed among those who really hear from God and have greater intimacy and evidence of His Kingdom at work within them, is that they have invested many many hours being alone with Jesus. Very often, not always, they invest time in praising and worshipping Him, serving Him, praying in tongues… and always present are characteristics of submission to Him, deference and reverence. Their lives are marked by His intense love and as a result their capacity to love and to not take offense or lose their peace become hallmarks of their own lives.
Luke 17:32-34 New Living Translation (NLT) “32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.”
At the end of the day, we want to be able to discern the different between living and being alive as there a good chance in our lifetime we will have to choose between the two. If we understand that being spirtually alive is the far more important thing, we can set our priorities and mindsets accordingly.
Let us zoom out for a moment and consider our lives in the context of eternity. Picture getting an eye dropper and filling with water. If this were the only water that you had access to perceive in this world, how precious it becomes in our sight. Now picture yourself in the middle of the ocean someplace where there is no land in sight for miles. And squeeze that dropper full of water into the ocean. That dropper full of water becomes so insignificant in light of the vastness of the volume available in the ocean. Our present lives are only a drop, a blip on the screen that last for but a moment in the context of eternity and YET, how we respond, react to it determines the glory and rewards with which we are blessed for all of eternity. This warrants a whole other post but if you click on the link, you can get some ideas right now of the rewards awaiting the righteous.
Here is a post from Dr. Jeremiah to give you some ideas
2 Corinthians 4:17 New Living Translation (NLT) “17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”
Luke 18:1-8 World English Bible (WEB) “18 He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, 2 saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man. 3 A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ 4 He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7 Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
We would be wise to stop and ask ourselves, will the Lord find me in faith if He returns today? It is a life altering question and one I would encourage each one of us to ask ourselves in these particularly challenging days. In these last weeks, I have been seeking out to hear what the various prophets of God who have a good track record are saying on what is going on in this season. The strongest message I hear is repent and be prepared to meet your maker because this is always wise, but especially so when the whole world is in upheaval and distress. This is wise counsel for every day of our lives.
Matthew 25 New Living Translation (NLT) “25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ 7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ 13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”
It is always the perfect time to invest time, even hours in growing intimacy with our God. I am encouraging myself and encourage you all to be the bridesmaid with full lamps, earnestly awaiting and looking to the grooms return. I will find and post in the comments a video describing the traditional Jewish marriage custom as I think it is helpful for us to imagine what this posture of joyful anticipation of the groom coming to claim his bride looks like.
The verse below I think reflect the heart of every pastor and every person who cares for God’s sheep:
2 Corinthians 11:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT) “11 I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.”
Let us therefore, especially in this season pray that our lives would be a pleasing aroma to God, that we would let the bridgegroom prepare us for His return that we would be the church, the bride without spot or wrinkle that He has prepared for Himself.
Ephesians 5:26-27 King James Version (KJV) “26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Practical Summary:
- if you don’t know God well enought yet (LOL, I think we all qualify for this one) set apart time and make this your number one priority.
- if you have known sin issues that you have not dealt with, repent and deal with them. Today is the day of salvation and that sin is not doing you any favours. God wants to restore you and heal you and sin inevitably causes separation from God and harm.
- Work as one who knows the master is returning to the vineyard/to His farm soon, as one who understands that the master will someday ask for an account of how you have invested the talents He has given you, and get sincere in doing all things in a way that glorifies the Lord. There is an account of our lives being written every day, and it will determine our rewards and position in eternity.
Healing and Discipleship 