2 Corinthians 5:1-10 - Confident in Tent and Home

We have this tent for but a brief lifetime.  It’s a result of human inputs (i.e., mom and dad).  And it will fast decay when we die.  As opposed to a tent a home is permanent.  A home is stronger, more comfortable, and much more secure.  A home is a magnitude more complex than a tent.  Our eternal body, our home, will not be made by earthly parents.  It will be made for us by God himself, King, Creator, Promise Keeper.  It's all hard to fathom, but it's His plan, not ours.

God designed our earthly tents well.  They are flexible, resilient, and unique.  But he designed them to wear; we peak at an early age.  After that we get wrinkles.  It gets a lot harder to lose weight.  And our strength wears out.  It’s rare to see a fifty-year-old in the Olympics.  That’s by design.  But don’t be deceived.  Even as older people we must maintain a growth and God-confident mindset.  Keep growing.  Get all the advice and instruction you can get (Proverbs 19:20).  So yes, these tents wear out.  Like a Toyota truck, they are good for the long haul, but even long hauls end.  The Bible tells us that even in the worn-out stage our tents reflect the body of Christ, whipped and torn and abused - in His glorious sacrifice for those He loves (2 Cor. 4:10).  We too will reflect such suffering.  Sobering.

It will be amazing to get that new vehicle smell of our heavenly bodies.  It will be far better than we can think or imagine now.  Here we get a foreshadowing of our Creator’s capabilities.  Complex design and intricate systems down to the irreducibly complex parts of the cell.  We see God’s incredible tent-making.  Yet in heaven it is a new game.  A new level; same spirit, new home.  A new paradigm.  One created with love and care and the special touch of the Master Craftsman.

He never fails.  God always surprises; He's the source of all good.

And God has a sense of humour, so it should be interesting to see the homes of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  And ourselves.  Maybe some tall here will be short there.  Handicapped here, Olympians there.

The Power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead will do the same for us.  I trust the Holy Spirit.  I trust God.  I seek to be at home with the Lord God.  I know He’s Just and Good so while I know the justice I deserve I’m also confident in Him.  By God’s mercy, we are saved, through faith.

To our last breath, we have these tents.  We will live in adventure with God forever, but we only have a dim view of what those eternal adventures will be.  Trust in the character of God.  I trust Him because He’s overwhelmed me with His message of love and forgiveness for me, a sinner.  He’s shown me mercy here in this tent.  And His goodness.  My family and friends.  My earthly relationship and the unlikely adventure he’s taken us on.  The power of the Holy Spirit to connect and providentially orchestrate miracle after miracle, saving more and more souls worldwide.  Truly amazing.  Glorious.  Victorious.

It’s that Goodness that I rely on for Judgment Day.  That day will come (2 Corinthians 5:10).  On judgment day we will each stand before Christ.  We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly tent.  Don't take my word for it.  That's what God says.

Lord Almighty, in the hours we have left here in this wilderness, please help us, guide us, and motivate us to press on to do good and to make You proud.  Amen.

Camping with Kari.