II Corinthians 5:1,4

II Corinthians 5:1,4 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. 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. When Paul says an earthly house, he is talking about our physical body. That is because someday, we will die and our spirit will go to heaven to be with our Lord. Our spirit will leave our body just like someone who leaves their house to go on a long trip. That is because when our spirit goes to heaven, our spirit will eventually be reunited with our body when Jesus Christ comes back at the Rapture of the Saints. Jesus will come back in the clouds, and we will be with Him. He will call the living Christians up to meet Him, and they will be instantaneously changed. They will get their glorified bodies and immediately rise up to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds. Then those of us who have died in the Lord, our bodies will come up out of the graves and they will be changed and our spirits, which have been in heaven, will be reunited with our glorified bodies, and we will be with Jesus Christ too. Then all of the glorified saints will go with Jesus up to heaven to be with Him for the seven-year tribulation period described in the book of Revelation. So in our verse for today, Paul says that we aren’t looking forward to dying; we are looking forward to getting our glorified bodies. So if we have to die in order to get those glorified bodies, well we just have to die. Because it will be absolutely wonderful to get those glorified bodies! And it will be absolutely wonderful to be with Jesus Christ, our Lord!

II Corinthians 4:17,18

II Corinthians 4:17,18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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. Sometimes we suffer for God. But in the big picture of things, God actually uses suffering to make us better Christians. Just like a good coach uses drills and practice to make his team better, God uses difficulties and problems in our lives to strengthen us and to make us better. Our difficulties are not intended to destroy us; they are intended to make us better. God wants to prepare us for heaven. So God intends testings in this life to strengthening us for the next life. God uses our problems for our good and for His glory. Don’t fear testing; learn from it. Don’t run from problems; just ask, “Dear God, what are you trying to teach me?” He will protect you even in testing and make you a stronger Christian. Trust God, your heavenly Father. He knows what He is doing.

II Corinthians 4:7-9

II Corinthians 4:7-9 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; God gives us His Wonderful Holy Spirit to live within us. And we share the love of God with others in the power of God. It is as if there is a wonderfully expensive perfume in a simple clay pot. The importance is in the perfume, not in the container. We are the clay pot and the Holy Spirit is the expensive perfume. And the whole point of the illustration is that we are unimportant and the Holy Spirit within us is very important. When people see how good we are, they must see that it’s not because of us; they must see that it’s because of what God has done for us and because of the Holy Spirit within us. After all, it’s all about God, it’s not about us.