I had the privilege of ministering to a
pastor as he was dying. As his body was shutting down he said something like
this, “This old tent is wearing out. It’s time to go get a new one.” Clearly, he was thinking of 2 Corinthians 5!
We tend to be rather myopic when we
think of life. We become so focused on the events, possessions, joys, and
struggles which we experience that we feel that this is all there is. And, why
not? Isn’t this a very natural way to view life?
The, “why not?” is answered in the Bible
with the clear message that this life is not all that there is. This world is
temporary; fleeting. Our possession break, get lost or ruined, and do not last.
These bodies that we call ours wear out. The image of living in a tent is a
good one. There is a home which we are journeying toward, but we’re not there
yet, and where we are is not it.
Paul says, “So we are always of good
courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the
Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we
would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
That is a view of life that goes beyond
what is natural. We believe what God has said and holding to His promises. We
have received a revelation that surpasses the evidence that our eyes behold and
our minds ponder. There is eternal life despite the fact that we see death all
around us. There is reconciliation to God regardless of the rebellion evident
within the world. There is resurrection in the face of thousands of years of
burials, cremations, and full cemeteries.
The world will ask for evidence that
these things are true. As Christians we can make logical arguments that show
the historical, sociological, and even psychological evidence that supports the
message of the Bible, but when it comes to the resurrection, atonement, the
Lord’s Supper, Baptism, etc. we cannot argue people into believing. We confess
these things are true and walk by faith.
Lord, I am not always comfortable walking by
faith. I want to see and understand. Give me faith and courage to hold Your Word and confess it before a world that would deny You. Amen.
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