Earthly Tents

Have you ever feel like you do not belong in this world? Like there is a special place where you originally live?

We experience disappointment, suffering, rejection and difficulty because this world is definitely not our ultimate home. Our life here on Earth is definitely the end of our story. God lets us feel a certain amount of discontent that will never be fulfilled this side of Heaven. We do not feel totally happy here because there’s a bigger picture out there, where everything makes sense. When you experience death, you are not leaving home; you are going home.

Visualize being an ambassador in a hostile country. You need to adapt to its culture and learn its language. In order to fulfill your mission, you have to comprehend the people around you and know what’s going on to relate to everyone. What if you fall in love with that nation and refer it to be where you really belong? Your commitment and loyalty will absolutely be jeopardized. Instead of embodying your country, you would become a traitor.

The preaching of Paul to the Corinth speaks about tent as the brevity of life. Our future plans depend on the perpetuation of this life; the certainty of our hopes and aspirations, but we are told that permanence and eternity lies on our faith in the Almighty.

What is Paul telling us? Let us look into 2 Corinthians 5: 1-20(NASB) and see the temporal and eternal.

1. Walk by Faith

2 Corinthians 5: 6-8

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, but sight. If we limit ourselves to the things that can only be seen, we will ever be restless and continue building our lives around material things that have no eternal significance. Rather than pursuing the temporal, we should focus on Heaven and Jesus.

2. Be pleasing to Him

2 Corinthians 5: 9-10

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Our aim should always be for the satisfaction of God. If we find joy in doing the things for His glory, we will always be ultimately happy as well. Belief in God and believing He will do what He says He will do is the same as pleasing Him.

The Bible tells us to fear God, not because it is good for Him, but because it is good for us to correctly recognize that He is more authoritative than anything else. Recognizing this shows our deep respect for Him.

3. Persuade others of your sincerity

2 Corinthians 5: 11-15

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

We should be the representatives of God. Our words and actions should always reflect that of Jesus’ character. It may be challenging, but it will go a long way.

4. Recognize no one according to the flesh

2 Corinthians 5: 16

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Our final reconciliation with God is possible only because Christ died on the cross and saved us from our sins. The barrier we have with God is removed because of Jesus. As long as we’re ready to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we will have a center, which is God.

5. Be a new person

2 Corinthians 5: 17-19

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.