2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-10 [GAINING PERSPECTIVE Series]
A CHRISTIAN VIEW OF DEATH
[Romans 14:8-10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15]
Paul is full of confidence toward life, death, and the hereafter (vv. 6, 8) because God has provided believers with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we will receive resurrected spiritual bodies (v. 5). The enabling Spirit gives convincing witness to the indescribable glory that awaits those who are in Christ. We can be assured that death leads to a closer and more meaningful relationship with Christ.
But what happens when this life is all over? Does it make any difference how you lived or what you did for the love of Christ? Do we have any responsibility to please God? All are under grace by which we are saved, right? Yes, but how we lived life on earth will affect our eternal existence in Heaven.
Ultimately what matters in light of eternity, in light of where we’re going, in light of the new body awaiting us, in light of who we will be answering to, we should live to please the Lord. The faithful Christian's desire, whether on earth or in Heaven is to please God (CIT). We are to live each day with eternity’s values in view.
I. THE GOOD COURAGE OF FAITH, 6-8.
II. THE RECOMPENSE OF LOVE, 9-10.
Verse 6 indicates that the residence of the Spirit, who confirms our eternal existence with God, should fill the believer with confidence and courage. “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”
Therefore, with the enabling deposit of the Holy Spirit Paul is confident, or “of good courage.” Because of the indwelling Spirit we can live courageously. This courage is not a mere temporary feeling due to passing excitement. The word [tharrountes] always indicates a permanent state of mind, on all occasions and under all circumstances even amidst the dangerous discouragements of which Paul spoke and will speak. The ground for this bold confidence is not natural courage or the strength of convictions but it is a courage produced by the indwelling Spirit. It is the natural consequences of following His leadership.
The next clause which begins with “knowing” is additional confidence the Spirit grants us. This knowing is also constantly available and not dependent on moods or circumstances but on the enabling of the Spirit. We know we will be found in one of two places; either in Heaven or on earth (Eph. 3: 15). At home is here with one's people (en-demeo from demeos -people). Absent (en-demeo -life abroad) is out from one's people. It is interesting that the metaphor used for living life here “absent from the Lord.” [The word ekdidomi, typically translated as “absent” or “away,” can also mean “exiled.”]
As is seen in this verse the moment we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. This understanding is most clearly seen in Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross when He said, “Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Verse 7 indicates that to focus not on present but on eternal realities, not on the seen but on the unseen, is to live by faith, not by sight. “for we walk by faith, not by sight [appearance].”
Paul was sustained in life by realizing it was a temporary transitory state (4:18). He focused not on present conditions, not on the seen, but the unseen. To live this way is to walk by faith, not by sight. It is to live in the light of the ultimate rather than immediate realities (Rom. 8:24-25), to be obedient to God's Word despite the hardships that such love produces. These hardships help produce the groans for heaven not because we long to die but because we long to live. Until then we must walk by faith not sight.
An elderly gentleman was greeted, "Nice to see you in the land of the living." He replied, "Oh I'm not in the land of the living, I'm in the land of the dying. But I'm looking forward to being in the land of the living soon."
We who follow Jesus Christ must do so by faith. It's a step-by-step pilgrimage. It's like a hiker on a narrow mountainside trail, unable to see the path ahead. Sometimes the way is clearly marked out before him. At other times, it turns abruptly to the right or left, becomes rugged or muddy, rises or falls sharply. All he knows is that he must take the next step.
But our spiritual walk of faith differs from that of a mountain hiker. Through faith in Christ, we can keep moving forward with full confidence that we will reach our destination.
This anonymous poem describes the walk of faith:
When you come to the edge,
Of all light you have known,
And are about to step off into darkness,
Faith is knowing there'll be something to stand on,
Or you will be taught how to fly.
Perhaps today you are right at the rim of a shadowy unknown. You know you must move forward, but you can't see what lies ahead. God has brought you to this place not to abandon you but to show you perhaps as never before- that you can trust Him completely.
Go ahead. Prayerfully step into the unknown future. God has promised to be there for you (Heb. 13:5). You can be sure "there'll be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly." Faith is not a leap into the dark but a step into the light.
[I have once wished that God would let just one Christian comeback from the other side to tell me what to expect when I die. But a story that we might call the Parable of THE WATERBUG helps us understand, at least in part, why God doesn't fulfill this longing.
A colony of small waterbugs living in a pond noticed that every once in a while one of their fellow bugs would climb up a lily stem and never be' seen again. They agreed that if this should ever happen to one of them, they would return to tell the others about their journey. Sure enough, the day came when one of the bugs found himself going up the stalk and crawling onto the lily pad at the top. He fell asleep in the warm sunshine, and when he awakened he stretched himself, only to hear a crackling sound as his old outer coat fell off He sensed that somehow he was larger, cleaner, and freer than ever before. Spreading his wings, he flew into the air as a beautiful green dragonfly. Suddenly he remembered his promise. But then he realized why none of the others had ever returned. He couldn't go back and tell his friends what to expect because he was no longer a part of their world. Besides, one day they too would experience the wonderful freedom he now enjoyed.
We may shrink from the mysterious thought of dying, but we need not fear. "Walk by faith" and wait in hope.] Faith looks beyond the darkness of earth to the brightness of heaven.
In verse 8 Paul states he would prefer to leave this body that he may go to Christ[, and to put off these rags of mortality that he may put on the robes of glory]. “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord
Again Paul says “we are of good courage,” an encouraging word that also could mean cheered up (tharseo). The reason for this good courage was Paul's preference that if the choice was his, he would depart this pilgrimage life and take up residence with the Lord. To be at home with the Lord was a blissful expectation for Paul and should be for us. We should prefer to live with Christ than here, but as long as we are here we can live with good courage (Phil. 1:24, Eph. 3:1-13). [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, p. 566.]
The implication of the thought here is that his good courage to face all life had came about because of his preference to be at home with the Lord. If you would not rather be at home with the Lord, it could be the reason you have not had good courage in walking by faith not sight.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965), former British prime minister, made specific requests regarding his funeral service. He asked that it begin with the playing of "Taps," the traditional military signal played at the end of the day or the end of life. But when Churchill's funeral service was over, those in attendance were startled to hear trumpets play the familiar notes of "REVEILLE," the stirring call that awakens the troops at the beginning of a new day.
The end of life is in some ways like the end of a day. Life's journey is long. We get tired. We long for our labors to be finished and the suffering to be over. Ahead lies the night of death. But thank God, morning is coming! A wonderful life lies just ahead for the weary Christian traveler. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord forever.
The end of life here marks the dawning of a wonderful new day in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Thus the end of the Christian's life is the beginning of a far better one.
Joseph Parker (1830-1902) was a beloved English preacher in the Congregational denomination. When his wife died, he didn't have the customary wording inscribed on her gravestone. Instead of the word died followed by the date of her death, he chose the word ASCENDED! Joseph Parker found great comfort in being reminded that though his wife's body had been placed in the grave, the "real" Mrs. Parker had been transported to heaven, into the presence of her Savior. When Parker himself died, it's no wonder that his friends made sure that his gravestone read: Ascended November 28, 1902.
When a loved one dies in the Lord, or when we face dying ourselves, there's great comfort in the fact that "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord." Death for us is not a dark journey into the unknown. It is not a lonely walk into a strange and friendless place. Rather, it is a glorious transition from the trials of earth into the joys of heaven, where we will be reunited with our loved ones in Christ who have gone before. Best of all, we will enjoy the presence of our Lord forever. For the Christian, Death is the Doorway to Glory. [See MacClaren, Alexander. Expositions of Holy Scriptures. Corinthians, Vol 14. 1978. Baker Book House. Grand Rapids, MI. p. 353-5.]
II. THE RECOMPENSE OF LOVE, 9-10.
Paul provides no clues that there might be an intermediate state or what it would be like if there is. What he does in verses 9–10 is stress something which is more important than speculation. Verse 9 encourages believers to make their time on earth profitable. ‘Therefore we also have as our ambition (aspiration), whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”
“Therefore” indicates that this strong longing, this groaning to be at home with the Lord, motivates an aspiration... to be pleasing to Him. What Paul aspired to, what was his aim and ambition were, was that his life and work were pleasing to the Lord. People of the world have selfish and worldly ambitions and simply want to please self or please others, but our noble aspiration is to be well-pleasing to Jesus Christ.
Note that being well pleasing to God does not just happen we must aspire to be so. To be pleasing to the Lord is the greatest of all Christian aspirations. Also note the level of desire and level of life that we are to aim toward. We are to have the same level of ambition to please Him here as we will have to please Him while living with Jesus in Heaven -we aspire whether home on earth or in heaven- to be pleasing to Him.
Paul wanted to remind them and us that we are responsible to God for our thoughts and our actions, both in this life and in the world to come. Does your daily life fill God with joy? Does God look down from heaven at your life and become well pleased (as He did with Jesus)? If you are waiting till you get to heaven to please Him, to lovingly serve Him, He is not pleased with you.
Ultimately what matters is not speculation about our future state, but a determination to be pleasing to God no matter in what state we find ourselves. Love for Jesus, the desire to please Him, and to be pleasing to Him, animates our hearts and governs our lives, and motivates us to live and even suffer for the glory of God.
Why should it be our ambition here and now to please God? Verse 10 continues to invigorate our motives to diligence by asking us to consideration our coming judgment. “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.”
Not every believer is ambitious for the Lord, but every believer is going to appear before the Lord; and now is the time to prepare. The Judgment Seat of Christ is that future event when God's people will stand before the Savior as their works are judged and rewarded (see Rom. 14:8-10).
In Greek towns judgment seats (Gk bema, literally, 'step') were elevated seats were where official declarations [and orations] were made and decisions handed down by rulers (Mt. 27:19; Acts 12:21; 18:12). It was also the place where the athletes who distinguished themselves [like in the annual Olympic Games] received their rewards or awards.
This ‘judgment seat’ must not be confused with the Great White Throne from which Christ will judge unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15). Because of the gracious work of Christ on the cross, believers will not face their sins (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1); but we will have to give an account of our works and service for the Lord. It is a judgment concerning rewards, not eternal destiny. [Clendenen, Ray E. & Howard, Jeremy, Eds. The Bible Commentary. Vol. 2. The New Testament. 2017. B & H Publishing. Nashville, TN. P306.] [The context of this verse is the believer’s future glorious spiritual body.]
Thus, only the believer is in view, for only believers (1 Cor. 4:5; Col 3:4) will appear at “the judgment seat of Christ.” They will be judged for their works, but their salvation will not be at stake (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:13). [To whom much is given, much will be required.] We are accountable to the Lord for our lives our actions and our responsibilities, and we will be rewarded [or suffer loss] accordingly.
The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a place of revelation; for the word “appear” means "be revealed." as we live and work here on earth, it is relatively easy for us to hide things and pretend; but the true character of our works will be exposed before the searching eyes of the Savior. He will reveal whether our works have been good or bad (worthless). The character of our service will be revealed (1 Cor. 3: 13) as well as the motives that impelled us (1 Cor. 4:5).
It will also be a place of reckoning as we give an account of our time, talent gifts and ministries (Rom. 14:10-12). All must be revealed (Heb. 4:13). No deception, no disguise is possible.
To be revealed means not just to appear but to be laid bare. Our true character will be laid bare, scrutinized by His all-seeing eye. Not for a declaration of doom but for an assessment of worth. Not an assessment of achievements for "to whom much is given, much is required." And if we have only been given a widow's mite we will be judged accordingly.
While it is true that for the Christian there is “no condemnation” (Rom 8:1), it is not correct to assume that God will not hold him responsible for our life. Paul has already explained this truth in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15.
In this day of acceptance God continually holds out His gifts and blessings of grace for the work of the ministry. The saved, just like a lost person who refuses offered saving grace, can refuse sanctifying grace, but just as the lost are held accountable for their lostness, so the saved are held accountable for their lack of sanctification and the resulting lack of works of love. We do not believe in a salvation by works but we don't believe in a salvation that does not work either. This is a great stimulus to Christian living (1 Cor. 3:13).
According to legend, many years ago there lived a man in China who was accepted as a member of the EMPEROR'S ORCHESTRA through the help of an influential friend. He claimed to be an accomplished flutist, though he couldn't play a note. Things went well for a while. During concerts, he would hold the flute to his lips at the appropriate times and go through the motions of playing. Then one day the Emperor announced that he wanted to hear each member of the orchestra in a solo performance. The frightened man immediately made arrangements to take lessons, but they did little to help him. He thought about claiming to be ill on the day of his scheduled appointment, but he feared his deceit would be reported by the royal physician. So when the dreaded day for his recital arrived, rather than being discovered for the fraud that he was, he took a fatal dose of poison. He was afraid to "face the music."
Yes, we all must face the music! If we have been faithful, it will be a place of reward and recognition (1 Cor. 3:1 0-15; 4:1-6). We are here encouraged to live and minister so that we will hear, “Well done, My good servant!” (Luke 19:17). If we are, then we can look forward to this time of reward.
IN CLOSING
If our deepest longing is for that consuming moment when we shall at last be transformed into His image (1 Jn 3:2), then our daily aspiration will be to progress towards a goal of Christ-likeness. Love for the master because of His matchless love for us is incentive for us to follow in His steps.
We Christians are fully answerable to Christ for the quality of this present life we are living. He is not threatening those who are unwilling to die daily and take up their cross and follow Him. He is simply stating that He will reward with true riches those who by His grace and because of His love live for the glory of Christ.
Keeping life and the day of judgment in perspective had a beneficial effect on Paul. It enabled him to persevere in the face of hardship (2 Cor. 4:7-12). And it motivated him to be faithful in discharging his ministry (5:11; 1 Cor. 4:2-4). May it have the same effect on us also.
