We Are Only Renting These Bodies Of Ours

We Are Only Renting These Bodies of Ours

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. 2 Corinthians 5:1

Have you ever rented a house or an apartment?

Renting has its advantages but it also has its disadvantages. Those who rent generally don't have the responsibilities of ownership. Since they don't own the building they don't have to worry about insurance and major maintenance items. Renters don't have to worry about paying property taxes and are usually not concerned about the cost of elections that mean higher property taxes, since they don't pay property taxes.

In some areas, renters don't even have to worry about mowing the grass or clipping the hedges because that all comes with the rent. A renter, by nature, is expected to be a transient. He or she is a person just passing through. They pay the cost of their month's stay in advance and are under no obligation to stay more than one month at a time.

On this earth every Christian is a renter, but in the world to come each of us looks forward to being a homeowner. Since this life is just a meager sojourn for us, our hope is anchored on heavenly horizons.

Our hope lies in getting the final deed to our heavenly home.

In John 14:1-3 Jesus said," Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

In our text in 2 Corinthians 5:1 Paul is saying here that after this life is over that our spirit which is the real you won’t be found in a physical body. The body which is represented by the Greek word skenon "tent" which refers to the physical body. Paul say’s that though this earthly body (house) will be "dissolved", God has promised that there will be a "building of God."This is a description of death of the mortal body,yet it is intended to be encouragement for the believer as he/she looks at death. The word that is translated "building," is the Greek word oikodomen which means "the process of building something." The basic idea in this verse is that God is building a new house for the believer’s spirit which will be disembodied at the point of death ,leaving the body to remain on the earth. This indicates that God will create something completely new. Then Paul uses Greek word oikian which means "dwelling place", which refers to the completion of the "eternal body." Now there is 1 peculiar feature about this new body that I want to focus on, first of all it will be similar to the present one and identifiable, yet not identical because it is not going to be made by human hands, but it will be produced by God. The literal translation for the phrase "not made with hands"in the Greek is the same word that Jesus used in Mark 14:58 when He spoke of destroying the temple,which was made by the hands of men, and in three days,building another,not made by man. Jesus was speaking of His body following his resurrection.Although His own body" was made of a woman"(Galatians 4:4) at His birth,yet no human being was involved at the time of His resurrection.The believer’s human body will have the same outcome.When we are first born into this world,our body is physically produced. However,at the resurrection of the righteous dead the Apostle Paul proclaimed in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 v.15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. v.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first: v.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

God will change this body to a glorified body for in 1 Corinthians 15:50- 57 Paul say’s ,"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. v.51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, v.52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.v.53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. v.54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. v.55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? v.56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. v.57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.