“While we are in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, He has given us His Holy Spirit. So, we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies, we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:4-8)
God wants every believer to understand what happens when they say yes to Jesus. In the next chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul tells believers to not accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it; see 6:1. Too much is at stake as well as the cost of salvation for God to nudge your heart to follow His Son, you accept His invite, then live like nothing has changed.
When God calls you, He is giving His all to you. He gave His Son over 2,000 years ago so eternal life can be yours. He gives you the Spirit so you are never alone. The Holy Spirit is your constant counselor who guides you to live out the truths found in God’s Word. He helps you to become more like Jesus as you learn to trust God more and more. God gives you a new heart for the one you had was sinful and selfish. He places within you a thirst for Him, and He builds up your faith so your life becomes swallowed up by HIs life.
He builds you up so your life becomes swallowed up by His life.
A couple chapters earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul helps believers to understand what transpires within you when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Let’s see what you (and I) can learn from Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. There was an old way to following God. It began with Moses but it faded out. What began with glory eventually led to death. The Old Testament way of believing was temporary. It pointed to the eternal way that came through Christ. He became the new way of walking with God.
The old way brought condemnation and needed preplacing. The new way gives hope. You can expect God to move within your life. The new way makes you right with God. You can enter into His presence and ask for anything and everything. This new way is full of overwhelming glory! It is beyond anything in this world. It gives you confidence to be very bold as you live out your faith for all to see.
The old way, in verses 13-15, reveal how a heart that does not follow Jesus has a veil over it. Paul said that their heart is covered and unable to understand truth. It is hardened and unable to receive what God has done for them. But, when you believe and turn to God, the veil is removed, and the Spirit is able to move freely within a repentant heart to make the necessary changes for a child of God to be swallowed up by His Life.
A life swallowed up by His Life has the Spirit flowing freely.
“So, all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”18 Walk in such a way that you see God in every area of your life, as well as others seeing Jesus in you.
Carol J German 