Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,436
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NASB’95)
Our earthly tent is not a physical tent like one would use for camping outdoors, but this is speaking of our human bodies. And the older that we get, as humans, the more that body fails to function as it did when we were much younger. And I am at that age when I am not as strong physically, nor am I as astute (quick minded) mentally as I was when I was much younger. I tire more easily, I can forget something as soon as it enters my mind, I have to proofread these writings multiple times, and I am slowing down.
There is an old saying (I think it is old) which says, “Getting old is not for the faint of heart” (or for sissies, the weak, wimps). But everyone is different. Some of us age in mind and body more quickly than others. So we do not all have the same experience with aging. Some of that may have to do with the level of physical activity that we are involved in, or with the kind of food that we eat or do not eat, or with our physical circumstances or environments. But for the aged among us, at some point our bodies will stop working.
For those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, that is not the end of the story. Those of us who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have died with Christ to sin, by the Spirit, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we have a life beyond this earthly life which we are longing for. We have the promise of life with God in heaven for eternity, provided we continue in that faith to the end.
And that is what this passage of Scripture is talking about. And for us who are following the Lord Jesus with our lives, in obedience to his commands, and in obedience to his specific callings upon each of our lives, and who are in that age category of the elderly, I think we probably all do groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling and to escape these earthly bodies and this evil world in which we live. We long for the day when we will no longer suffer, when crying will be no more, and when hate will be gone.
Now there are a lot of people who take this passage of Scripture out of context, and they presume upon God that, just because they made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at some point in their lives, that they can now claim this promise of God, for themselves, of life eternal with him in heaven, but regardless of how they live. But this pledge from God comes with stipulations (requirements) which we must fulfill, in the power of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, according to the will and purpose of God.
Jesus taught if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die to sin daily, by the Spirit, and walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. But if we claim to be in Christ, but sin and disobedience to God are what we practice, we do not have this promise.
Genuine faith in Jesus Christ will result in us dying with Christ to sin and us walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, although not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection. For our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
We Have a Building from God
An Original Work / March 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Our earthly tent is not a physical tent like one would use for camping outdoors, but this is speaking of our human bodies. And the older that we get, as humans, the more that body fails to function as it did when we were much younger. And I am at that age when I am not as strong physically, nor am I as astute (quick minded) mentally as I was when I was much younger. I tire more easily, I can forget something as soon as it enters my mind, I have to proofread these writings multiple times, and I am slowing down.
There is an old saying (I think it is old) which says, “Getting old is not for the faint of heart” (or for sissies, the weak, wimps). But everyone is different. Some of us age in mind and body more quickly than others. So we do not all have the same experience with aging. Some of that may have to do with the level of physical activity that we are involved in, or with the kind of food that we eat or do not eat, or with our physical circumstances or environments. But for the aged among us, at some point our bodies will stop working.
For those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, that is not the end of the story. Those of us who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have died with Christ to sin, by the Spirit, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we have a life beyond this earthly life which we are longing for. We have the promise of life with God in heaven for eternity, provided we continue in that faith to the end.
And that is what this passage of Scripture is talking about. And for us who are following the Lord Jesus with our lives, in obedience to his commands, and in obedience to his specific callings upon each of our lives, and who are in that age category of the elderly, I think we probably all do groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling and to escape these earthly bodies and this evil world in which we live. We long for the day when we will no longer suffer, when crying will be no more, and when hate will be gone.
Now there are a lot of people who take this passage of Scripture out of context, and they presume upon God that, just because they made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at some point in their lives, that they can now claim this promise of God, for themselves, of life eternal with him in heaven, but regardless of how they live. But this pledge from God comes with stipulations (requirements) which we must fulfill, in the power of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, according to the will and purpose of God.
Jesus taught if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die to sin daily, by the Spirit, and walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. But if we claim to be in Christ, but sin and disobedience to God are what we practice, we do not have this promise.
Genuine faith in Jesus Christ will result in us dying with Christ to sin and us walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, although not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection. For our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
We Have a Building from God
An Original Work / March 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
