“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV).
Paul encouraged the Corinthians not to give up, for the present troubles of this world are temporary, but the coming glory is eternal. He urged them to focus on this coming glory when our “earthly tent” will die, yet we shall live forever in an “eternal house,” which is our resurrection body, made by God.
What will this eternal body be like? It will be like the resurrection body of Jesus. For Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18, Rev. 1:5), whose body is the prototype of all who are raised in Him. Although we may not know all the details, we may consider the nature of Christ’s resurrection body as recorded in the gospels to shed light on the nature of our future bodies. As the apostle John wrote, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
So when we feel overcome by the sufferings of this world, or the groanings of our earthly bodies, let us remember the temporary nature of this life and the future glory of the next. For we will one day receive a new and eternal body fit for heaven made by God Himself. And we will enjoy life abundant and everlasting with our Lord and with His saints forever.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we often experience the pain and suffering of living in this world. We grieve the loss of loved ones and we feel anxious about the future. Yet we trust in You. We know our future is in Your hands. We have believed in Your Son and know that we have the promise of eternal life in Him and that we will receive eternal bodies fit for heaven that You have prepared for us. Therefore we place all our hopes in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.