To Be Absent From The Body

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 5:1-7

A man approached me at church a couple of weeks ago to say hello. I knew him, not well, but we had spoken a few times. He said that he was prompted by the Spirit to say hello. We talked for a few minutes before the service began. Our conversation, though brief, drifted to our wives and their physical ailments. That is when the Spirit brought the Word to my mind.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. - 2 Corinthians 4:16

He looked a little surprised when I shared it – but I followed that with the encouragement that even though our bodies will all fail us – our spiritual selves are eternal. I had recently met with my cardiologist after extensive testing just to see where I was cardiac health wise. He looked at me and said, with a smile, “Well – you have another 20 to 25 years” To which I replied – that will make me 100 when I am called to heaven!

The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27

it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

God does not tell us how, when or where just that, unless Jesus returns before that – one day we will all die a mortal death.

When I was in the Army I often said the reason they send young men to war is that they believe death will happen to someone else. So they are willing to take risks. I personally participated in 2 wars and the thought of being injured or killed was not something I ever thought about.

But the older we get the more we become aware of our own mortality. We find that we have more doctors than we have friends. We talk less about our sports alignments and more about our physical ailments.

Everyone reading this post – for that matter, all those whose hearts are beating today may and most probably will die before Jesus comes back – and so we and every generation that follows must be ready. But, one day the Father will say to the Son – Go! My view is that if I die before Jesus returns then that just means I get raptured early.

I read in the on-line news that Catherine O'Hara - the mom in the movie "Home Alone" died of a pulmonary embolism. It got my attention because I had two embolisms at once - one in each lung in 2003. I was 53. The doctor told me that he had never seen someone survive embolisms of the size that passed through my heart. I told him the explanation is that Lord must have something for me yet to do. That was 2 years before Martie and I were called to the mission field which we are still on.

Environmentalists are concerned about preserving the earth for future generations .. actually that is not a bad thing .. but it is not the best thing. This world, like these jars of clay that we know as our earthly bodies, will pass away one day.  We need to be good stewards of God’s creation, certainly. But, the more important thing is that there is an eternity beyond this earthly life … and the bigger question is where will the future generations spend eternity.  Not everyone will be saved .. but some will .. that is because we have been given a free will … free to reject God and His gift of grace through Jesus and His sacrifice. 

Our purpose is to live in obedience to the Word of God by the power of the Spirit AND submission of our will to the Father through faith in Jesus for as long as we live. AND – to share the Good News with those around us.  We do that through both words and deeds.  

My mom shared her faith with more people than I can count. She was a woman of the Word. A shining star of faith.  And yet – when my step dad, who was my spiritual father, passed she struggled. She did not doubt that he was in heaven – but she missed him so. One day, about 6 years after his passing, she asked me if I thought he remembered her. I thought – this woman knows the answer better than I  and then I thought about the father whose son was demon possessed in Mark 9. Jesus said “If you believe” to which the man replied “I believe but help me with my unbelief” That is where my mom was at that moment.

Shortly after that I wrote a poem for her calling it “Eternal Love – in God’s Hands” and shared it with my mom. Some years later I converted the poem to a song.

I am certain that most who read this will have had someone they love pass from this life. Listen, God is saying to all of us, “Have faith and be at peace.”

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone