Question
WE MAKE IT OUR GOAL TO PLEASE HIM
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Key Verse 5:9
“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
1. Read verses 1-4. Describe the difference between an earthly tent and a building from God? (1) Why do we groan while we live here on earth? (2, 3) What will happen when we are clothed with a heavenly dwelling? (4)
2. Read verses 5-8. Why should we always be confident about what is to come? (5, 6) What does the expression, “we live by faith, not by sight’ mean? (7) What do we prefer as our dwelling? (8)
3. Read verses 9-10. What should be our goal? (9) What will happen to each of us when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ? (10)
Manuscript
Biblenote
WE MAKE IT OUR GOAL TO PLEASE HIM
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Key Verse 9
“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
Introduction
In the last two verses of the previous passage, Paul has just contrasted our light affliction with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and things which are seen and temporary with things that are not seen and eternal. Now, Paul will write more about this contrast between the earthly and the eternal. Paul is bold enough to say, “We know.” Christians can know what the world beyond this one is like because we know what God’s eternal word says. That being said, in this passage Paul assures the believers that they will wear heavenly body and the Holy Spirit is given as a deposit to guarantee the hope. As a reasonable conclusion, Paul also encourage the believers to make it their goal to please God whether they are in the body or away from it. May God help us to pick up holy desire to please him all the more with the hope of resurrection with new heavenly body and God’s reward through studying today’s passage.
1. Read verses 1-4. Describe the difference between an earthly tent and a building from God? (1) Why do we groan while we live here on earth? (2, 3) What will happen when we are clothed with a heavenly dwelling? (4)
1-1. Read verses 1-4.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
1-2. Describe the difference between an earthly tent and a building from God? (1)
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself and not by human hands. (Living Bible)
· Earthly tent is our earthly physical body. Tent- temporary not permanent, our earthly body is temporary. It is not the place we would dwell permanently. And our earthly body is like a tent that easily gets collapsed and destroyed.
- Earthly tent will be destroyed- our body will die and go back to dust. Salvation isn’t just for the soul or spirit, but for the body also. Resurrection is how God saves our bodies. We have a glorious new body to come.
· A building from God, an eternal house in heaven- it is heavenly body and resurrection body. A building is a permanent place. Resurrection body is permanent body like a house, it will never get destroyed. This is eternal body
- The building is from God. This body is glorious and holy. It can’t be destroyed. No more getting old, being sick, weak or dead in the new body.
1-3. Why do we groan while we live here on earth? (2, 3)
Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,
- We groan living in earthly body going through many sufferings and long to be clothed with heavenly body.
- Christians therefore groan because we see both the limitations of this body and superiority of the body to come. We are earnestly desiring our new bodies.
- We can endure all the suffering because of the hope for the heavenly dwelling.
3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
- We will not remain without body forever like some people might think. After we take off our earthly body as we die, we will be clothed with glorious heavenly body when Jesus returns in His glory.
- Existing without body is like living without wearing clothe. It means it is necessary for us to wear new resurrection body to live in the kingdom of heaven.
1-4. What will happen when we are clothed with a heavenly dwelling? (4)
For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
· For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,
- We groan and burdened in our earthly body not because we want to get away from our earthly body but because we long to be clothed with the heavenly body.
- Even though we groan and burdened in the earthly body, we don’t just want to take off our earthly body. Rather we endure sufferings and serve the Lord to be clothed with heavenly body.
- Those who have the hope of resurrection are willing to suffer in their earthly body to serve God’s will especially to participate in the suffering of Jesus through earthly body.
· so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life - when we wear heavenly body what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. There will be no more death. Nothing will die any more. All beings will live eternally. We will never see death.
2. Read verses 5-8. Why should we always be confident about what is to come? (5, 6) What does the expression, “we live by faith, not by sight’ mean? (7) What do we prefer as our dwelling? (8)
2-1. Read verses 5-8.
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2-2. Why should we always be confident about what is to come? (5, 6)
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
· Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come
- It is God who fashioned us to wear the heavenly body. In other words, God is preparing us right now for our eternal destiny. Here, Paul again connects the ideas of our light affliction and the eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our light affliction is (in part) how God has prepared us.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
- To guarantee our hope of resurrection with heavenly body, God gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit. Because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us we can be sure that the hope comes true.
· Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
- Even though we are unified with the Lord Jesus through Holy Spirit, we are now away from him as long as we are in the earthly body.
- The place where Jesus exists and the place where we live now are different, for we live in the earthly body.
- But when we wear heavenly body we will live in the same place with Jesus, which is the heavenly kingdom.
2-3. What does the expression, “we live by faith, not by sight’ mean? (7)
For we live by faith, not by sight.
· For we live by faith, not by sight – We don’t live just based on what we can see in this world but live by faith believing what we can’t not see, which is the glory of resurrection especially living with the Lord forever.
· Even though we live in this visible world, we live as if we see the invisible world by faith. So our life is affected by faith more than what we see or experience in this world.
· We believers live by faith believing what in coming not just seeing what we can see now.
· We see the glory of Jesus and the glory of resurrection by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 reads,
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
2-4. What do we prefer as our dwelling? (8)
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
- Because of his faith, Paul was confident of resurrection
- Because of the confidence he preferred to be away from the body and to stay with the Lord.
3. Read verses 9-10. What should be our goal? (9) What will happen to each of us when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ? (10)
3-1. Read verses 9-10.
9 So we make it our goal to please him,whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
3-2. What should be our goal? (9)
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
- Whether he lives in his earthly body or away from it, the one single goal he had was to please God.
- Living in the body or living in the heavenly body is not our ultimate goal. We don’t live to dwell in the better place either in our earthly body or heavenly body but should live to please God.
- Pleasing God is our goal all the time whether we live in good situation or bad situation.
- Even groaning in our body going through suffering we still want to please God only.
· Pleasing God should be our first priority than any other benefits.
- It doesn’t matter we die or not. Our only interest should be pleasing God. This is to be the goal of our life.
- The goal of all our work for the Lord and salvation for others should be pleasing God.
- That is why to please God, Paul went through all hardships and suffering.
3-3. What will happen to each of us when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ? (10)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
· For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
- All of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Even though we are saved in Jesus, we still must appear before and will be judged by the Lord.
- Someone could think once he is saved it doesn’t matter how he lives, for only those who didn’t believe in Jesus will stand before Christ. But they are badly misunderstood.
· so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. – God judges just according to what we have done while we live in this world. it is so important how to live in this world.
· We will receive reward according to how we live while we live in earthly body.
- Even though all believers are saved by faith and God’s grace alone, reward from God for each individual will be different according to what we have done while we live in our body.
- Once we are saved by faith we should do our best to please God.
· Each individual will stand before God- each one is responsible for his or her life. We cannot blame others about how we have lived in this world.
- Everything we have done will be exposed before God even our hidden motives and God will reward us accordingly.
· We have to check if I am doing good or bad before God.
- If we make it our goal to please God and live according to that purpose we don’t need to worry about God’s judgment.
Conclusion
We will be clothed with glorious heavenly body which is never destroyed but last eternally. We live by faith not by sight hoping the glory of resurrection. The ultimate goal of our life is to please God whether we are in earthly body or heavenly body. God will reward us according to how we have lived in our earthly body. May God help us to live with one single goal, to please God.
One word:Goal to please God!