Tents and Castles

Tents and Castles

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.

II Corinthians 5:1

The Apostle Paul was a spiritual realist. The fourth chapter of II Corinthians is his clear declaration of who and what he was in ministry. He recognizes the frailty of human flesh. He understands the weakness of the flesh and the glory of the gospel. He is, at this stage of his life and ministry pretty thoroughly beaten down physically, as well as being beset by enemies, and surrounded by opposition. What we do not find is Paul, arguing himself into right thinking. He does not give himself a motivational pep-talk or berate himself with an exercise in ‘self-confrontation.’ He simply recognizes the circumstance for being what it is, is truthful about it, and looks to Christ. Our text today takes us down that road. As bruised and battered as our physical body may be, we still cling to it. On a practical level, it is all we have. Paul points out that even if this shabby wreck of a body is destroyed, we have ‘a building from God, a house not made with hands.’ This points us directly to Christ. It was Christ who said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ We often think of this in terms of ‘mansions in the sky,’ however, the first thing Christ showed His disciples, after He had risen from the dead, was, a glorified body. For those of us who have beaten, broken, and battered bodies, this is a truly exciting prospect. Christ is going to exchange the old clay pot of our earthly body for a glorified body of His Own making. This is a great thought with which to begin what may be a pain-filled day. Some day, Child of God, someday, there will be a brand new you, crafted by the Master Himself.

Our Gracious Master and Loving God,
we rejoice that You will sustain us,
broken as we are,
until the day that You give us a new body.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice