All Things Are of God

                                         Confidence of Glorification and Heaven 

5:1    For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

1. Paul knew, and we should know, some very special facts that are outside human sight.
   1. No think tank in the world knows these fabulous facts revealed only by the Bible.
   2. The world’s brightest thinkers do not know where we came from or why we die.
   3. In all your learning and thinking, make sure you remember what is truly important.
   4. Though worded with the conditional IF, we know the truth of the matter is WHEN.
2. Anything you might learn and know, these things are more important than any other.
   1. First – our present body is an earthly house, meaning it was from dust of the earth.
   2. Second – our present earthly body (house for the soul) is temporary (tabernacle).
   3. Third – God has a remedy when this physical body dissolves after death/burial.
   4. Fourth – God has made a new body (a building this time) for each true believer.
   5. Fifth – the future body is not by human assistance or even of reformed clay again.
   6. Sixth – the future body is eternal/immortal and waiting in heaven (I Cor 15:53-54).
   7. Seventh – Paul told about the new body, but be wise when asking (I Cor 15:35-57).
3. These facts, if remembered, drastically change outlook on life, so Bible preaching.
   1. Children can be told … That body is just the old house that Christian once lived in.
   2. This life and everything you have or you did will disappear, so emphasize the next.
   3. The present body has life expectancy of 70 with planned destruction in every cell.

5:2    For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

1. We groan in our present body, as it decays before death, wanting to get our new one.
2. When our perspective is right, the groaning is real, for it comes from earnest desire.
3. Actually, the whole creation groans and travails in pain for this change (Rom 8:22).
4. Continuing to use metaphors for the body, here Paul called it the clothes for the soul.
5. If there is an immortal body waiting for us in heaven, we should earnestly groan for it.
6. You will not have such desire, unless you are born again and set your affection there.

5:4    For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

1. In this body, feeling and knowing its decay and future, we should groan for its burden.
2. To keep this body looking decent, smelling decent, and performing decent is a burden.
3. The planned obsolescence and death of this body is what we chose in Garden of Eden.
4. Our groaning desire and burden is not just to die, but to die and get our eternal body.
5. We are mortal – our bodies must die; but we will be immortal – we will live forever.
6. What a glorious expression – our mortality will soon be swallowed up by eternal life.

5:5    Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

1. Forget living to 70 … or Moses’ 120 … or Methuselah’s 969 … you will be immortal.
2. You are designed to live forever, not this sin-cursed body that dies, but the new one.
3. The word “wrought” is past tense of the verb “work.” God made us to be immortal.
4. God works all things after the counsel of His own will – “wrought” (Ep 1:11,5; 2:10).
5. We were by the sovereign Potter afore prepared (wrought) unto glory (Rom 9:21-24).
6. The eternal inheritance for your new body was wrought from eternity (Matt 25:34,41).
7. The guarantee, down payment, surety bond, or assurance is the Holy Spirit in you.
8. The Spirit guarantees us by internal witness and external change (Eph 1:14; I Jn 3:24).

5:6    Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

1. What is the therefore there for? It drew a conclusion that eternal life is guaranteed.
2. How can we not be confident when – God designed us for life, and has guaranteed it.
3. Paul would never faint with eternal weight of glory sure (II Cor 4:16-18; Rom 8:18).
4. Paul was very logical in thought – there are only two options – the worst here is great!
5. If these things are true, we are strangers and pilgrims on earth (Heb 11:13; I Pet 2:11).
6. Paul here explained his confidence about death, for death guaranteed travel to Christ.

5:7    (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

1. These incredible future things are sure, even if we cannot literally see them right now.
2. Paul had already introduced the idea that immortal things are invisible (II Cor 4:18).
3. Living by things you cannot see is living by faith, which is the way Christians live.
4. All objects of the five senses are temporary and nothing like the realities of eternity.
5. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen, like heaven.
6. Men living by faith avoid life’s junk and do exploits for God by faith in the invisible.
7. Immortality is coming. You can be sure of it. Hope merely waits for it (Rom 8:24-25).

5:8    We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

1. Paul here upped confidence about death, for he desired death for its release to Christ.
2. A child of God can only be in two places. Paul did not consider three. Death is easy.
3. Death is just the door and way to depart from this world and be in heaven with Christ.
4. It is one thing to know these facts in your mind, but how about heart and priorities?
5. It is better to depart and be with Christ; by the Spirit, word, and each other, we hope.
6. But we are evil rebels on an enemy planet, how is it possible? How was peace made?

                                    Reconciliation and Righteousness by God in Christ 

5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

1. With a break by verses 9-17, here is how immortality with God in heaven is obtained.
2. The foundation of all things, including immortality, is/was by God’s grace in Christ.
3. This verse is like 5:5, where Paul gave all the basis and credit for immortality to God.
4. We chose for Satan and against God in Eden and each day since, but here is recovery!
5. Reconciliation puts two warring parties at peace with each other, a key relational term.
6. Jesus secured our peace with God when He died taking our sins legally out of the way.
7. All a minister does is convey what God has done and tell you to believe it and rejoice.
8. This is a view of choosing, predestinating, adopting, and making accepted (Ep 1:3-6).
9. See another summary text of God’s all-encompassing work in salvation (I Cor 1:30).

5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

1. Restated, God’s plan of salvation was Jesus dying to reconcile the elect without sins.
2. Impute = Reckon = Account = Count = God did not charge us for sins we committed.
3. The apostles and preachers get to preach the message of finished salvation by Jesus.
   1. The great God, Who wrought us for immortal glory (5:5), sent Jesus to mediate us.
   2. God made the world of His elect entirely acceptable to Him as before (Eph 1:3-6).
   3. Instead of charging us for sins, He charged those sins to Jesus Christ as Substitute.
   4. This glorious message of an accomplished fact is brought to the elect by preaching.
4. Gospel preachers do not bring or offer reconciliation, they only bring news of facts.
   1. Preaching cannot bring life or immortality; it only brings it to light (II Tim 1:9-10).
   2. There is not one soul more or less in heaven by the work of any or all preachers.
   3. God does not beg sinners to be reconciled to Him, for that was His work in Christ.
   4. The gospel is a savor of life unto life or death unto death, but not death unto life.

5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

1. God’s preachers are truly ambassadors, sent by King Jesus to address His citizens.
2. If reconciliation was accomplished at the cross by Jesus, why did they still need it?
3. Ambassadors speak for a nation and/or a ruler. God tells you to relax – peace is made.
4. They needed to hear about God’s work so their bad conscience could be made good!
5. Paul had a great burden for elect Israelites fearing about reconciliation (Rom 10:1-5).
6. The only ones that will hear, believe, and obey this gospel are those already saved.
7. What good is an acquittal or pardon, unless a man is told about it to properly enjoy it?
8. What good is a surrender or truce, if soldiers are not told? They think war is still on.

5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1. God reconciled us to Himself this way – He is perfectly holy, and we are totally sinful.
   1. He charged our sins to Jesus Christ, who then bore the penalty of death for them.
   2. He then assigned Jesus Christ’s perfect righteousness to our accounts as righteous.
   3. God views us as being in Jesus Christ where we have not sinned but been perfect.
   4. This is far more than the pitiful short definition – just as if we had never sinned.
2. This legal transaction in the mind, purpose, and reality of God is God’s work only.
3. It is unconditional relating to us, but conditional on Jesus going to the cross to die.
4. It is conditional on Jesus choosing to reject His own comfort zones to do God’s will.