Longing for Home (2Cor 5:1-10)

Good morning! I’m thankful that Bro. Dennis asked me to preach to you all this morning, seeing as he is at the SBC this week. Most of you already know me, but if you don’t, that’s ok. My name is Joseph Cowan, and it’s kind of funny, but the last time I preached here at FBC on Sunday Morning was the after my first semester at CCBBC. Now, I’ve graduated, so that’s just a testament to God’s faithfulness!

I was trying to choose between today’s passage and another one, but I chose to preach this one instead. The title of today’s sermon is “Longing for Home.” So, if you have a copy of God’s Word with you, turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5, and we will be covering verses 1-10. I’ve been wanting to preach on this passage for awhile, but I believe the Spirit led me to preach it now. I’ll tell you why here in a bit.

While you’re turning there, let’s get some background on this passage:

Background:

Author: The Apostle Paul

Date: Paul wrote the book from Macedonia around AD 55/56 — a year or so after writing 1 Corinthians, and a year before writing Romans.

His. Context: Paul wrote 2 Corinthians due to a complicated relationship with the Corinthian church. His planned visit and Timothy's prior visit was disrupted by chaos caused by opponents within the church. A later "painful" visit by Paul led to open rebellion. Paul then sent a "severe letter" via Titus, which brought repentance to most. However, a rebellious minority persisted, prompting Paul to write 2 Corinthians from Macedonia before his third visit (2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1). — FaithBot (ESV Study Bible, Background of 2 Corinthians). Let it be known that 1 & 2 Corinthians are canonical, meaning that despite the other letters written, these two were preserved by God for our instruction and spiritual growth.

Lit. Context: Up until this point, Paul has been defending his legitimacy in being called an apostle. Specifically, his encouragement in his own ministry, speaking on the new creation and the power of the resurrection in chapter 4.

— ESV Study Bible, Outline of 2 Corinthians.

(READ PASSAGE)

2 Corinthians 5:1–10 ESV

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. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

(PRAY)

One lovely moonlit night, a grandpa and his granddaughter went for a walk. The stars were magnificent. As the grandpa named individual stars and constellations, the granddaughter exclaimed, “Grandpa, if the bottom side of Heaven is this beautiful, just think how wonderful the top side must be.”

Each of us, at our core, feel a deep, often unspoken, longing for something more. We long for a peace that goes farther than earthly troubles, a joy that isn't fleeting, and a belonging that is complete. This profound desire points us to our true home, our eternal dwelling with Jesus. This world, with its trials and tribulations, is not our final destination. Our hearts ache to take off these frail, fleshly robes, knowing that we will be further clothed with our heavenly dwelling, a glorious body fit for eternity (vv. 2-4).

Think about that moment: when this life's journey ends, and our spirit departs our earthly body, the promise is not a void, but an immediate, glorious presence with the Lord Himself (v. 8; Phil. 1:23). This isn't just a theological truth; it's the ultimate hope that sustains us through every challenge and brings comfort in every sorrow.

With this reality before us, there are two essential truths in this passage. The first is that we will put on:

I. Our Eternal Dwelling (vv. 1-5)

(READ V. 1)

V. 1

In v. 1, Paul speaks of the “tent that is our earthly home” being “destroyed.” He’s referring to our weak, fleshly bodies.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, sin entered the world, and because all humanity descends from Adam, we are each born with a sinful nature, separated from God (Romans 5:12).

And we know that our flesh is weak! Apart from the saving work of Christ and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are completely dead in our sins and are considered “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3).

Yet, because we have been saved by grace through faith, we have a “building from God.” Paul finishes v. 1 saying that this building is not made with hands, but is eternal in the heavens.

This verse really wrestles with the reality of death. When we die, which all of us will at some point, we will be given a new, glorified body that is not riddled with the curse of sin, specifically a “resurrection body,” similar to what we see in 1 Corinthians 15. Unlike our current bodies, these will never wither or decay. This is not speculation, this is a truth that is found directly from the truths of Scripture (John 14:26, Rom. 8:16).

Another key truth from this verse is that while our bodies may change, what won’t change is our identity in Christ. Since conversion, we are children of God! That’s such an amazing truth and a comfort for us. Even though that our affliction on this side has weight, it will produce an “eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). The world and everything in it will change, but Jesus never will (Heb. 13:8).

VV. 2-4

(READ VV. 2-4)

In vv. 2-4, Paul states that each of us “groan,” and that we long to “put on our heavenly dwelling,” and that in being burdened, that we would not be unclothed, but further clothed.

I think it’s safe to say that each one of us groan to be on this earth…what do I mean?

Examples:

1) Paying taxes! We all hate paying taxes.

2) High gas prices! The average is close to $4 now or over here in town…this shouldn’t be the case

3) Here’s a pet peeve of mine, people who don’t use their turn signals!

While these frustrations are real, what Paul is speaking on here is a spiritual groaning. As believers, we groan to put on our glorified body and be rid of our mortal bodies. This is a burden that each of us have to carry, day to day.

A person who knew that best was my grandmother, Judy Phillips. As many of you know, she passed away last weekend, and we held her funeral on Thursday. I miss her dearly. But for the last several years, she’s been undergoing trial after trial of sickness, and I believe she just came to the point where she was exhausted. She longed to be rid of her mortal body and be in a glorified state like King Jesus. I believe that she is with Him this morning...

But Paul is also groaning because of the world that is effected by the curse of sin. Examples like:

Despite our souls being renewed, we still wrestle with our sinful flesh and desires.

Being cruel and malicious towards others in the Body of Christ and the lack of unity among believers.

Bad weather, allergies, illness

Divorce and broken relationships

One that breaks my heart the most: people who utterly reject the Gospel and want NOTHING to do with Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but at times, I’m sick and tired of living in this world. One commentator mentioned that “It’s as if you’re a teenager living in your parents’ house and wanting to be out on your own: “I can’t wait to get out of here!”

— Eric Mason, CCE 2 Corinthians.

The curse of sin has wrecked everything. All of creation groans to be renewed, for everything to be set right.

V. 5

Imagine you're preparing for the most magnificent journey of your life—a trip to a breathtaking, custom-built mansion that will be your eternal home. You’ve never seen it, but the Architect has shown you detailed blueprints and promised it will be far grander than anything you can imagine. To confirm His promise and assure you that the mansion will indeed be yours, He gives you a valuable, tangible down payment. This down payment isn't the entire mansion, but it’s a non-refundable, unchallengeable token of His commitment, a part of the future glory that is already yours. It’s a guarantee that the full inheritance is certain.

(READ V. 5)

That is the essential truth of v. 5! Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 5:5 ESV

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

When we repent of our sin, and trust in Christ, God will give us His Spirit. Some of the Holy Spirit’s roles is being the convictor of sin and revealer of truth (Jhn 16:8-11); Comforter and Helper (Jhn 14:16-17; Rom. 15:13); and in this passage, the Sealer and Guarantee: He “seals believers, marking them as God’s own, and serves as a down payment [or guarantee] of their future inheritance and redemption.”

— FaithBot, v. 5.

This isn't just a wishful thought or mere speculation. The God who designed this glorious future has given us His Holy Spirit as a divine guarantee, sealing our promise of this eternal home (v. 5; Eph. 1:13-14).

— FaithBot, vv. 2-5.

Remember, because of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we will not be some immaterial spirit going to Heaven, but rather, we will be “putting on our heavenly dwelling,” meaning that we will be like Christ, from mortal to immortal (1 Cor. 15:53-54; Phil. 3:20-21).

So, up until this point we’ve discussed the our eternal dwelling and the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, Now we will discuss:

II. Our Ultimate Aim (vv. 6-10)

VV. 6-8

Let’s look at vv. 6-8

(READ VV. 6-8)

Paul speaks on always being “of good courage.” I believe what Paul is talking about here is having an unwavering confidence that comes from setting our hope on Christ! We’re not placing our hopes in ourselves or the things of this world, but in our radiant and powerful King, Jesus Christ. He acknowledges that because we are living in our flesh, we are away from the Lord. Though we are united with Christ and possess the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are not completely in His visible, glorified presence; our union with Him is complete! We still live here on Earth, and we have not reached our real home, that is being in the presence of the Lord.

This flows straight into v. 7: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” This is the crux of the Christian life. Though each of us desire to see and look upon Christ, we must continue to trust Him when we can’t see what He’s doing.

After His resurrection, Jesus would say to Thomas in John 20:29,

John 20:29 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Walking by faith essentially means trusting in the “unseen realities of God's Word and His character, rather than being swayed by what our physical eyes can see. Our hope in Christ empowers us to believe in what God has promised, even when we cannot see the fulfillment of those promises now. It means trusting in His provision, His power, and His perfect plan for us because our hope is in Him.”

— FaithBot, v. 7.

Thus, we go into v. 8: believers are of good courage, and we would rather be away from our bodies and be at home with the Lord. This is the ultimate longing for any believer, and this should trump any desire to continue to live in this world or the fear of death, because this a believer’s true hope, a “glorious future being in the presence of Christ.” This ultimate longing, rooted in our hope in Christ, is what enables believers to persevere through earthly trials with steadfast courage, knowing their eternal destiny is secure with Him.

— FaithBot, v. 8.

VV. 9-10

Don’t shut me out now, I really need y’all to pay close attention! I would argue that these are the most important verses in this passage.

(READ VV. 9-10)

In v. 9, this is where things get real for believers, because it questions what state our hearts are in: Are we aiming to please Jesus? Are we seeking to glorify Him in all that we say, think, or do? I’ve had to answer those questions this week, and lately, I’ve just been going through the motions, meandering about my days.

But if we truly belong to Christ, then does He not own every part of us? Shouldn’t pleasing our King be our ultimate aim, not because we’re slaves, but His friends? (John 15:13-14).

For me, this verse changes everything! It changes how I view and live out the Christian life. One of the things I’ve struggled with in my walk with Christ has been feeling that He doesn’t love me, and that I have to earn everything — His love, favor, grace, mercy, you name it! One of things that I’m still learning is that my feelings are fickle and that I can’t trust them. The enemy of my soul wants me to stay there, and not trust what Scripture actually says, that I am redeemed and set free from the power of sin!

And here’s the truth of the matter, why wouldn’t we want to please Him? He saved our souls from an eternity in hell, the wrath of God being poured out on us! We were literally dead in our sins, and he literally brought us back to life (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13). We own Him everything...yet, at times, we barely give Him the time of day. Anyone? Just me then?

I believe this ties to what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

You report to headquarters. Never mind what anybody else thinks of you. Your business is to please Christ, and the less you trouble yourselves about pleasing men the more you will succeed in doing it.

— Alexander Maclaren

I believe this looks different for everyone in terms of application. So, what would it look for you to please Christ this week? Confessing sin? Sharing the Gospel? Being hospitable to your fellow believers? There’s no one specific way to do this! But you wanna know one way you can do that? By simply wanting to follow Him. God is pleased when one of His sons or daughters want to follow after Him.

Then, in v. 10, we see something that affects us all: We will all appear before Christ and receive what we’ve done in our bodies, whether good or evil.

That’s real y’all! This is either a comfort or a conviction. But notice he speaks on the judgment seat of Christ. This is not the great white throne judgment like in Rev. 20, because that one is meant for salvation. This judgment seat is specifically for believers. We will either receive crowns, or our works will burnt with fire (1 Cor. 3:10-15).

Summary

In attempting to summarize this passage, I believe we can look to the the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism which says, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”

It’s a good question, isn’t it? I love the answer:

That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Application and Invitation

(PIANIST COMES UP)

So, my question for you all this morning is this: What is your next step in following Christ and serving the Church?

We talked a lot this morning about about our eternal, heavenly dwelling, and our ultimate aim as believers. Let’s be honest here...if you haven’t been born again as Jesus commands in John 3, then you will not see heaven. You will not see God’s kingdom, and you will not please God with your life, you will spend eternity in hell. So I urge you, come. Paul would write just a few verses down, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

But if you are saved, and you need to come forward as well, please do that this morning. Come do business with God. Let’s pray.

(PRAY)