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This text focuses on Paul as he explains how a Christian moves from this life to the presence of the Lord. 

  Paul describes our present bodies as Tabernacles or dwelling places of the spirit. In this life our spirits groan about the discomfort and claustrophobic conditions in which they are forced to live. In this life, our bodies are but shells that contain our spirit before it returns either to God or eternal damnation. The longer we live, the more cramped the living space. Bodies wear, and health fails. Paul says in verse four, For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. Paul's words are encouraging to believers who need to know what happens next. Believers need to know the order of things. We need to know what to expect. He answers the question, 

  What happens to a believer when this tabernacle is dissolved? His answer is brief and concise. When we are absent in the body, or at the moment of our departure, we are instantly taken into the presence of the Lord. In this body, we walk by faith because we cannot see. We are not fully in his presence, here. Here we live on his promises and dream of being in his prese