Tag: Book of 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:9-11 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

The Apostle Paul is not articulating that God mete out terrible judgment upon believers and there we are to shudder and fear. Rather, the Judgment Seat of Christ is for rewards and loss of rewards in Christian service. As William MacDonald observed, “Paul is not speaking so much of the terror of the Lord for the unsaved as of the reverential awe in which he sould to serve the Lord and to please Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

A time will come when believers will be presented before Christ to receive a judgment on our life of service for Him. Christ will give the verdict. William MacDonald said well, “The judgment seat of Christ will reveal our lives of service for Christ exactly as they have been. Not only the amount of our service, but also its quality, and even the very motives that prompted it will be brought into review.”

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

As believers, we are exhorted to have our life focus upon God’s approval, to live for God’s glory in our lives. Solomon came to this same conclusion at the latter end of his life when he testified in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

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

The greatest assurance for life is the hope of eternal life. When we will take our last breath, we are confident that in Jesus Christ, we shall be present with the Lord. This is the believer’s strength for life. He has the confidence, come what may, the end is safely secured in Christ. Therefore, daily he trusts in the Lord’s guidance to bring him safely to his eternal destination in heaven. There is no fretting but a zeal to delight in the Lord, following Him in the meditation of His Word for wisdom. Wisdom to make godly decisions for a new day.

To be with Christ is far better. Yet, we have unfinished work on earth. Jesus gave the parable of the talents to encourage His people to be spiritually productive, to bear fruits of righteousness. They are to use their talent to make gain for the Lord until they will enter into the joy of the Lord.

The word “talent” is a measure of weight. It derives its name from the fact that it is a weight of circular shape. In the metrics system, it is the weight of between 28-30kg. Its weight is in either silver or gold. In short, one talent represented a large sum of money to use and invest for profit.

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

The Reformer John Calvin defined biblical faith said, “Faith is superior to human intelligence. It comes with the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Faith, therefore, us a singular gift of God in two respects, both as the mind is enlightened to understand the truth of God, and as the heart is established in it. For the Holy Spirit not only originates faith but increases it by degree till he conducts us by it all the way to the heavenly kingdom.”

Indeed, Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Noah was told by God that the world will be judged with a global flood. He was commanded to build an ark to escape the catastrophe to come. He did. Hebrews 11:7 tells the testimony of Noah’s obedient faith, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Faith is trusting God’s Word and acting upon it.

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

The Apostle Paul shared the open secret of the blessed life with God through faith in God’s Word as revealed in the Scripture. And the yielding of the heart to believe and act upon God’s promises is to walk by faith. The believer is to believe in God through Christ and he shall see the glory of God’s presence with him moment by moment, day by day. A happy walk. He is not encumbered by external circumstances and persons but his focus is to be obedient to God’s will as revealed in His Word.

Enoch is a good example of one who walked with God. It is recorded in Genesis 5:21-24 twice that Enoch walked with God. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

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

For the Apostle Paul, he longs to be with Jesus in eternity. Nevertheless, at the time of his writing this letter, he is at home in the body, and absent from the Lord. His work on earth is not done. He expressed this longing in Philippians 1:20-26 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

John W. Peterson wrote this inspiring hymn “All Things Work Out for Good” to encourage God’s people to trust Him as He works out His best design for their lives

2 Corinthians 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.

The greatest event that is coming is the rapture of the church. Christ will receive His church into glory. Most significantly, it will be the day of the redemption of the body.

The Apostle Paul tells us concerning eternal blessings in Christ in Ephesians 1:11-14 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The event of the rapture itself is well described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

2 Corinthians 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.

When a believer dies, his soul returns to heaven with God and his body is buried and consigned to the ground. This is called the Intermediate State. When Jesus returns, He will fashion a new body for that soul.

2 Corinthians 5:1-3 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. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

There are two “Enoch”s in the book of Genesis. The first man Enoch was recorded in Genesis 4, the second Enoch in Genesis 5. The first man Enoch was recorded in Genesis 4, the second Enoch in Genesis 5. Genesis 5 is a description of the godly line through Seth whereas Genesis 4 is a description of the ungodly line through Cain. One a believer and the second an unbeliever. This was the description of the godly Enoch:

Genesis 5:21-24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Hebrew 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

This Enoch lived a godly life. Notice that the word God “Elohim” has a definite article attached to the original Hebrew Scriptures. Enoch walked with “the God”. Why did the inspired writer put the definite article? And if you make a search, this is the first time that “ha-Elohim” is used in the Old Testament, to distinguish the living and true God from the gods of world worshipped at that time. He was living proof of being taken to heaven without seeing death. The translation of Enoch was in anticipation in the fullness of time the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, a cardinal to the present hope of our future resurrection the darkness of disease and death.