2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Tents
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 26, 2020 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) In chapter four, Paul referred to our bodies as jars of clay. Now, he refers to them as tents. Paul was a tentmaker, so maybe this was natural for him. He says that if our earthly home (our body) is destroyed, it is okay because God has a building to give us to replace it. Paul explains that it is not the same as an earthly body. It is one made in heaven. Paul also says that the new body is eternal. He says that we long to have our new bodies. His logic is not that there will be no pain or that it will have super powers. His logic is that the new tent-body will cover our nakedness. The implication is that the sinfulness in our bodies now will not be in our heavenly bodies. Paul says that he is not saying that he wants to have no body. Instead, he wants a better body.
(Revelation of God) Then Paul makes an interesting statement. He says that we are being prepared for this new body now through the gift of the Spirit. He says that the Spirit living in us is a guarantee to us that God will give us new bodies. I think the logic is that there would be no need to be preparing us now, transforming us, if we would just die when our mortal bodies give out. The fact that God is working so hard to transform us now, is a promise that He has a place for us to be with Him in the future. Because of this knowledge, we are not fearful or in despair at the problems our bodies now face. We face the future deterioration of our bodies with courage. As long as we are in our present bodies, we are separated from God. We only have faith that one day, our situation will be different and we will be united with God in different bodies.
(Understanding the Text) Paul says that he would prefer to be in the tent-body that God has prepared because then he would be at home with God. However, whether the future Paul or the Paul writing to Corinthians in his mortal body, Paul has only one mind, one goal. Paul wants to please God in whatever he does, thinks, or says. Changing bodies will not change his allegiance. Paul says that what we do now in our mortal bodies will affect us in the future. He says that we each have to stand before the judgment seat and each of us must answer for what we do now. Even though we are in bodies of death now, we must constantly choose life until one day, we won’t be fighting against death anymore. Life will permeate us both mentally and physically because spiritually everything has been renewed.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I want a new situation where my body is not working against me drawing me away from God and towards evil. I want a balanced body and mind that will please God. I am out of balance now, but I am striving to be balanced and unbroken always turning toward You. I don’t always succeed. Help me to always be clothed in Your beauty whether others can see it or not.