Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8
“What happens when we die?” People of all different backgrounds have sought to understand this question over the years. It is a good question. After all, we know that life on earth is temporary. Eventually, we will pass away, or Jesus will return. So it is only natural to wonder what will happen when we are no longer on this earth. Thankfully, Scripture gives us an understanding of what happens for followers of Christ when Jesus returns. While we do not know all the details, we know that followers of Christ are instantly with Jesus when they are no longer alive. This, my friends, is the best news to hold on to.
The apostle Paul and Timothy wrote about the mystery of what happens to us when we die in 2 Corinthians 5. In this chapter, they considered whether or not they would rather be in their earthly bodies or in heaven. They concluded that they would rather be in heaven because then they would be “at home with the Lord.” This statement means that as soon as we are no longer in our earthly bodies, we are with Jesus. This is the truth we must hold on to as followers of Christ.
Although Paul and Timothy said they would rather be with Christ, they ultimately wrote that they wanted to please Him, whether in their earthly bodies or with Him (verse 9). After all, we will all stand before Christ one day and give an account of how we have lived.
Friends, because we know that as soon as we take our last breath, we will be with Jesus, we do not have to fear death. For the moment we die, we are in Christ’s very presence. So may we cling to His truth and hope today. So may we say, as Paul said confidently, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, NIV).
This truth from Scripture that we have talked about today is the truth we need to remember often. So please take a few minutes to begin memorizing 2 Corinthians 5:8. It is not a long verse but a weighty and important one. It is an encouraging verse because it reminds us that when we breathe our last breath, we will be in the presence of Jesus. What a wonderful day that will be!
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
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