5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Think about this statement and ask yourself whether it seems to be true or false: “If you spend a lot of time thinking about heaven, you’ll not be very productive on earth.” Or how about this: “It’s best to focus on this world; you can worry about heaven later.” Today, Pastor John shows from the writings of the apostle Paul that keeping heaven first and foremost in your thinking is the basis for a fruitful life on earth. Your heavenly perspective has all the benefits for your eternal life, both now and later.
Now, let’s join Pastor John in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 5 as he begins his message, Our Future Hope.