2 Corinthians 5:1

2 Corinthians 5:1 says, 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.  Paul was not speaking of an actual house, but of the temporal body.  Paul said that even if we die and this body passes away that we have a building, a body, not made by hands, but by God.  Through the sin of mankind, this body became temporal.  Verse two adds, For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  Paul said that this earthly body caused them to groan in the desire to put on that heavenly body.  As followers of Christ, we should have a great desire to put on that heavenly body, but we like Paul must declare that we are dedicated to doing the work that God has for us to do.  Verse three continues, If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.  When God clothes us in His righteousness, we will never be found naked.  Verse four states, 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.  This is another promise that we may suffer for Christ in this world, but that even if this mortal body groans, we as followers of Christ will ultimately have a resurrected body that rejoices in God.  Nothing will be left to cause us to groan.  Verse five adds, Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Paul tells us that God is the One Who gives us this promise of everlasting life and that He seals it with the Holy Spirit.  Though today we may groan from the problems and persecutions of the world, we have God's assurance that this is only temporary.  Verse six continues, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:  Paul declared that they were confident, not just if things seemed to be going well, always.  He recognized that in this life we can never be totally present with God.  We are not removed from the trials and tribulations of the world, but we are never overpowered by them as long as we remain faithful to God.  Verse seven says, (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)  Paul saw persecution and possible death by his earthly sight, but he saw everlasting life by faith.  We today must walk by faith, just as Paul did.  If we walk simply by sight, by the things we see in the world, we can easily end up in despair.  If we walk by faith in God, we can rejoice no matter what is happening in our lives. Verse eight adds, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.  Paul said that they were confident to die for their faith.  Paul knew that when he was absent from this body, or died, that he would be present with God.  As believers in Christ, we should never let the fear of death cause us to waver in our faith.  Verse nine continues, Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.  Paul said that they labored so that they would be acceptable to God, whether in life or death.  This does not mean that they were working to earn their salvation, but they were working to show their obedience to God.  We today should be laboring for Christ in all that we do.