Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(2Co 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.”  To “wrought us” and “the earnest of the Spirit”  speak of the same thing. It speaks of that new body being something that will, without doubt, take effect. “Wrought” speaks of finishing. The Spirit of God living inside us being the “earnest”, speaks of “a token, a sign, a surety of a promise”. Praise God, how can  you possibly doubt if you so have the evidence, the reality of the Holy Spirit within you?

(2Co 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.”   Interesting phrase: “mortality might be swallowed up of life”. Death hangs like an awning over us in this life. It’s awful fingers touch each of us from loved ones, to our own sickness, to its nearness in old age. Our salvation speaks of life incorruptible: no sickness, no aging, only immortality!

(2Co 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.”  It is not wrong to desire the next life. Our bodies certainly go through periods of desire to depart them. This is the desire and hope of the Believer, for we have been promised this by God Who cannot lie nor does He change His mind. Bless the Lord!

(2Co 5:3)  “If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.”  While speaking to the Corinthians he, like any good preacher, makes sure that if one is lost their heart may be pricked. That is why he speaks of being found “naked”. There is a new body awaiting all the truly saved, (1 Cor 15:51) “…we shall all be changed….(52)… and the dead shall be raised incorruptible…” 

 (2Co 5:1) “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:”  When the saved suffer the sickness and pains of this life, it turns their minds heavenward, or to the future. They make us long for the release from this body unto that which God has promised and will fulfill!

(2Co 5:1) “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.”  This house is referring to first of all, the spiritual body we call “the spirit” (it houses the soul); and second of all, to the resurrected eternal body like Jesus’ (to house the soul). Before the Rapture takes place, those who die open their spiritual eyes in the presence of the Lord. Their physical body is buried or cremated. Those individuals are waiting for the Rapture that will resurrect and transform their old bodies into new eternal ones, uniting the spirit to that body.

(2Co 4:17) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,…(18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  The things of which we most concern ourselves about, affect us for a very short time and then they or we, are gone. When we focus and put forth work towards eternity we are investing in things that will never cease: praise His Name!

 (2Co 4:18) “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  If only this verse was burned into our memories, into our very souls! If so, when life’s hardships came upon us, we would rightly look to eternity and thus respond rightly. May God give us a heart to look at this life through the eyes of the spiritual as revealed in God’s Word.

(2Co 4:17) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”  If we look through spiritual eyes at this life’s purpose, the things we truly do for the Lord rather than self is an investment to be rewarded on the other side of this life.