In the Meantime (2 Corinthians 5:6–10)

by Doug Van Meter | 2 Corinthians Exposition

Paul has confidently explained his conviction about his future life in a future body. He was confident of God’s promised resurrection. While he was quite literally comfortable in his skin—at home in his earthly body—he looked forward to his resurrected and thus heavenly body. We can say that he was both at home and looking forward to being at home. And, as he aged, he knew that he was almost home (2 Timothy 4:6).

Christians live between two homes. All Christians, not merely the wealthy ones! We have an earthly home—our fallen, mortal body (v. 1)—but we long for our heavenly home—our gloriously, fully redeemed and thus immortal body (v. 2). We are simultaneously “at home” and “almost home.” This can create an existential tension, and we find ourselves pondering, “In the meantime, how should I then live?” In an email thread with numerous pastors this week, Pastor Garett Kell signed off, “Whatever you do, stay holy, humble, and happy in Jesus. Far too many are not persevering, but Jesus will help you. Don’t lose heart, we’re almost home.” Sounds like he has been reading 2 Corinthians 5:6–10!

In this passage, we learn that, while we remain at home in our mortal body, we are to live motivated by the promise of our home in a resurrected body. While we live for that which is ultimately future, in the meantime we are to faithfully fulfil our Christ-driven responsibilities in the immediate present. These responsibilities, and the way to fulfil them, are revealed in these verses. That is, while we await our glorified body, we live in the meantime with a confident disposition (vv. 6–8), a concentrated motivation (v. 9), and a certain expectation (v. 10).

A Confident Disposition

Paul’s disposition can be seen in vv. 6–8:

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.

2 Corinthians 5:6–8

With reference to v. 5, the nineteenth-century Baptist pastor, Alexander Maclaren, commented that the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit “serves as a prophecy of the Christian’s future.” We long to go home and so we, at times, find ourselves appropriately singing with a cheerful and courageous disposition, “Almost Home.”

A Confident Perspective

“So” (or “therefore”) continues the flow from the preceding passage. Precisely because Paul lived in view of the unseen (4:18; 5:5), he could say that he was always “of good courage.” He reminds us that our confidence about the future, in the meantime, produces a disposition of quiet willingness and constant courage.

This phrase can be translated, “take heart.” The Lord Jesus exhorted an afflicted, though faithful, woman to “take heart” as she touched him because her faith had made her well/whole (Matthew 9:22). Earlier, he had said to a beleaguered and paralysed man that he could “take heart” because his sins were forgiven (Matthew 9:2). To his panicked disciples on Galilee, as they saw him walking on the water, he said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

Since this disposition is Spirit-wrought, it eschews all self-sufficiency and can-do haughtiness. As Seifrid comments, “‘Confidence’ for the apostle is not being confident but having confidence. Confidence is given to him from without, not mustered from within.” Calvin concurs: “That good courage of which Paul speaks has no place in us, unless it is maintained by the Spirit of God.”

Pulling this together, Paul is saying that, at all times, regardless of circumstances, he was cheerfully confident. Rather than losing heart (4:1, 16), he was bold in heart. He knew to whom he belonged, believed what he preached, and knew where he was headed. Much like the writer of Hebrews, Paul “can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:16). His confidence in God’s revelation about his future (5:1) equipped him to “take heart”—to be bold and cheerfully confident—in his afflictions, perplexities, and persecutions (4:8–9). This explains how he could be content in whatever condition he found himself (Philippians 4:10–11). This explains why he could return to Lystra, having been stoned and left for dead a few days earlier. This explains why he could continue to make disciples, though the likes of Demas had forsaken him. This explains why he could continue to care for the Corinthian church despite being treated so indifferently, dismissively, and disrespectfully. His confidence was not a Pollyannish syrupy or merely stoic approach to difficulties but rather an informed faith concerning his future life (5:1). Confidence concerning his future life provided him with stability in the present.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is our birthright. While we face afflictions, perplexities, and persecutions, and are at times even cast down (4:8–9) while “at home,” nevertheless, because of the promised future (vv. 1–4) and the present comfort of the Holy Spirit (v. 5), we face these with quiet willingness and constant courage.

The Christian is never more than a jar of clay while here at home (4:7). While at home in the body, the Christian is always weak. This confession is essential if we will know the confidence—the “cheerful courage”—of which Paul writes. So, Christian, work on your weakness! I don’t mean overcome it by being strong. I mean embrace it and experience God’s strength. You don’t have to be strong.

The Christian’s future life has present consequences. A biblically-informed eternal perspective equips and empowers us to boldly obey, despite contrary circumstances. A biblically-informed eternal perspective equips and empowers us to serve Christ though our unbelieving spouse is not only unsupportive but even hostile. A biblically-informed eternal perspective equips and empowers us to be cheerful and to live with a calm confidence in the face of a corrupt government and a failing economy. A biblically-informed eternal perspective equips and empowers us to die well.

Don’t miss the significance of “always.” This is not hyperbole. It is promise!

I couldn’t help as I studied this text but to think of Nelson Mandela and the calm disposition he apparently displayed as a prisoner, in the end winning over many of those who guarded him.

There is little evidence, sadly, that he was trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. If, therefore, an unbeliever could have such a disposition, how much more must one who has the Spirit be of such a disposition.

Christ’s Presence

Verses 6b–7 provide additional insight into this calm, courageous, cheerful confidence. “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.”

Christians are sometimes accused of pie-in-the-sky, bury-your-head-in-the-sand hope, deceived by belief in a future resurrection. Unfortunately, sometimes superficial hymns and sentimental and unscriptural teachings about heaven have fuelled such criticism. Others have accused Christians of being “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good” as a means of criticising believers of being unhelpfully disconnected from the aches and pains of living in this world. Whatever the validity (or lack thereof) of such charges, they would find no sympathy from the verses before us. Paul instructs that, while confident about future life, while understanding that he was almost home, in the meantime he and his fellow Christians are to walk and work by faith here at home.

Confidence about our future provides no justification for passivity in the present. In fact, confidence about the future empowers us for life in the present. Though we long to be at home with the Lord, in the meantime, while we are away, we can live like we are at home. This is the gist of v. 7. Those saved by faith in the unseen Saviour live by faith experiencing the presence of the unseen Saviour.

Paul immediately confronted the present reality: He was not yet resurrected (6b). He did not yet have his heavenly dwelling. He did not yet have his glorious body in which he would be at home forever. How then did he maintain such a disposition? How did he live so confidently as though the resurrection had already occurred? In other words, what informed his eschatological outlook of the “already but not yet”? Simply, his faith (v. 7). This was at the root of all he had written from 4:1.

Paul would concur with the writer to the Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (11:1). Though he had not experienced bodily resurrection, the evidence was present in his inner self being renewed day by day (4:16). He was sure of his promised future weight of glory (4:17) even though he groaned daily under the weight of a sin-soaked world. He was convinced of the unseen while that which was obvious to the sight sought to dominate his vision (4:18). By faith, he was empowered to cheerfully, courageously, and constructively persevere. His faith, rather than a socio-psychological alleged “opiate of the people” (per Karl Marx), was grounded in the reality of God’s revelation.

Present Presence

Paul is informing us that the presence of Christ is not reserved for when we “get home.” It is a present presence while we are away from home.

The presence of Christ is the context of v. 7. Paul is saying that, even though he was away from the Lord, even though he was presently in a sin-soaked body and world, by the gift of faith he knew of the Lord’s presence in the here and now. In fact, it seems that this present experience of the Lord’s presence was what fuelled his desire to depart for his ultimate home (see Philippians 1:21–23).

We can paraphrase his words: “While I long for a body that fits me to abide the glorious presence of God, in the meantime I am empowered by faith to experience something of his presence even now.”

In v. 8, Paul repeats his words of v. 6, summarising the effect of his walking by faith. “Yes, because of Spirit-wrought faith I experience the presence of God and therefore I am of good courage (as are others who also believe). As much as we would love to depart and be with Christ, as much as we crave a new and sinless because Christlike body, and therefore unbroken communion with the Lord, nevertheless we can persevere upheld by the Lord’s presence even here and now.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, realising that we are almost home does not make us escapists. Rather, such conviction empowers us to make the most of our “home” here on earth. Being fit for heaven empowers us to be faithful and fruitful on earth. O that we would be more heavenly minded!

Christian, you do not have to die to experience the presence of the Lord. Well, you do, but not physically. You must die to self, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, no matter the cost.

Biblical faith brings the future into the present. By faith, Paul enjoyed the Lord’s presence, not to the same degree we will when we are in in his unmediated presence, but no less real.

A Concentrated Motivation

There is a lot of logical argument in these verses—lots of “sos” and “therefores.” There is another in v. 9: “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

Paul says that, in the light of his confident conviction about the presence of the Lord (and note that his conviction is relational, not spatial), he was motivated to live in such a way that he would bring pleasure to the Lord. He made a concerted effort to live in this way. He concentrated his life in this direction. What was true of him is to be true of everyone who claims to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Caution

Paul is not suggesting that he sought to live to be accepted by the Lord. He understood that it was only by the cross work and resurrection of Jesus that he could be presented before the Lord without condemnation (Romans 8:1). He is saying is that, because he belonged to the Lord, because he was certain that he was both at home and almost home with the Lord, his ambition was to live to please and honour the Lord.

The phrase “make it our aim” carries the idea of ambition. Ambition can be either good or bad, self-centred or God-centred. In this case Paul is expressing his “ambition of being honoured by pleasing Christ” (Maclaren). In other words, his greatest honour was to please the Lord.

Philip Hughes summarises: “This is his consuming ambition, the motive behind all that he does. To be well-pleasing to Christ is, indeed, the sum of all ambition which is truly Christian.”

Home and Away

Whether in his “earthly home,” or one day in his heavenly home, he wanted the accolade, “Well done my faithful servant.” Just as he knew he would feel the Lord’s pleasure when he received his glorious and immortal body, he equally wanted to live such a pleasing life now. It was his ambition. The poet wrote, “Ah, a man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Paul would agree.

Considering the context of the chapter, and the overall context of the book, this is an essential statement. Paul was undergoing severe criticism. He was under painful attack by his enemies and, to some degree, by his friends. He was experiencing affliction, perplexity, and even persecution. One way out of this was to quit. If he gave in and gave up, his critics would have been pleased. Alternatively, he could escape the troubles by changing his message. When the word of God is watered down, opposition by unbelievers ceases. The world applauds a works-based gospel (which is not the gospel!). It applauds a “social gospel.” But, of course, Paul refused to do so. Why? Because pleasing man was not his ambition; pleasing the Lord was. Scottish pastor Alexander Maclaren said over a century ago, “A prime condition of a Christ-pleasing life is a wholesome disregard of what anybody says but him…. Your business is to please Christ, and the less you trouble yourself about pleasing men the more you will succeed in doing it.” This remains true.

Brothers and sisters, what is your ambition? What is the aim in which your life is directed? It seems that the answer to that question depends largely on where we feel most at home. Further, it depends on where we plan to be at home for eternity.

Again, practically, this helps us to appreciate that an eternal perspective. The awareness that we are almost home equips us to finish well here at home. Being “almost home” does not demotivate but motivates to keep going.

We please the Lord both by living well and by dying well. I believe Christians are sometimes obsessed about their death because they don’t appreciate their gospel-secured homegoing. Joseph Bayly, an astute theologian, is no stranger to grief. He and his wife have buried three of their seven children. He recounts their grief in his book The View from a Hearse. One child died eighteen days after surgery; another at five years of age from leukaemia; the third at eighteen years after a sledding accident. Bayly commented once to his pastor, R. Kent Hughes, “In light of the promises that await us, it is a mystery that we Christians go to the medical extremes that we do to hang on to life.”

This is a huge subject, with plenty of nuance, and I could not possibly address all of those here. Yet all Christians should agree that we need to give more meditative, prayerful, and concentrated attention to where we are heading. When we do, we will find ourselves, I believe, with more concentrated motivation and sanctified and sanctifying ambition to live to be pleasing to the Lord.

A Certain Expectation

Living away from home can tempt us to selfish, even irresponsible living. But the sobering reality of certain accountability helps our focus. Hence the importance of v. 10: “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.” Every Christian will give an account of how we lived while away from the Lord, at home in the body. The closer we get to home, the more seriously we will, perhaps, consider this. Therefore, in the meantime, let us consider that eventual day.

The “judgement seat” referred to an elevated platform from which rulers would oversee tribunals or, in some cases, observe the athletic games of the city. Both ideas might be present here.

Paul was certain that he would give account for whether or not he lived with a confident, committed, cheerful, courageous, and concentrated disposition and motivation. He was certain that he, along with all Christians, must appear before Jesus Christ to be recompensed for how they lived in their body. There is no exception, for literally “each and every one” will make their appearance before King Jesus to be evaluated for they way they lived in the meantime—good or evil.

Faith Works

Paul was not confused about how a person is saved. He was well versed that justification is by grace along through faith alone in Christ alone! But he was also aware that salvation creates responsibility and accountability. As Calvin so aptly said, “We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. But the faith that justifies is never alone.” That is, the evidence of our faith is our works. This is front and centre at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Hoekema observed that this judgement is clearly concerning works, but it is also “a judgement about faith—that is, faith as it is revealed in evidence. If the faith was genuine the works will be there; if the works are not there, the faith was not real.”

This judgement is with reference to how we lived in the meantime. It is a judgement concerning our ambition. If our aim is to please the Lord, we will receive a reward. If our aim was too low, we will not receive a reward.

Those who have trusted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour do not face the risk of being rejected. However, we do face the possibility of missing out on rewards and a degree of honour. If we live obsessed with our earthly home, we will not hear, “Well done. You are to be honoured for honouring me.”

No Christian will spend eternity rubbing their hands in despair over failures while at home in the body and away from the Lord. Nevertheless, it will be a shame to be exposed as those who had such little affection for the one who suffered God’s wrath for us. Those will be ashamed of living an ultimately worthless life in the meantime.

Brothers and sisters we are living in the meantime. We are living between being at home and almost home. But with confidence of what lies ahead, with concentration on how we are to live, and with certainty of a reward, by the power of the Holy Spirit, let us use our bodies for good, to the glory of God.

AMEN