Always of Good Courage

MEMORY VERSE: “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.” —II Corinthians 5:1

II CORINTHIANS 4:16 – 5:5

THE Christian should be of good courage all the time, not because of his own resources but because of the promises of God—promises which assure him that because of his love for the Lord, and the fact that he has been called into the divine family in keeping with the purposes of God, that all things will work together for his good. (Rom. 8:28) Who could ask for more than this?

As a human, the Christian’s position in the world is little different from that of mankind in general. Just like all humans, he grows old and dies: his “outward man” perishes. However, with the true followers of the Master there is an “inward man”, which, if we are living up to our privileges, is being renewed day by day. This inward man is not an immortal soul, or spirit. It is a renewed mind, which is cultivated and built up day by day through obedience to the instructions of the Lord, and nourished by the exceeding great and precious promises of the Word.—Rom. 12:2; II Pet. 1:4

Christians have afflictions. Paul wrote that it is given unto us not only to believe on Christ but also to suffer for his sake. (Phil. 1:29) However, when viewed through the eyes of faith these afflictions, Paul says, are “light,” and “but for a moment.” The reason we can take this view of our afflictions is that they are working out for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”—vs. 17

Here Paul presents two contrasts—our afflictions are “light” and but for a moment; but they are working for us a great “weight” of glory, which will be eternal. No wonder we can look upon our afflictions with courage! They are light because God helps us to bear them, and under his overruling they are preparing us for exceeding great glory with him and with Jesus in the kingdom. In Romans 5:2 Paul speaks of this as partaking of “the glory of God.”

To the Hebrews Paul wrote, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (11:1) So, when in our lesson we read that “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen, we know that the reference is to the vision of faith. The things which we see with the natural eye are temporal, the things of the flesh and of this world; but the things which we see by the eye of faith are “eternal.”

Paul continues, using a different metaphor: “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.” (vs. 1) Many have taken this to mean that when a Christian dies he is taken directly to heaven. But Paul did not say this, nor was he expecting this for himself. When he reached the end of his earthly course, Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “I am now ready to be offered [in death], and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”—II Tim. 4:6-8

Paul speaks of “that day,” which is this end of the age, the time of Christ’s return and second presence, and explains that it would not be until then that he would receive his reward. Concerning this he wrote further: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven … and the dead in Christ shall rise first “ Paul then refers to those of the saints who at that time are “alive and remain” These also receive their reward “at that day,” and in I Corinthians 15:51,62 he explains “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye … and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

“We shall not all sleep” in death but Paul did, and throughout the age the saints did. But with the return of Christ these are raised. It is those who “are alive and remained” who, when they finish their course, do not need to sleep, but are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and receive their “building of God … eternal in the heavens.”

QUESTIONS

Does the Lord protect his people from affliction?

When does the Christian receive his heavenly reward?

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