2 Corinthians 5:4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan while being weighed down, in that we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that death may be swallowed up by life.
How do we live in this physical body, the “tent” about which Paul writes? It is a time of groaning. We can groan for two reasons. One is that we are tired of the pain and stress of this world and just want it to end. This is the type of feeling that can lead to suicide or self harm. To be human means to have these types of groans. There is a scale of intensity for this groaning. On the light side, it may be experienced as “having a bad day,” or waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Our daily lives have up and downs. On the heavy side, the “woe is me” can reach the point of depression and suicidal thoughts. We can attempt to overcome this gloomy groaning through human effort or outside stimulation, but we never can get rid of it all. When Paul writes about being “weighed down” or burdened, this is the type of experience that brings this burden to us. Simply living in this world will create stress.
The other type of groaning is the deep longing we have to be with Christ. As Christians, we experience the first type of human, physically bound groaning, but we also experience an additional burden of living our faith as salt and light in a world that is dark and deceived by Satan. While in this life, we have our hope set on heaven and the new existence promised in the Bible. We long to be clothed with the new resurrected body that will not know the pain, hunger, and sorrow of this world–the type of existence that brings the first type of groaning. We groan while we groan. We long for heaven while carrying on our life now.
Paul wants to be clothed with this new existence. He has confidence that when the day of judgment comes, he will not be found naked and in shame but clothed with honor. To ensure this happens, we must live faithfully in this life. The choices we make now will determine our status when we appear before Christ, the judge. Our faith in Christ gives us hope that death is not the end of our existence. Faith opens the way for death to be replaced by life.
For older posts, click here.