An house not made with hands

2 Corinthians 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.

We understand with all certainty that the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved. We know that our bodies shall decay and die. They shall not last eternally. But in that great day, the greatest day of our lives, mortality shall be swallowed up of life! For we shall put off this our tabernacle! We shall lay aside this tabernacle that we may don the new! We shall be clothed with our house which is from heaven! And this house is a building of God! Jesus has told us, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” And He has said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” This is an house not made with hands! It is not of this earth, but it is of heaven. It is prepared by the very hands of our Savior. And it is eternal!

Here, Paul says that we are “earnestly desiring” to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. It is an earnest desire, a strong longing to put off all the things of this earth, and to be swallowed up of the glories of the world to come. We shall live in that place forever. We see this only by faith, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Through the eyes of faith, we know that this world is a temporary, transient dwelling in which we shall not live forever. And glory be to God! We shall not live in this tabernacle after our few years here are expired, but we shall live in the perfect palace of the King of kings. What a glorious day! And I earnestly desire it, because there I shall be forever present with the Lord. Oh Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight!

“Dear Lord, we have a most blessed promise written in your Word that we rejoice in this morning. We thank you that the light afflictions of the world, the pain, the sickness, the troubles, and the strife are but for a moment, but heaven is eternal. And there is a house there prepared for us, a building not made with human hands. It has been fashioned by God Himself. And for this we earnestly long, and deeply crave. We look for it, and desire it, and anticipate it. Help us in this life to keep our eyes on the things of heaven, setting our affections there, for that is our hope. And may our faith carry us through every day that we live here. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”