Tag Archives: body
“Ain’t Got No Body!” (A Dozen Thoughts on 2 Corinthians 5:1-10)
Friends: If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that my friend Frank (in New Jersey) and I have been doing an email Bible study for over a year. We read the same chapter every day for a week — and then send a brief email of encouragement to each other. We’ve completed most of the epistles of the New Testament — and it’s been a great discipline for both of us.
We’re now working our way through 2 Corinthians. Here’s my outline for several verses in chapter four:
“Ain’t Got No Body!” (A Dozen Thoughts on 2 Cor. 5:1-10)
1. The body we have is an earthly body (v. 1).
2. The body we have is subject to destruction (v. 1)
3. A replacement body is waiting for us in heaven (v. 1)
4. We should not be content with this earthly body, but groan and long for our heavenly dwelling (v. 2)
5. God’s plan is that we be clothed with our heavenly dwelling and not be unclothed (v. 4)
6. This heavenly dwelling shows that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life (v. 4)
7. God’s Spirit has been given us as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (v. 5)
8. While we are in this earthly body, we are away from the Lord (v. 6)
9. This situation — being “away from the Lord” — gives us the opportunity to live by faith and not by sight (v. 7)
10. Our preference should be to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (v. 8)
11. In either case, we should make it our goal to please Him (v. 9)
12. What we do in this body matters. We will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the things — good or bad — we did in the body (v. 10)
Today’s Challenge: What are you doing with your earthly body? Ignoring it? Abusing it? Worshiping it? Recognize that there is a much better body waiting for you in heaven, but use the body you’ve got now to serve Him!
Are you wasting away? Join the club!
Within one week I have developed three problems with my right leg.
I have a weak hamstring, the beginnings of plantar fasciitus, and a serious case of athlete’s foot! Really. My whole right side is a mess. This on top of occasional stabbing pain from arthritus on the top of my right foot.
I played a tennis match last night and during the very first point of the match I felt my right hamstring tweak a bit. I prayed that I could make it through the match (that hamstring made me retire in a match months before. It was followed by weeks of physical therapy), and I did. So I spent some of today looking up exercises for a weak hamstring (’cause I have a weak mind and had forgotten the exercises I spent over $500 to learn months before).
I like being active. I like playing tennis with guys 20-30 years younger than me. My body disagrees with my likes. I can hear the conversation my hamstring had with my foot yesterday:
Hamstring: “Hey. Foot. Let’s show this old guy who’s in charge!”
Foot: “What do you mean, Hammie?”
Hamstring: “I mean he’s always acting like he’s 30 and he’s over TWICE that! Tell you what: I’ll tweak him just a bit to scare him some and you can do, well, whatever it is that you do!”
Foot: “Deal! Maybe we can convince him to buy a rocking chair!”
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
There’s a lot in this passage that I don’t understand. How do you not lose heart when body parts are conspiring and physical therapists are plotting to separate me from my money? I don’t understand why we have to “waste away.” I don’t understand why it is I ache where I didn’t even know there were places which could get sore, or pop, or get strained.
But I do understand a few things: (1) This world is fallen and broken and in pain (like my body parts). I should expect some effects of the Fall in Genesis 3 in my own life (thanks, Adam & Eve). (2) This world is not the only one that is. There will come a new world and I will get a brand-new resurrection body without plantar fasciitus or athlete’s foot or weak hamstrings. So I need to think a bit more about that new world that’s a-comin’. (3) I need to focus more on allowing my inner man to be renewed! This is not to say that our bodies are the prisonhouse of our souls or that we shouldn’t exercise or take care of ourselves. It is the simple truth that we are more than our bodies, more than our athletic abilities, more than our energy and stamina can produce. And lastly, (4) I must take a comparative view and somehow recognize that the issue really is between “light and momentary troubles” versus “an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Meanwhile, I’ve just got one question for you: Got any Ben Gay?
Questions:
1. What physical exercises do you regularly do?
2. What spiritual disciplines do you regularly practice?