HOME

             Where do you call home? Now-a-days, I witness many individuals and families that are very nomadic. For a variety of reasons - financial, family, weather or other - they move often enough to make you wonder - where do they really call home?     

        Then there are those who seldom to never move from the area they were born in and end up living to their dying day there. We can name without a shadow of a doubt the home of these individuals and families. 

        However, there is a home that is spoken of that I have never known, visited or even seen from a distance. One might interject that I speak of Heaven here and while the location is correct, that is not what 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 declares as our forever Home with the Lord. Here is what the passage states - 

         "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

        Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

        

        For the Christian, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 describes this age, these years we have been in since the ascension of Christ as a life by faith, not by sight. However, this same passage speaks to a future time when Home will be a more personal, intimate, visible manifestation of God's presence in a Heavenly prepared place for us, within a glorified body. God is perfect, His Heaven is perfect and His presence is perfect which demands a perfected Home or glorified body or temple - Believers!

        Revelation 21:3 depicts this future time of perfect unification and/or dwelling with us in the New Jerusalem.

        "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'"

        Home to me is where you hang your hat. Home is where you unwind, relax, especially enjoying company, food and laughter. Home is a place of relationship and so this passage by Paul informs us that the believer's body will one day be that Home, that perfect relationship with God. Home will be wherever God is and God is everywhere, but He will especially make His residence within those there. The status of things will be fact not faith.

        Until that moment, while we are in this tent, building or body - the deeds of the believers are very important. Christians are separated from the full experience of Christ through the fallen, sinful body and mind. But Christ Jesus changes believers from glory to glory daily as they surrender to Him and will one day ultimately make them the perfect Home.