Mission Venture Ministries

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) 

To be “absent” from one’s body simply means that a person dies because, at death, the spirit is separated from the body and moves into its eternal abode – either heaven with the Lord or hell, separated from God for eternity. 

When a born-again believer dies, his soul goes immediately into the presence of the Lord. There, the soul consciously awaits the resurrection of the body. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). 

Paul further comforts the church at Philippi as he writes to them from prison in Rome: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:21-24). 

Paul’s desire in life was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in everything he did, and if he lived he would continue to labor for the Lord. And if he faced execution, he would depart this life and be with Christ. He desired to be with his Savior, but if he remained on earth, he would continue to minister and proclaim the gospel to those who were lost and so desperately needed to hear the truth; as we should also do as we live in this body. 

We need to understand that we are an eternal being. “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” (2 Corinthians 5:1). 

We have a beginning when life begins and we will also have an ending, unless Jesus comes before that, but even that ending is just another beginning. As Paul states here when this body we live in gives way, we have an eternal one waiting for us. We shift our residence from this earthly tent (our temporary bodies), to our eternal home (our heavenly bodies), which is built by God and is designed to live forever in His glorious presence. This is what awaits all those who put their trust in Jesus. 

Second, every believer should be longing for their eternal home. When life is good, and everything is going well we may be aware of our eternal home but we may not think about it much. However, if life becomes too overwhelming and our body stops functioning the way we want it to, this is when we long for your eternal home because we know that the moment we pass from this life, there is a heavenly dwelling waiting for us. Just as Jesus told us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3). 

Third, the reason we can approach death and eternity with confidence and without fear is because God has placed the Holy Spirit within us. The assurance of eternal life comes because God has said it in His word and the Holy Spirit has confirmed it in our heart.

To be absent from the body and present with the Lord means that the moment we breathe our last breath on earth we are instantly transferred directly into the presence of God, not temporarily but forever. There is an exchange that will take place where we take off the burdens of this life and begin the realities of a new life that is eternal and free from the pains we now experience. That’s why Paul in Romans made this statement. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). 

The moment we are absent from the body, the suffering of this present time ends. This is our hope and joy. This is why we can endure hardships, trials, persecution, sickness, or anything else we face in life because we know it is only for a little while. One day we will be absent from this body and be present with the Lord forever. 

Knowing that we have eternal life should transform the way we live now. Therefore let us read what Paul said before and after he said to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (vs. 5:8). “For we live by faith, not by sight – 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” (2 Corinthians 5:7, 9-10). 

The reality of knowing that one day we will be absent from the body and present with the Lord should impact us to be obedient and faithful servants proclaiming the gospel and teaching truth. That’s why our salvation is the greatest victory we have in life because that is the guarantee of our hope and our eternal life. 

Paul’s life is an inspiration for any Christian. Everything he did was permeated by this conviction and by his love for the Lord and His Church. 

Like Paul we must serve the Lord with our life, knowing that we will be with Him after our death. Through faith, we can trust that the Lord is in control of everything. He is with us in this life, He will be with us in our death, and He will be with us forevermore. All who know Christ as their Lord and Savior can know that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). 

Furthermore, when Christ returns, “If we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). And then He will change our old body, whether in the grave or still living, “that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21) and “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). 

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