Seeing the Unseen

Eternal

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul wrote these words while both he and his readers were suffering intense persecution. They had lost many of their friends, had their possessions stolen, were beaten, and even killed. He still refers to it as “momentary, light affliction” (2Cor.4:17). How is this possible?
It’s like how we don’t see the stars during the day. They don’t go hide somewhere until nighttime, then suddenly pop out. The light from the sun is just so much brighter than the dim light from the stars. The stars are simply overshadowed.
Paul was comparing their very real suffering to eternal glory, and he said that it was “beyond all comparison.” Compared to eternity, everything else in this life fades away.

Earthly Tent

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NASB)

1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

A tent is not a permanent structure. It keeps the rain off, and gives some privacy. It’s not very durable, though, and it provides very little protection (it’s not somewhere you want to be with a tornado coming).
Paul is saying that our heavenly, glorified bodies are part of what can’t even be compared to what we have now.
I am constantly amazed by the incredibly intricate, complex, wonderful creation that God has given each one of us with our bodies. At the same time, they can get sick, injured, have parts wear out, and eventually, fail.
When we are young, our bodies are in pretty good shape, and it’s tempting to put all of our attention on our looks. We see that with many TV and movie actors. When they get old, they get one surgery after another, trying to keep this old tent looking like it used to. At some point, it just doesn’t work. God has an eternal solution.

Heavenly Dwelling

2 Corinthians 5:2-3 (NASB)

2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

God has a much better plan for us. This earthly tent, this body, will pass away. Our souls and spirits will live on forever, though. God will create a new body for each one of us — one that is not burdened by sin the way this one is. The new body will be eternal; it will never decay. Since it won’t be tainted by sin, we will be able to be in the presence of God in a much greater way. That is an experience that we can’t really imagine.

Groaning

2 Corinthians 5:4 (NASB)

4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Yes, we have all groaned in this body — usually because we pulled a muscle or got injured or maybe even the dreaded paper cut. Paul is talking about something much deeper. Our spirits groan within ourselves, because we long to be with our Creator. Most people don’t even realize it, but we all feel it. We might try to fill this longing with drugs, alcohol, ambition, or other things in this life. It can only be filled by being reconciled (brought back together) with God. Even then, we know that there is still more.

Spiritual Down Payment

2 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB)

5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

A pledge is something that we might give as a sign of “good faith”, showing that we intend to provide much more in the future. It’s like making a down payment on a house, then signing a mortgage saying that you promise to pay them a certain amount of money for the next 30 years.
This “partial down payment” of the Holy Spirit is the same Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. He also filled the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, when they started speaking in tongues. For the last 2,000 years, He has healed bodies, raised the dead, and been a constant comfort and loving teacher. And yet, there is much more to come.

Absent From the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NASB)

6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord —
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight —
8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

The Greek word that is translated here “good courage” means to be confident, of good cheer, bold. Even though we are groaning in our spirits, longing to be fully reunited with the Lord, we can rejoice and have confidence that God is with us, helping us and loving us, day by day.
Most people fear death. Paul was looking forward to being “absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” He was fully convinced of the existence of something that he could not see. He had seen too much and experienced too much to doubt. He couldn’t wait to be with Jesus in his glorified body, unshackled from this body of sin in which we all live.

Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

What God begins He will complete. He won’t stop until this good work He began in us is perfect.

Faith

Hebrews 11:1-3 (NASB)

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Faith is what we have when we don’t see something, but we still believe it. Notice how this says that this is how “the men of old gained approval” (verse 2). No one saw when the universe was created, but we believe that it was created (because it exists). I have never seen my great-great-great-grandfather, but I believe that he lived. This is simple logic; that’s easy. Sometimes, God calls us to believe things that are not logical.
Having faith is seeing the unseen, believing in something that we can’t touch. If we are to live an overcoming, godly life, though, it is vital.

Pleasing God

Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

If we want to please God, we have to have faith; we have to believe Him; we have to see the unseen. Pleasing God requires us to “believe that He is” (even though we have never actually seen Him) “and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (even though that doesn’t always happen).
There are certain people whom I know are good. If someone told me that they did some horrible thing, I probably wouldn’t believe them, because that has not been my experience with them. It’s the same way with God. I have walked with Him for many years, and I have seen Him do amazing things in my life and in the lives around me. Faith gets easier with practice and experience.
God is always good, even when we don’t or can’t see it. His love is always with us, even when we don’t feel it.