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.
2 Corinthians 5:5 NIV
In the first four verses of this chapter, Paul compared the earthly tent he currently lived in, his mortal body, with the eternal house in heaven that was his future. And he expressed his great desire and longing to move out of his tent and into his heavenly home. “So that what was mortal would be swallowed up by life.“
And, Paul says here, God “has fashioned us for that very purpose“; to leave this mortal life behind and experience life in all its fullness. This life we have now, as real as it seems, is only preparatory for the life God created us to have.
However, this life is more than just a temporary stop along the way. What we do now matters for eternity. God uses our time here to shape and prepare us for our eternal future. But that fashioning is not always easy. And it is not passive. We are to be active participants in the process. Working alongside our heavenly Father like a young child working with his parent, learning and developing in the process.
What my eternal dwelling will be like is beyond my comprehension. But, with the assurance the Holy Spirit brings, I look forward to it. And, as long as the Lord keeps me here, I trust that he will continue to use me in this life and prepare me for the life that awaits me.
