- 150. Mortality swallowed up by Life
2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Mortality is the human condition: we are going to die. Though we don’t think about it very often the thought of mortality is always under the surface. We are reminded of our looming death all the time when we feel sicker and weaker than we once were. Death is certain; this we know; we are mortal. The tent we live in is the body; the body is a burden, but we want more than just shedding the tent. We need to be clothed upon with life.
The great Good News is that mortality is swallowed up. Life takes over and reigns absolutely over death. We know that we will live forever, and we know that we will live in a blessed environment to boot. Death is swallowed up in victory. All people are born in death and heading for a certain death, but all people are also born with an inner knowledge that there must be more, that there has to be another life after this one, that eternal life is in the heart, that we were created to live forever. The human enigma is this: though we know there is more life than we see we don’t know where it is or how to find it—until God became a man and told us where it is. Eternal life is in Christ. The Holy Spirit applies that life to us when we hear the Gospel.
Now the Christian lives in two worlds, the world of life and the world of death. We shall be clothed with life, a resurrected body with full life forever. Until then we groan under the burden of the death that surrounds us and looms in front of us. When the tent is “changed” or exchanged for a new body the groaning will stop: there will be no more tears for God Himself will wipe them away; there will be no more pain and suffering; there will be no more sighing and groaning; there will be no more death. Death is swallowed up and life is completely enjoyed. This promise means that in the midst of groaning there is rejoicing.