THE SAINTS IN GLORY

In the last year the subject of our mental, emotional and physical composition has come up more than twice. Are we soul and body or are we soul, body and spirit, the question goes. There are even some fancy doctrinal phrases to distinguish the differing views and the question has demanded more than just a passing dismissal which I would prefer to give it. My instinctive reaction is to think that since I had never heard about the question until I was fifty, then it can't be of too much theological importance? Let me rephrase that so as not to give offense from the limitations of my theological training and my lifelong experience of the Reformed faith. I do not think that the question, if it is understood or ignored, has any important implications for our accomplished salvation. Perhaps it is of more importance to those who are presently being saved from a more worldly education than I experienced? Now, this is not the only theological question that I have had difficulty grasping, understanding and seeing any importance to and for any of you who demand a more theologically explicit answer, perhaps there are some few theologians who take this particular theological idea more seriously than I am able.

I once read in Newsweek magazine that when Sigmund Freud's essential work was translated into the English language, the translator misunderstood an implied duality in the human condition and incorrectly allowed for an ego, super ego and an id. I do not even remember from the article which of the three personalities of the mind does not exist in the original German, but years ago, when I was in college, I did take the time to read a little Freud, Jung, and Adler. I was quickly convinced by the ramblings of their "science" that they had very little to offer for our understanding of the human condition, and I have never believed in the so called social science of "psychology" even though I am certified to teach it. Of all the professional practitioners, testers and speakers who have dabbled in the various fields of psychobabble, whom I have heard, I have never heard one speak with the authority of God's Holy Spirit and I seriously doubt that there is ever any good reason to turn someone you care for over to these secular humanists except in the case that a person's body chemistry is somehow less than normal. And there are specialist doctors who are better able to deal with those specific problems that we are learning about more and more as the complex issues are better studied.

Yes, our earthly life is sometimes difficult and making our way home to heaven involves treading many twists and turns of experience, some of which may be painful and some few even pleasurable. Probably the best resource ever written for the idea that we have considered so far, is John Bunyan's great classic Pilgrim's Progress, a second book by Clive Stapleton Lewis, The Prilgrim's Regress is also helpful in its own way. And the reason, these fictional works are so much more helpful than the tons of psychobabble heaped as high as a mountainous trash dump, is the fact that they mirror the biblical truth, that life is a journey to some place specific and that place for the Christian is to be with Christ forever and ever.

Despite the humanistic grumblings about pie in the sky, the promise of heaven and knowing the presence of God forever, the assurance of God, his love and the saving of our souls are just the ticket for having a life worth living. Our passage in 2nd Corinthians this morning assures us of our future state, after death and the Last Day. John Quincy Adams was once met on the streets of his home town by a friend. The friend asked him how he was doing. JQ admitted that his body was more frail than ever, it tottered when he walked and he had to struggle to keep it going. But then in a quiet testimony that reflected his faith, he assured his dear friend that his soul was prepared and was ready with great anticipation for going on to glory. Only the Apostle Paul has said it better in his letters to all the saints who are preparing for glory.

Notice how Paul describes our earthly body as a tent? I know that many of you enjoy tenting overnight when you go camping. But, I dare say that none of you would desire that tent to be your permanent abode? Certainly the Bedouin of the Middle East made do with tents for many centuries as did the Great Plain's Indian and Mongolian tribes. Few indeed prefer the hard life of tenting enough to put away the artificial indoors of even primitive housing, let alone the palaces that we call home today. Think of this comparison as Paul develops the contrast between our earthly bodies and our future heavenly home. How much better the permanent home in heaven will be is beyond any conjecture on our part.

At the end of verse five we see the Spirit's role in all of this, He gives us the yearning for a better home, a better place, a promised land towards which we journey throughout life. This hope of something better is what we have to offer to the worldly around us. Too often, many people seek therapy and so spin their wheels trying to make the present life into a heaven. They never learn that this life is a journey to that heaven and the whole purpose of life is to grow in grace to be better prepared for life eternal. Do you see the essential difference in the focus of our lives in this passage on the pilgrimage to heaven and in the worldly concerns for perfecting this life? Even as our politicians attempt to reinvent America into a sociological paradise, no one will be here for eternity!