“What you see is what you get!” You've heard that expression, haven't you? Many times that statement is true. For example, when a student looks at the grades on his report card he can say, “Well, what I see is what I get.” If the school year is over, his grade won't change. Or, if you complain about the food on your plate at dinner, your wife may say, “Well, what you see is what you get.” She's already cooked the meal and isn't going to do anything different. Eat it or go hungry. What you see is what you get!
But there are times when that statement isn't true. For example, suppose you had a garden with tomato plants. If you went out to look at the vines and saw this little green tomato, you could say, “Well, what I see is what I get.” That would mean you might as well pick it then because that's all you are going to get out of it.
But I'd suggest you wait before you pick that little green tomato. And I'd also suggest another expression for you to consider in your relationship with that little green tomato. It's this: “ What you believe is what you get.”
If you believe the little green tomato will grow, then you can leave it on the vine until it becomes a big red tomato like this one. Of course, something could happen to kill the plant or the fruit might fall off in a storm. But if you believe the little green tomato will grow and if you are right, your patience will be rewarded with something good. However, if you insist on following the adage: “What you see is what you get,” you will pick it when it is small, that's all you will get, and you will be terribly disappointed.
I. Is there more to come? Yes! An eternal house in heaven.
Our lesson today carries a similar thought. Towards the end of it Paul wrote, “We live by faith, not by sight.” That's the “what you believe” and not the “what you see” idea – living by faith, not sight.
Suppose that you disagreed with Paul and said your life in God is what you see. That would mean, “What you see is what you get.” There is no more; that's it. Well, look around; what do you see?
You see many things out there in our world, and a lot of them you have and enjoy. Look at the clothing you've got. And you've got more in your closet at home. You've got food and more than many of the people in the rest of the world have. You've got family and friends; you've got a home that you call yours. Even if you're scrimping along right now because of the way the economy is going, you've got a lot of things and people and enjoyments in your life – many blessings from the hand of God. You can readily see it.
But if that is it for you, if your life consists in only those things you see, you are not receiving all the gifts that God has to give, and you will not get the most important ones because the things you see are only the tip of the iceberg; there is much more to come. The real life is more than what you see. It's a matter of faith, not sight.
Think of it this way. Did you see Jesus die on the cross? Did you look into His eyes and see the punishment for your sin that He took on Himself? Did you see Him triumphantly bursting out of the tomb on Easter to assure you of life and ascending to heaven to convince you? No, that all took place long before you were around.
Okay, so you weren't there to see it. Are you forgiven for your sin? Will you live again after you die? Are you on your way to heaven? You can't see any of those things, either. Are they yours? Yes. Why? Because you believe that what God says happens for His promises stand forever, and His Word does not return empty but accomplishes the very thing He says it does (1Pt.1:25;Is.55:11).
So when He says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven,” you have it even though you don't see it. When He says, “Because I live, you also shall live,” you have it even though you don't see it. And when He says, “In my Father's House are many rooms; I go to prepare a place for you,” you have it because you believe that what God says He does. What you believe is what you get.
And there is one issue above all that Paul has centered on in our texts the last few weeks. What happens when you depart this life? Is there more to come? Unequivocally he answers, Yes! If you believe what God gives you, you will have an eternal house in heaven. Paul said it this way in our text today: “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…we long to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
That's something Paul longed for that he couldn't see but believed in - the eternal dwelling God promises to give the believer. He calls it “an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” Paul longed for it because he was feeling worn out.
Not that Paul didn't enjoy life here; he did. He had friends, the Gospel, and the privilege to serve God. None of that was a bad thing from which Paul was looking to escape. In fact he was very content with all the things God had given him. But he did have his eyes set on heaven because it was permanent and he didn't feel completely “clothed” until he had it. He felt “naked” and tired with his temporary life here, comparing that feeling to living in a tent.
Okay, how many of you have lived in a tent? I mean long-term, not just a night or two camping. Some of you were in the armed forces and lived in a tent, but it didn't last. Imagine that you are still living in that tent. I think you'd be tired of it by now, don't you?
Think of it a different way. Do you have a home you call your own, a permanent dwelling that's yours and you feel most comfortable in? How long have you been there? How many other places have you lived in? (responses)
I was born in Cleveland, OH, lived 9 years at 1524 Lauderdale, Lakewood, 7, Ohio. We moved to WI when I was 9. Not counting the different schools I attended, I lived in 3 different homes there. I lived in an apartment in Germany for ½ year; then in North Hollywood a year; 4 places in Fort Worth, Texas; 1 each in Springfield, Nixa, and now Marshfield. Let's see, that's 13 homes. Oh, and I did live in a tent for the good part of a year. Permanent? Hardly! It's not the same for everyone but we are wayfarers, wanderers, travelers, temporary dwellers here. We can see it.
But if you have Christ and trust Him as the Savior from sin, death, and the devil, a permanent home lies ahead where you can put down and settle in forever with no worries and ills that our temporary “tents” (lives) have here. Your eyes can't see that and rejoice in it; your faith in God's promises does. And that thought refreshed Paul on His way when his “clay jar” got tired and he was worn out by his “tent-life” here in this world.
He longed for more to come. Was there more? Yes! An eternal house in heaven prepared by God for those who believe His promises in the Savior. Did Paul see it? Not yet. But with God's promises, what you believe is what you get. And Paul was eagerly looking forward to what he would soon get in Christ.
II. Is there reason to go on? Yes! Because we're confident in God and seek to please Him.
His outlook on this reminds me of a story that is told about President John Quincy Adam. When he was a very old man, a friend asked him one day how he was. He replied, “John Quincy Adams is quite well, thank you! But the house in which he lives is falling to pieces. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out pretty soon. But he himself is quite well.”
Pres. Adams was of course referring to his aging body, from which the passing years had taken their toll and from which his immortal soul would soon take leave. The passing years had brought about their share of problems: waning strength, a slowing step, and blurring vision. But for the child of God there's no dread to be found there. There is no reason to say, “Is it worth it to go on? Yes, it's worth it to go on because we are confident in God and seek to please Him.
So Paul wrote, “Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
Our goal in all things, whether we are here on earth or above in heaven is to please God – not in order to gain salvation; Christ has already done that for us. What we could never buy, earn, or obtain on our own, He gives us. So, we don't seek to please God to save ourselves. No, it's because He has saved us that we seek to please Him, always confident of our standing in Christ on Judgment Day.
The keyword here is “always.” Whether you walk by faith in the present, or will soon walk by sight in the presence of God above, both are blessed experiences. Here you get to hear and enjoy the working of His powerful and effective Gospel in your life. There you get to see God face to face. How blessed must that be! After all, that's what He made us for, Paul says. In either case, tenting here, putting down our roots there, we seek to please Him, confident in His promises that He guarantees us through the Spirit.
So, dear friend, remember your life is not just what you see; it's what you believe. Enjoy the gifts you see that have been given by God, always be confident and content in them. But they are not the greatest gifts He has in store for you. These are temporary – just for now. What you have in Christ is forever. And what you believe is what you get. God grant it to us for Jesus' sake. Amen.