Note 6 at 2 Cor. 5:2: "Stenazo" is the Greek verb for "groan" and carries the idea of sighing (Mk. 7:34), groaning (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2, 4), grief (Heb. 13:17), or grudge (Jas. 5:9). The dictionary states that to "groan" means "to voice a deep, wordless, prolonged sound expressive of pain, grief, annoyance or disapproval"(American Heritage).

As long as we are in this mortal body, there is an adversarial relationship between our perfect, born-again spirit and our imperfect flesh (see note 3 at Rom. 7:18, p. 790). Our spirit is incorruptible, our body is corruptible. Our natural man is limited in knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12), our spiritual man knows all things (1 Cor. 2:16; Col. 3:10; 1 Jn. 2:20). This causes a groaning within the believer (see note 9 at v. 4) for the time when we will receive our glorified body and be able to enjoy and manifest fully the perfect life that Jesus purchased for us.

Note 7 at 2 Cor. 5:2: Paul earnestly desired to have his glorified body so that he could perfectly manifest and experience all that Christ had provided for him. This was not because he was leading a defeated life and was looking for an escape. He was certainly one of the most, if not the most, victorious Christians who has ever lived. But no one, regardless of how closely he walks with the Lord, can experience all the infiniteness of God as long as he is in this finite body.

Even though we can experience the abundant life that Christ purchased for us (Jn. 10:10) while in this mortal flesh, we can not experience it to its fullest, as we will be able to do when we receive our glorified body. For this cause, every true believer, regardless of his level of victory, longs for the completion of our redemption (see note 11 at Rom. 8:23, p. 800).