Why did Paul say it was better to be absent from the body and present with the Lord?
The Apostle said this because he was suffering: he had been sick near death, and persecution was increasing. Being present with the Lord was far better than his present circumstances. His longing was not about salvation but about being with Christ and pleasing Him.
Les explains that the Apostle was suffering: he had been sick nigh unto death, and persecution was increasing. That is why he could say it was so much better to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Les also points to Haitian Christians whose only hope was the Lord's coming, and contrasts comfortable believers in America who do not hanker for that as the Apostle did, even though what is up there is far, far better. Then in the next verse, 'wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him,' Les clarifies this is not salvation but whether we are pleasing to Him as a child of God. He gives an earthly analogy: parents with obedient children who conform to their wishes enjoy a happy circumstance.