September 18 The Resurrection of the Body 2

Luke 24:38-43 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
 
THE Bible teaches that at death, the Christian enters heaven with a spiritual body. In addition, Scripture teaches we will experience a physical resurrection when the Lord returns. Why is the physical resurrection of the body essential to the Christian faith?
    (From the Fire Bible™: Global Study Edition) “The Bible reveals at least three reasons why the resurrection of the body is necessary. First, the body is a basic part of the total human personality; humans are incomplete without a body. For this reason, the spiritual salvation that Christ offers applies to the whole person, including the body: Romans 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
    “The second reason is the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit for those who follow Christ. At the time of the resurrection, the body will again become an eternal temple of the Spirit. And third, to undo the tragic result of sin at all levels, humanity’s final enemy – death of the body – must be conquered through the resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
    “This is why we must know Christ rose bodily from the grave. His resurrection guarantees ours. What then will our resurrected body be like? As we see in Christ’s own resurrected body: (a) a body with structural similarities to the body of this life, so it will be recognizable; (b) a body changed into a heavenly body, adapted for life in the new heaven and new earth; (c) an immortal, glorified body free from decay and death; (d) a spiritual body not bound by the laws of nature; (e) a body capable of eating and drinking.
    “When God’s people receive their new bodies, they “put on” immortality, which will fulfill the Christian’s final and complete victory over death. In this victory, God’s people may become all that God desired for humans at creation, so believers may come to know and relate to God in the full way he wants them to know him. This is a true love between mankind and God, formed in Eden, broken by sin, restored through Jesus.
    “Finally, Christ’s faithful followers who are still alive when Christ returns for his church will experience the same bodily transformation as those believers who have died prior to the day of resurrection. They will receive new bodies just like the bodies given to those who will be raised from the dead at that time. They will never experience physical death.”
 
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for showing the way and being the way to eternal life, a life rich and wonderful in the fullness of your love. Amen.