What it means to have a perfect resurrection body
Consider the thousands of hours we spend on our physical health and appearance, even though our earthly body eventually wears out. This unpleasant reality is one reason God’s offer of a resurrection body is so spectacular!
Imagine having a body that never ages and remains completely free from sickness and disease. I am talking about a perfect body. You know, the kind of body God describes in his love letter to us. The Bible lays out God’s offer of a perfect resurrection body for everyone who repents and receives Jesus as Savior.
The Apostle Paul described what occurs at “the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
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The 17th-century English theologian and Bible commentator Matthew Poole explained our resurrected “spiritual body” this way:
“Spiritual, not as to the substance of it, for in that sense a spiritual body is a contradiction, but in respect of the qualities and conditions of it. Bodies which, in respect of many new qualities they shall have, shall be more like angels and other spirits, than human bodies; beautiful, incorruptible, free from infirmities, not subject to hunger, or thirst, or injuries from cold or heat, etc."
Our earthly bodies, on the other hand, experience tremendous weakness. What if frailty, fatigue, and death was all we had waiting for us in the future? What a gloomy and depressing reality it would be! Thankfully, the Lord did something to secure a resurrection body for everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. The Lord died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day, and God “has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:5).
A well-known futurist by the name of Ray Kurzweil claims that advancements in artificial intelligence will allow human beings to achieve immortality in 7 years. It is pure science fiction.
In reality, God already gave you an immortal soul when he created you in your mother’s womb, and the Lord wants you to live forever in a place the Bible calls “a new Heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). This place will be perfect in every way! (John 14:1-4).
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). The reason Jesus asked Martha if she believed his words is because trusting Jesus for eternal life is the only way to receive your resurrection body one day.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). God offers you salvation today and a perfect resurrection body in Heaven forever. Those who refuse God’s gracious offer will spend eternity in Hell paying for their sins (Matthew 25:46).
Jesus revealed that people in both Heaven and Hell will have a resurrected body. The Savior said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Bodies in Heaven are free from pain, while bodies in Hell suffer constant agony and torment. No one in his right mind would choose Hell over Heaven, and yet Jesus revealed that an eternal destination awaits both believers and unbelievers (Matthew 7:13,14).
Some accept God’s offer of forgiveness, while others refuse it. What about you? Do you want to go to Heaven? If you are currently a non-Christian, there is still time for you to receive Jesus as your Savior.
And if you are currently mocking Jesus and his offer of grace, I implore you to reconsider your reckless attitude and repent of your blasphemy. It is extremely dangerous to mock the Lord and ridicule the Gospel message of salvation. The grace of God is your only lifeline, whether you currently realize it or not.
What are the biggest health challenges you have faced? Imagine never again needing to visit a doctor or take any medicine. Everyone in Heaven will be free from cancer and every other disease and sickness. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia do not exist in Heaven, where the mind functions on a much higher level. Resurrected spiritual bodies in Heaven will be perfect in every way.
The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). And Paul wrote, “Christ will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Jesus said that people in Heaven “can no longer die; for they are like the angels” (Luke 20:36).
I wrote a recent CP op-ed titled, “Will You Be Allowed to Enter Heaven?” The Gospel is presented using an illustration with three chairs. It is a simple way to share the good news with others, especially with those who are prone to rely upon their noble efforts and religious deeds to get into Heaven.
God’s offer to you of a perfect resurrection body will not be available indefinitely. Therefore, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart” (Hebrews 3:7). “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). A perfect resurrection body awaits everyone who brings their sins to Jesus in repentance and faith. I hope you realize why this glorious offer is simply too good to pass up!
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
