By Joshua Cooley
The topic of resurrected bodies produces many questions:
“How old will I look? How tall will I be? Will my hair color be the same? (Assuming, for some, it reappears.) Will my toes still, uh, look like they do now? Will I look like myself at all?”
The list could go on and on.
Alas, Scripture is mostly silent on these specifics. But God’s Word provides plenty of truths about what’s to come. And it’s breathtaking.
In 1 Corinthians 15:49, Paul says, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.” If bearing the image of Christ seems a bit obscure, check out the glimpses we get of the glorified Savior during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8) and post-resurrection appearances (Acts 9:1–9; Revelation 1:12–16).
Yet, in many ways, our physical appearance in heaven is entirely beside the point. Our resurrection bodies are less about what we’ll look like and more about who we’ll be. Freed from mortality, we will be fully glorified image-bearers, finally able to perfectly reflect the majesty and magnificence of our eternal King. This was God’s plan from the beginning.
Now, we groan daily. Then, we will truly be alive for eternity. Think of the implications…
No more warts, moles, or ingrown toenails.
No more cavities, broken bones, or male-pattern baldness.
No more cold sores, viruses, or hernias.
No more colonoscopies, MRIs, or EKGs.
No more cardiac arrest, strokes, or dementia.
No more doctors saying, “We found something in your biopsy.”
No more suffering.
No more sin.
No. More. Death.
Our earthly bodies have an expiration date. But God has designed resurrection bodies for us in the new heavens and new earth. Soon, the Lord will clothe us in unimaginable glory. Our transience will be replaced by permanence. Our finiteness will give way to infinity. Our mortality will be swallowed up by immortality.
Liberated from the constraints of corrupted flesh, we can perfectly worship the triune God, just as He intended.
How can we be sure of these things? Because our Savior has purchased this future reality for us. His death, resurrection, and ascension paved the way for us to experience the same! And God has placed His Spirit in us “as a down payment” (2Corinthians 5:5) on this pledge. It’s a done deal.
Yes, today we groan. But remember fellow believers, and take heart: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself” (Philippians 3:20–21).
Post Comments (0)