That new body is sounding pretty good

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “That new body is sounding pretty good”

Did you enjoy reading that quote from Joni Eareckson Tada in yesterday’s devotional? Did you think it was kind of fun and even a little cute? I did too. So, let me share it again: “One day no more bulging middles or balding tops. No varicose veins or crow’s-feet. No more cellulite or support hose. Forget the thunder thighs and highway hips. Just a quick leapfrog over the tombstone and it’s the body you’ve always dreamed of. Fit and trim, smooth and sleek.”

Do you think maybe that’s just the wishful thinking of a woman who has spent decades as a quadriplegic and confined to a motorized wheelchair? It’s not. It is solidly Biblical. That quote came from Joni’s book “Heaven: Your Real Home,” and like Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven,” it is based on truth from Scripture.

In Philippians 3:20-21 (above), Paul writes that Jesus will transform this lowly physical body of ours into a replica of His glorious resurrection body. And what was that resurrection body of Jesus’ like? The gospels reveal that it had both physical and spiritual qualities. His disciples could see Him, hear Him, and touch Him, and He even ate a piece of fish in their presence (Luke 24:36-43). But He could also appear and disappear in an instant, entering rooms through locked doors and solid walls (John 20:19); and he floated in the air as He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9). The resurrection body of Jesus was both physical and spiritual and Paul reveals that ours will be like that.

Does that sound far-fetched? Does it sound like maybe we’re reading too much meaning into the Scripture? Some Christians think of our eternal existence in a very cartoonish-fashion. They imagine themselves as an angel-like creature with wings, sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. Now that is far-fetched! And it does not come from Scripture.

Philippians 3:20-21 is just one passage that gives us some clues about what our eternal bodies will be like. There are others, and we will look at some of them in the days to come.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of aching joints, a weak bladder, a bald head, and all the assorted assisted living devices, such as glasses and hearing aids that a body needs as it continues to age. I’m ready to be done with cellulite and highway hips. That new body is sounding pretty good!

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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