Tuesday 13 November 2012

TWO BODIES COMPARED


READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:36-49

“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49).
The present body we have is completely different from the eternal body we shall be given. The present body can be said to be vile, ugly, corrupt and almost useless. That is why I pity those who spend so much time and money decorating their bodies, which invariably is their number one enemy. It is this body that pressurises you to eat after deciding to fast. When you want to pray, it suddenly tells you it wants to sleep.
The great news is that this present body shall be changed into the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This is an event known as the Rapture, when at the sound of the trumpet of God, we shall be transformed. Wearing our new bodies, we will fly to meet Jesus Christ in the air. See you there!
Our reading says we shall be the direct opposite of our present body. The new body shall be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, a spiritual body. Why will our present body be transformed? The first reason here, according to Colossians 3:4, is that we can share in the glory of Jesus when he appears. The greatest wedding is coming. Jesus Christ is coming to take us as his bride. He is arrayed in his glorious body: we cannot be any different.
The other reason is that we are going to live with him forever. In John 14:3 he said, having prepared our eternal home for us, he will come and take us there. If we will dwell with Jesus Christ forever, we must have the same body he has, the body of Jesus’ resurrection is simply glorious (Revelation 1:12-17). John the Beloved was the closest of all his Apostles and from time to time he would recline on his bosom. Yet when he saw Jesus wearing his latter house, the glory was too much for him to stand. John fainted. I shall wear my glorious latter house! What about you? 

MEMORIZE: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:49 –And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.