Like Him in Body (Protestant/Evangelical Devotional)

As glorious as will be our "homecoming" at death, there will be an even more glorious time at the resurrection when our perfected spirits are united with our resurrection bodies. John refered to this in 1 John 3:2: "When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (NIV). At the resurrection we’ll be like Jesus not only in spirit, but also in body.

Paul told us, "The Lord Jesus Christ . . . will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:20-21). Note the contrast Paul drew between our present lowly bodies and our future bodies that will be like his glorious body.

In this present life our bodies are subject to suffering, sickness, disabilities, decay, ugliness, aging, and finally death. It’s not a pretty picture. The fact is, in this life, because of the curse of sin, our bodies are lowly bodies.

That’s why Paul also wrote, "But we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). We groan. Between the internal conflict with our sinful nature and the external struggles with our lowly bodies, as well as the frustrations of adverse circumstances that so frequently beset us, we groan. But this groaning is not without purpose. Instead it causes us, or should cause us, to wait eagerly for the redemption of our bodies.

Paul said it’s in this hope that we’re saved (Romans 8:24). God intends that the struggles of this life wean us from our attachments to this present world. Generally speaking, believers who have the least benefits of this life have the most vigorous hopes of heaven.

To: Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; CynicalBear; daniel1212; Dutchboy88; ealgeone; ..

2 posted on 12/01/2020 8:16:59 AM PST by Gamecock ("The prosperity gospel is exactly like marrying someone for their money." -Sean Demars)

Thanks for posting this.

Very appropriate these days.

3 posted on 12/01/2020 9:45:20 AM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)

What a message for our times! In His glorified state, He came and went from another coordinate system to our coordinate system then back again to the greater coordinate system. The transformation moment of the great departure of the redeemed will instantly bring us into that greater coordinate system to meet the Lord, Our Lord in the air and return with Him to The Father's House.

Coming soon to a planet near us all.

4 posted on 12/01/2020 10:27:48 AM PST by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)

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