We Will Be Changed

A few days ago my granddaughter, Eliana, who is six was sitting at my desk drawing a picture while I did some work. She showed her progress of a picture that she was drawing of me. Then, from the sound of her voiced I detected trouble. She emphatically stated that she had a problem. I inquired as to the nature of the problem. She said in her drawing of me she had discovered that she didn’t have the color silver for my hair. I quickly scanned her colors and replied that she could possibly use brown since that is the color my hair used to be. To which she hesitantly replied, “It did?”

Actually, it wasn’t that long ago when I was a young man. Where did all the years go, and wow, have they flown by! Though I see death all around and even at work in my own body, I am glad to report that I have the assurance of going to be with Jesus when I die. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that when we die, we immediately go to be in God’s presence (2 Cor 5:8). But what about these old bodies? Will they be forgotten? No, they will not be forgotten; rather, each of us when our turn comes will be resurrected (2 Cor 15:23).

What’s more, these bodies will be transformed from an earthly body to a heavenly body. Paul says that we will be changed and will be given a transformed body (1 Cor 15:51). The resurrection of the body is part of God’s redemption. It is one of the reasons we bury instead of cremating our bodies because it affirms our belief in the resurrection. Joseph left instructions when the Israelites left Egypt that they were take his bones with them (Gen 50:25). He knew the time would eventually come when God would deliver them, and likewise we know Jesus will raise us up.

Paul tells us that Jesus himself will come down to earth with a loud command accompanied by his holy angels. At that moment all who have died in Christ will arise from their graves. It doesn’t matter where they were buried or what condition their bodies were when they died. They will be raised! Then those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord and be with him forever (1 Thess 4:13-19).

We have no fear of death and no reason to worry that these bodies are wearing out. That’s what they do, but we will be getting a brand new—well actually, it will be same one but transformed. It will be like Jesus’ body which was extraordinary as we see in his post resurrection appearances. The apostle John said, we don’t know everything about our transformed bodies, but we do know that they will be like Jesus’ body (1 John 3:2). Our earthly bodies were not made for heaven, rather they were made to wear out. However, we shall inherit a new glorious body, one made for heaven.