BULLETIN ARTICLE – 22 October 2017

From the natural to the supernatural, that is how the resurrection body will be. It is truly an unknown and incomprehensible concept. We cannot predict or explain what a resurrection body will look like because it is beyond the realm of our experiences. Sin from the first man Adam to the present world with an environment full of destructive elements, have contributed to a population of injured human bodies. The natural world is decaying. Many people have bodies riddled with diseases and ailments. Even some healthy youths may find parts of their bodies not meeting their image of perfection and choose to alter and do a makeover to be like their ideal pop idols. The elderly, as King Solomon wisely described them, are like “when keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few and those looking through the windows grow dim.” (Eccl.12:3). That being the case, it is hard to imagine that anyone would want their existing bodies to last for eternity. We are more than ready to give up our imperfect human bodies and be content with preserving our souls, which primarily is our total being with all its emotions, thoughts and aspirations.
Apostle Paul spoke of a resurrection body that will be raised imperishable, raised in glory, raised in power and raised as spiritual. There is only one word to describe it. Supernatural. We inherit our natural bodies from the first man Adam and as Christians, we inherit the imperishable and supernatural bodies from Jesus. The imperishable became perishable as the grain of wheat that died, buried in the ground, rose again to bear much fruit (John 12:24), so that we, the perishable might become imperishable. Jesus suffered dishonour so that the dishonourable might experience glory. Jesus became weak, so that the weak might become powerful. With Jesus in us, we have the supernatural DNA to transform into the imperishable resurrected bodies “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
Sir Winston Churchill, the British PM during World War 2, declared his battle cry in these words, “It is to wage war, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us. Victory – victory at all costs, victory in spite of terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” For us the victory over the ultimate adversary – death – has been won. The cost has been paid. We no longer need to live an anxiety-ridden life in an attempt to win eternal life. There is freedom for the Christian to live with hope and without fear of the future, because physical death is not the end. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57). We can look forward to the resurrection body that God promised to give those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.