It’s a staple of Christian faith, that in the eternal state, we will get new bodies. 1 Corinthians 15 says “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”
This verse tells us that our perishable body (and as I get older, I’m increasingly aware of how perishable this body is) will be replaced with one that does not decline or run down. And at the same time our body that will die will be replaced with a body that can live forever.
Have you ever stopped to think about this?
We are so deeply connected to our current, perishable body that the notion of an imperishable body seems strange.
I’ve been noodling on this a bit of late as a meditation and spiritual exercise. So I’ll share some thoughts with you.
The body you have today is a “run-down” body. At the simplest level, you load it up with food, then over time it turns that food into nutrients and burns them all up for energy. When fuel stores get low, it’s time to eat again.
Our eternal bodies won’t be like that. They won’t be dependent upon chemical energy. “Carbohydrate” won’t be a work we think about or worry about in that new body.
Instead, somehow, our new bodies will be fueled by spiritual energy. This is a fun thing to lay in bed at night and think about. We won’t need to eat, but we will be connected to an ever-abundant supply of energy that drives every function of our bodies.
“Wait a minute,” you might be thinking. “After He was resurrected, Jesus ate food.”
Indeed He did. In His case it was to prove to His disciples that he was not a ghost or apparition. He was able to eat the food, but I don’t think He needed the food to keep His body functioning.
The book of Revelation talks about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It sounds like a great party – and there will be food there (it is called a “supper”). In our new bodies, we will be able to eat food just as Jesus did. But that food won’t be for the purpose of fueling our body.
Today Jesus is in Heaven, sitting enthroned at the right hand of God. He is in the very same body that appeared to the disciples after He was resurrected. But I don’t think He is eating 3 squares a day. There is not a kitchen service in Heaven making meals for Him when He gets hungry.
He has a new body. And we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
So if you’re looking for something to do to occupy your mind, try meditating on that new body. How will it function when it doesn’t need chemical energy? What will actually power it? If it never runs down, what will it be like? Exercise won’t produce lactic acid (that’s a chemical fuel by-product) – so muscles won’t get sore. There won’t be an issue with being overweight, since our bodies won’t need to store fuel away for a rainy day. Perhaps we won’t even need to sleep.
The thoughts just keep rolling on…
The point I want to make is that what we experience here on earth isn’t what we will experience when in the direct presence of God. Everything will be different. When we have a body that isn’t thoroughly infected with the taint of sin, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up to us.
I, for one, can’t wait!
Until next time,
Dennis
