"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
As the seed’s death brings about the life of a new plant, so also the Christian’s physical death brings about a new spiritual life. What are the differences between the seed and the plant (that is our current bodies and Christians’ resurrection bodies)?
Our current bodies will die. All the health care in the world will not extend a person's life into eternity. But our resurrection bodies will never wear out. They will last forever.
Our current bodies will rot away in a manner that most people find revolting and not a subject for polite conversation. But our resurrection bodies will be things of unfading magnificence. We will be glorious in form and in appearance.
Our current bodies are wrought with debilitating illnesses. Cancer, diabetes, the flu, the cold, and infections are just a few of the many things that weaken rich and poor alike. But our resurrection bodies will have a God-given, unshakable, unyielding power. We will no longer be subject to our present ailments. These frightening maladies that occupy our time, attention, and money will all be behind us (perhaps a distant memory).
Our current bodies are limited, and we are not inherently able to understand or even receive spiritual truths. But our resurrection bodies will themselves be spiritual. That plain of existence that now seems so distant and illusive shall be our pleasant and blessed reality.
The fact that we have a physical body should be a constant reminder of the body to come. For Christians who are nearing the end of their lives, this is a clearer reality. But all of us who have a saving relationship with Christ would do well to remember the blessings to come.
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