How does our future resurrection impact how we live daily? The doctrine of bodily resurrection carries several implications for Christian ethics, or how we ought to live. Though it is a future event, it relates massively to this present time. I want to highlight two main ways that our resurrection touches our daily lives. It affirms that our physical bodies are good, and it provides us with hope in this present age as we await Christ’s return.
The Goodness of Physical Bodies
The future resurrection affirms the goodness of our human bodies. God designed people to be united in soul and body forever. If our souls lived forever but our bodies remained dead, then the body would have no final telos, no ultimate purpose. It would have no function apart from its fallen and sinful state. In this present life, our bodies can seem more of a nuisance than a blessing, especially for those who are chronically ill. But the doctrine of the future resurrection reminds us that our bodies are a gift from God. For the Christian, the goodness of the body is twofold. First, it has dignity as a part of God’s creation. Second, it has dignity through the indwelling of the Spirit. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) God will destroy those who destroy their bodies through sin. Thus God demonstrates the worth of our earthly bodies, which are being perfected by the Spirit. So, we should live in a way that honors our earthly bodies as the precious creation and temple that they are.
True Comfort and Hope
The future resurrection gives us hope in this present life. The Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What comfort doth the “resurrection of the body” afford thee? That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ.” This is a summary of the doctrine we have explored thus far. All these biblical truths about the resurrection are meant to bring us comfort. The Psalmist expresses this future hope. “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:9-11) This Psalm ultimately points to Christ’s resurrection, but it also applies to those who are united to Christ. We will not be abandoned to corruption, and therefore our hearts can rejoice in hope.
Groaning as we Wait
What does this hope look like? Scripture applies the concept of hope in a shocking way. In light of verses like Psalm 16:9-11, one might expect that hope takes the form of constant bliss. Yet Scripture often paints it as a deep groaning. We “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24) Christians groan as they hope for the resurrection of their bodies. This groaning is deep and profound, but the Spirit is right there with us, interceding with groanings “too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) The doctrine of bodily resurrection provides an occasion to lean into the heavy suffering of this present age. We do not minimize our grief; we allow ourselves to grieve in a manner that is ordered toward our future hope. As we groan in the hope for resurrection, we also grow in patience. “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:23-24) Christian hope takes the form of patient groaning in anticipation of the blessed life everlasting. resurrection unto eternal life is an immense consolation to believers whose lives are in ashes. Job expresses the depth of this hope, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” (Job 19:25-26)
In this three-part series series, we have explored the doctrine of bodily resurrection. My goal has been to capture the overarching biblical logic regarding the resurrection: God will resurrect the physical bodies of those who have been united to Christ through his Spirit, and in doing so he will also renew all of creation, thus affirming the goodness of our bodies and the certainty of our hope. This account does leave many questions unanswered, such as “If our resurrected bodies are perfect, will they closely resemble how we look in our prime?” Or “If Christ’s resurrected body has scars, then will our resurrected bodies have any defects?” I encourage you to explore these fascinating questions, without losing sight of the three most important elements of the doctrine of resurrection: its relation to the Triune God, its implications for the created world, and its applications to Christian ethics.
Scripture testifies abundantly to these truths, weaving them together in a majestic and cohesive narrative. When we rise again, we shall behold our God face-to-face and find complete satisfaction. “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” (Psalm 15:15) The Apostle’s Creed rightly concludes with the resurrection of the body unto eternal life, as it is our final destiny and the resolution of God’s redemptive story.
