Matters of Faith: A BRAND NEW BODY!

By Reverend J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv.

2 Cor. 5:1(5) (NLT)
“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”

I remember when I was a teen and my family was the last family to move out of that old tenement building in the South Bronx. The steps leading up to our apartment were falling apart. The building hadn’t been painted in years, and there were holes in the walls that drug addicts made in order to steal the lead pipes to sell for a quick fix. Because the oil tank was frequently empty, we had to boil water to bathe and to keep the house warm. That old building, full of so many memories, was finally condemned and we had to move.

Just like that old building, these earthly bodies, (Paul calls them tents in the text) are not designed to last forever. Eventually, they will be condemned and declared not fit for human habitation. The bodies that house our eternal souls will have to be replaced with new bodies, not clay jars, fabricated tents, or flesh and blood (as we know it). They will be buildings not made by hands, eternal houses (or bodies) that will never grow old, groan or sigh, get sick or die. These new bodies will be prepared by God Himself; glorious bodies that were validated by Jesus Christ when He got up from the grave and given His new glorified body.

We were guaranteed non-perishable bodies when we were/are baptized in the Holy Spirit and accepted Christ as the propitiation for our sins. It was done for everyone. John 3:16 proclaims, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). Unfortunately, not everyone will receive that marvelous gift.

Just so that you don’t think I’m talking “pie in the sky” after death faith, verses 4 and 5 of our focus verses expresses our sentiment quite well; “It’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.” Isn’t it a great feeling to know that this is not the end; that there is a new body that has already been prepared for us that won’t have the decaying properties of the one we have now?

Everybody knows that death is certain. What we debate is what happens when life is no more. In my faith tradition, we believe in eternal life. The question we wrestle with is “where will that life be?” We’ve concluded through the scripture that it’s either with the Lord…,or not. The choice is yours. So when it’s time for you to get your brand new body, make sure that you have chosen wisely. Eternity is long…, and hell is hot!

Be Blessed!

20161113_JLRussellRev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting, and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen here or by phone at 626-226-1448. Be sure to friend “Matters of Faith” on Facebook and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. You can also use the email to order his new book, Matters of Faith: The Book.

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