A New Body

As I was reading from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, I came to a section talking about the resurrection. On page 998, Calvin talks about the New Body believers will gain after they are resurrected. Admittedly, I believed that the new body was completely different from the old, but tied to the same soul. My understanding of the resurrection would have been analogous to taking off one suit and replacing it with a new suit. Though the suits (my physical body) changed, my body (my soul) is still the same.

In the section entitled: Resurrection of that body in which we have been clothed in this life, Calvin exposes my error. He writes:

"Equally monstrous is the error of those who imagine that the souls will not receive the same bodies with which they are now clothed but will be furnished with new and different ones."

After quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Calvin writes:

"...it would be utterly absurd that the bodies which God has dedicated to Himself as temples (1 Corinthians 3:16) should fall away into filth without hope of resurrection!"

So, God is not going to give me a body I have never had before. He is going to perfect my existing one! My old body, this bulging, decaying, aching temple will be refurbished and restored! My body was conceived in sin, born of flesh, enchained to evil. It is being changed from the inside out, warring within itself with a defeated foe, destined for death. Upon death it will be awaiting resurrection. Once resurrected, it will be purified, whole, complete -- ready to live in the presence of Christ! He is not going to give me a new suit. He is going to mend and wash the old one in a way that inexplicably reveals His Glory!

My ever-inquisitive mind asked the question: Why? Why would God choose to fix the old body instead of simply giving me a new one? God is most glorified by creating man, ordaining man's affair with sin, then purifying that sinful man through the death and resurrection of His Perfect Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

If we received a completely new body, Christ's Perfect Sacrifice would not have been required to save the old one. It could simply be discarded. Also, if we received a new sinless body to complement our souls, this would assume that our souls were not sinful. However, sin penetrates to the core of who we are. It permeates into our souls as well as through our flesh.

Why does perfecting a tainted vessel bring God more glory than creating a new one? The answer lies in displaying His Greatness. Salvation describes God's total Sovereignty over all opponents, especially over sin! By changing our hearts and perfecting our bodies, God displays not only His creative power, but also His saving power! Someday we will experience His glorifying power! May that day come quickly!