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by Brad Boyles
When Jesus took the form of a man, He stepped down from Heaven and entered into a finite, flawed human body. It was a heart and mind just like ours. He dealt with temptation, experienced human emotion, and was subjected to physical pain. Jesus died in that body and was resurrected. He was not raised to the same state as He previously existed, and neither will we. Paul articulates this point clearly in 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5:4 GNB While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life. We do not know what it will be like to have a body in Heaven. However, we do know that the body we currently have is not our home and not how God intended us to live! There is both a sense that our earthly body is not necessarily evil (because Jesus took one for Himself) but also not something we should desire over being with Jesus. As Paul has written, there is nothing wrong with longing to be with Jesus in a perfect, resurrected body. “If after that you desire to know more concerning this house, I can but give you the advice which was given by John Bunyan in a similar case. One asked of honest John a question which he could not answer, for the matter was not opened up in God’s word; and therefore honest John bade his friend live a godly life, and go to heaven, and see for himself.” Charles Spurgeon I love this quote! How many times do we get hung up on details we will never know? We have all the tools we need to live a Godly life. We have all the instruction to complete the mission at hand. As we look forward to being with Jesus, let us not forget that He has work for us to do before we go home!