The body and soul are not the same. Philosophers have argued over this for centuries. The fact remains that when we die part of us goes into the ground and the other part, the eternal part, goes somewhere else. And the central tenant of Christianity is one’s acceptance and submission to the Gospel of Jesus determines one’s destiny. If we believe and accept his gift of salvation, we go to heaven. If we don’t, we go to hell.
In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul talks about our body like a seed. “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15.42b). Our souls are eternal, yet the bodies we inhabit deteriorate and eventually return to the dust they were made from.
Jesus’ resurrection sets the groundwork for our perfect resurrection as well. Our natural bodies will be “rebirthed” as spiritual bodies, like the one Jesus has now, and will one day be rejoined with our souls. It’s in these bodies we’ll live out the rest of eternity. Watch the clip below from the weekend service.
To further investigate this conversation, please check out Ada Bible Church’s We Believe statement on “Eternity.” This document gives a more thorough explanation of what the Scriptures say about what life will be like when we die and about the hope of life in Jesus for those who have believed in him.
May you be encouraged today as you meditate on the magnitude of God’s salvation for us, both now and forever.
