Prayer – Lord, what is it like to have a spiritual body?
I think we have a spiritual body within this physical body now—and the Holy Spirit
makes His home in our heart, spiritually. Please give us wisdom to understand this transition that we will one day experience.
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must
worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24
Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our
image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in
the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small
animals that scurry along the ground." So God created human beings in his
own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created
them. Genesis 1:26-27
Meditate. Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual being?
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| My painting of Jesus. We don't really know what He looks like. |
May the LORD, the
God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully
for what you have done. Ruth 2:12
Do you picture Him as Jesus was described by John in Revelation
recognizing how Paul portrayed Jesus as the visible image of an invisible God?
And standing in the
middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long
robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like
wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were
like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty
ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword
came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. Revelation
1:13-16
Christ is the
visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and
is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the
heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we
can't see--such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen
world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16
We are definitely visible, and Christ was visible even after
His death and resurrection. We can assume that we will have the same visible body
after Christ resurrects us—and calls us to heaven.
Paul gives us a great discussion of mortal and immortal
bodies in his first letter to the Corinthians. It is good to read that book for
yourself…here’s just a few verses to start you off.
The Scriptures tell
us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last
Adam--that is, Christ--is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural
body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from
the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly
people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.
Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly
man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will
last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die,
but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an
eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who
have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be
transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never
die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 1
Corinthians 15:45-53
Immortal bodies. Will we be able to enter rooms without
going through a door? Will we need or want to eat? Remember how Jesus just appeared
to the disciples after His resurrection? See Luke 24:36-43.
There is so much to discover and learn—and during this
Feast of Trumpets—listen for the sound of the shofar calling you to celebrate
the New Year until sundown today. Worship the Lord, in spirit and in truth.
Verse of Salvation ~ As for us, we can't help but thank
God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always
thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation
that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the
truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can
share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American
Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. lockman.org
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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