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One of the writers I like to read is an old Scottish preacher by the name of Thomas Boston. He had a vivid imagination, and in one of his sermons, he pictured the soul and the body of a believer engaging in conversation after they are reunited in the resurrection.
Your Resurrection Body, Talking to Your Believing Soul
Imagine your resurrected body, talking to your believing soul:
Well, my friend, it’s good to be back together after that awful separation we endured. It was all right for you—you went into the presence of Jesus. I got stuck in a grave! The silver cord that tied us together was cut, but now we are reunited, and we’ll never be separated again. How different this is from the moment that we were pulled apart.
“I am so glad to be your body. Your great longing was that Christ should be in us. You knew that Christ in us was our hope of glory. You made me a temple of the Holy Spirit. You have brought me into all of this joy. I’m sorry I made life so hard for you. I was often a burden to you; so slow, so sluggish, so reluctant. How often you were willing; I was weak.
I know I was difficult for you to master. But you mastered me well. You made these eyes shed tears over sin. You led these knees to kneel before God in faith and repentance. You used this tongue in confession and prayer and thanksgiving, and now it will be used in praises forevermore.
I’m so grateful you did not let me have my way. Others pampered their flesh, lived for their comfort, followed the lusts of their bodies and it led to their destruction. But here I am, risen and taking my place with you in mansions of glory.
And now, my soul, no more will you complain of a sick and weary body. Now I will keep pace with you in the praises of our God forevermore.
Your Believing Soul’s Response
Then your believing soul will say to your body something like this:
I’m so happy to be reunited with you, my friend. You were, and are and always will be, a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Arise, my body. and come with me: Let the eyes that used to weep over sins look with joy on the face of the Redeemer. Let the ears that heard the Word of Life come and hear the songs of heaven. Let the feet that took me to worship with the people of God take their place in the great congregation of above. Let the tongue that confessed faith in Christ, join the choirs of heaven to sing His praises forevermore.
Listen, to me my body: Often you have been fasting, now you will be feasting. Often you have wept, but now all tears will be wiped from your eyes. We took part in the fight together; come, let us together receive and wear the crown.
Isn’t that a marvelous picture? The believing soul and body, rejoicing together in complete harmony, entering as one into the presence of Jesus with joy that will never end.
This article was adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “The Resurrection,” from his series The Inside Story of Your Future Life.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Colin Smith
Founder & Teaching Pastor
Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near - So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on Twitter.
