“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)
When people die, their bodies return to dust. But that’s not the end! When Jesus comes back to judge humanity and to create new heavens and a new earth, He will also raise our mortal bodies — through his Spirit. The apostle Paul compares believers’ dead bodies to kernels of grain that are sown in the earth. When Jesus returns, these bodies will be raised in glory and power, and they will be imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Our bodies will then no longer be ‘natural’, but ‘spiritual’, bearing God’s image.
Some people make a strong distinction between the material body and spiritual things, as if the body is inferior or even sinful. But that’s not true. The Holy Spirit values our bodies so much that He will raise them from the dead. And we should value and care for our bodies as well. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
How can you use your body for God’s glory?