Hey John,
Those old notes you found for the Father and Son book were so good! I don’t know how you are going to finish this book 🙂 I have a question about this paragraph below, especially the part in red:
“Salvation is for the body, and when Jesus returns, he will reward his faithful children with spiritual bodies which belong to the new nature we have been given, new, holy bodies which are ‘like his glorified body’ (Phip. 3:21). Salvation, then, for the saints is to be counted worthy to receive a new, glorified body when Jesus returns; that is the hope of every child of God.”
So, are you referring to the body of Christ? or the spiritual body we will receive when he returns? The way it reads to me in the paragraph it sounds like it should read “Salvation is for the body of Christ”.
Thanks
Stuart
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No, Stuart. What that means is that the salvation for which God’s people are waiting is for their physical bodies, not their souls. Their souls have already been made clean and holy. Now, we are waiting for our new bodies, which will match the holy work that God has already done in hour hearts.
Quite a few people said that was a new thought to them, but my father taught me that many years ago. He mentioned it often, and it is an important point. Jesus is not coming back the second time to deal with sin (Heb. 9:28), which has to do with the inner man, but to bring salvation (new bodies) to those who are looking for him. These bodies of flesh will be changed into bodies like Jesus’ glorified body (Phip. 3:21)
Here is the revised paragraph.
The salvation which Jesus promised to bring with him when he returns is for the body, not the soul. His reward for faithful believers will be new bodies that belong to their new nature. He will, as Paul said, ‘transform our lowly body into the likeness of his glorious body’ (Phip. 3:21). That is the unique hope of every person ‘born again’ into the family of God.”
Thanks for the question. A lot of people asked it.
jdc