Romans 8:11
“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)
Not everyone wants to die. Not everyone anticipates that day. One of my best friends, John, was dying an agonizing death of bone cancer. When I visited him in his home he said, “Robertson, you probably want to go to heaven, but I don’t. I’ve got too many things planned to get done for God right here on earth.”
He declined rapidly, and soon I heard he had made his final trip to the hospital. I rushed to the hospital and found his room. When I entered John said, “Robertson, I’ve got something to tell you about death. It takes too long.” I reached his bedside and groped for words of comfort, but he continued: “I can’t figure out the purpose of all this pain and suffering.” I responded, “I haven’t got it all figured out either. But I do notice one thing it’s done for you. A few weeks ago you didn’t want to go to be with Jesus. Now you can hardly wait.” John grimaced. “You’re right, pal.” A few hours later he had his desire.
Some understand Romans 8:11 to refer to spiritual rather than physical resurrection. They understand the verse to say Holy Spirit power energizes the spiritually dead to make them alive in Christ. The immediate context of the passage does speak of that regenerating work of the Spirit, but Paul addresses Christians here, not the spiritually dead. He assures them that the Spirit will yet give life to their physical bodies. I believe, therefore, that Paul speaks here of the final resurrection.
A clear parallel and a connection does exist with the already-accomplished spiritual resurrection. But the final resurrection is a major theme of the last half of the eighth chapter of Romans. Our physical resurrection is the grand climax of all the Spirit’s work in us. It is the consummation of all He intended from the start: God’s image fully restored, and union with God fully consummated.
WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE! In a sense we’re already married to God, united with Him forever. But in another sense, the consummation of that marriage is yet to be. You might call our present relationship an engagement and the Holy Spirit our engagement ring. God “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (1 Corinthians 1:22; see also 5:5 and Ephesians 1:14).
Exciting as the engagement has been, our present experience of God will fade into the dim recesses of memory when the marriage is consummated! The climax of all the Spirit’s work is to usher us into the banquet hall to introduce us to our beloved where we shall meet Him “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13 :12). The Spirit’s work will be complete when “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3 :2).
Many of God’s promises about eternity will be fulfilled when we die and are instantly with Him. Others will be fulfilled when the bride, the church, is completed and Jesus returns to take her to the final celebration. Since the Bible doesn’t explain all the delightful mystery of it, I’m not sure exactly what will happen when; no one knows. What a glorious anticipation!
As I think about eternity, here are some of the things I look forward to:
- Jesus. Seeing Him, feeling His warm embrace, being united with Him in a union so intimate I don’t have the capacity even to imagine.
- The Father. Seeing Him smile and hearing Him say, “Well done.” I want to tell Him how grateful I am for His love for me, so great He let His own Son go for me. In fact, for the first time I’ll be able to worship Him as I have always longed to, but never seemed able.
- The Spirit. I want to tell Him in detail how deeply I appreciate all He’s done for me.
- Being reunited with my son, my parents, and other loved ones who got there before me, and, especially, my wife.
- All sorrow, pain, sickness, weakness, sin, and failure gone forever.
- Jesus’ smile when I give Him my wedding present – my life investment for Him.
- Being in the likeness of Jesus, my transformation complete.
Do you resonate with any of those hopes? What do you most look forward to?
We began our walk with the Spirit in eternity where He designed us to be God-compatible. We’ve kept “in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) through His work of transforming us, a spiral up from one degree of Christ’s glorious likeness to another. We’re headed toward the grand finale when the Spirit will complete His work. But somewhere we must have gotten out of step, because we aren’t rejoicing with the Bridegroom in anticipation of that glorious wedding day. If that’s your situation, don’t you want to get back in step with the Spirit?
I invite you to join me in prayer.
Holy Spirit of God, what a wonder You are! From beginning to end You made it all happen. And You not only do for me, You love me and want to be with me. That I can’t understand, but I love You, too, and want to be Your intimate companion always. Hold me close and when I start to drift away, draw me back. I want to become all that a mortal can be, so here I am, Yours to do with as You will. Father and Dear Son, how can I ever express my gratitude for Your great gift at Calvary and Your great gift at Pentecost? I cannot, so I offer You all of me with the hope that it will bring You some small joy. In the authority of Jesus’ name I come. Amen.