Bodies And Souls

Bodies and Souls

I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

Psalm 84:2

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

We are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8

Have you ever noticed how some salad dressings separate in the bottle? The vinegar is heavier so it settles in the bottom, while the lighter oil and seasonings sit on top. When we shake it up, it comes out mixed together. But if it sits for a while again, it will separate again.

Here on earth, we have bodies and souls that are intertwined. But the day is coming when our bodies and souls will separate. When we die, our bodies will become lifeless shells. But we will continue to exist as souls—either with Jesus in heaven or separated from him in hell.

The Bible says that when the believer’s soul leaves his or her body, this person is immediately “at home with the Lord.” While there is much we don’t understand about heaven, we do know that when we’re there, we’ll feel like we’ve finally arrived at home. We’ll be very content there as souls without bodies. But we won’t be like that forever.

As great as it will be in heaven after we die, God has something even better in mind for our eternal future. He will not leave our dead bodies in the ground forever—he will raise up our bodies from the dead. But our new bodies will be so much better than our old ones—they’ll be given a divine makeover so they’ll be perfect and completely pleasing to God. Our souls and bodies will be reunited to live forever in the new heaven and new earth. We will live with Christ forever—with glorified bodies and souls.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What does it mean to feel “at home” somewhere? What are some places where you feel most at home?

Jesus had a glorified body—like ours will be someday—when he rose from the dead. What do we know about his body from things he did after he rose from the dead? (See Luke 24:13-53 and John 20–21.)

How can it give you hope now, while you’re here on earth, to know that your soul will never die?