… in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21
Oh, the resurrection! What a blessed promise before us. How great is our hope! Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we, too, will be freed from bodily destruction. Our bodies will be redeemed and will one day be resurrected in glory.
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23
This is good news for this old tent that I wear, the body that is decaying before it is renewed. It is good news for those of us longing to see loved ones, to hug them in their physical form once again. These bodies of ours will be redeemed and restored – resurrected - to perfection. And we will be with Him. This is our hope.
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25
And so we wait. Paul says we wait patiently, but I don’t feel patient some days. I am waiting eagerly, even anxiously. But maybe those aren’t mutually exclusive. Maybe waiting patiently is not our emotional state of mind but our activity. Like if I cook impatiently, ruining a dish by not letting it properly set. Though eager to taste my dish, I must be patient in letting it take the time it needs to enjoy it properly. Waiting patiently for the redemption of our bodies may simply be trusting only in His work and His time. I wait on Him. Eagerly. Expectantly. Patiently.
Thank you, Lord, for the blessed hope you have given in the resurrection.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:11
