Alive - by Dave Smith

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of what that this will look like. The resurrected Jesus was clearly the same person, yet somehow different. His friends often struggled to recognise him, yet he bore the crucifixion wounds. He walked through locked doors and yet was present physically. He could be touched, made a fire, cooked and ate fish on a beach – before finally ascending (bodily) into heaven (see Acts 1:9–11). This gives us something of a foretaste of the ‘reality’ of our future state, too – that includes ‘real’ resurrection bodies, friendship and food! 15 The good news is that whether we’re struggling physically or wonderfully healthy, our best days truly lie ahead of us! As theologian and writer Tom Wright has argued, we are not now shadows of our former selves but shadows of our future selves, as we await our new bodies that God has ready to give us at Christ’s return. 16 So, where will we live in these transformed physical bodies? The answer according to the Bible is that, thirdly, we’ll dwell in a restored Creation, something that is only possible ‘<strong>by</strong> the power that enables him to bring everything under his control’ (Philippians 3:21). Elsewhere this is described as ‘a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells’ (2 Peter 3:13). We know even less about what this restored Creation will be like than we do about our resurrected bodies but, again, the implication is that it will be somehow far more glorious or ‘weighty’ than our current experience. In The Great Divorce, CS Lewis brilliantly depicts the solid realities of the new creation, highlighting how we’re not going to live in a ‘spiritualised’ heaven, but in a transformed, glorious, new physical world. 17 Andrew Ollerton summarises: ‘The Bible helps us imagine a flourishing future world far more solid and beautiful than anything we can touch or taste here and now…divine beauty will radiate from every plant and shrub and be manifest on every
mountain and beach.’ 18 Having this ‘eternal life perspective’ shaped the apostle Paul’s sense of purpose. Time and again throughout his writings he talked about fulfilling his calling in this life, in the light of the future resurrection. Hence, for example, 1 Corinthians 15 ends not with a reminder of the past event concerning the resurrection of Jesus, nor with the promise of our future resurrection, but with a very concrete application to our present life and calling: ‘Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58). In the light of the future resurrection, our life work doesn’t end here in futility, but rather will somehow be rewarded in eternity. The fact that there will be both continuity and discontinuity between this life and life in the age to come is of critical importance when it comes to us finding and fulfilling our purpose. As has been pointed out, our work in this life will only be partially successful. Recognising this, yet knowing that somehow our earthly labours will find their ‘completion’ and fulfilment in the next life, will help us press on through frustration and disappointment. Having an eternal perspective gives us a sense that if we labouring ‘in the Lord’ we are working for an ultimate purpose. 19 PAUSE AND PONDER You might like to re-read the whole section on ‘An eternal perspective’, before considering how such a perspective might impact your purpose in the here and now. 3. DISCOVERING OUR UNIQUE LIFE
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Dave Smith invites us on a journey
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and fulfilled. A life where it’s
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I want to say a huge thanks to a nu
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Instagram a while back: ‘You wake
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eyond our physical and psychologica
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4. A future life in heaven Widely a
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only £150?’ The wife replied,
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3. On the first Easter morning, the
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second question of how Jesus’ res
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At 2.20pm, 5 April 1982, I ‘fell
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used to refer to romantic or sexual
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and controversial biblical characte
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teach us about the seeming absence
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testimony of female witnesses would
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16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ S
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What’s clear is that this was not
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THE ETERNAL DIMENSION OF LOVE One o
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know how much, in Christ, we are
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FURTHER REFLECTION 1. In the light
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It was a day not to be forgotten in
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group that didn’t survive: ‘The
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an all-loving, all-powerful God who
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25 He said to them, ‘How foolish
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By the end of the journey, their
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deliverer had just suffered the mos
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of Paul’s conversion on the road
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HE’S WELCOMED Despite Jesus being
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Presumably there was something abou
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FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Take a moment
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The longing for inner peace is univ
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For example, it may be that as you
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True peace was at the heart of God
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sense of release, turn your palms u
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esponse to a perceived threat or po
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Page 76 and 77: Spirit) when his followers are meet
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Page 80 and 81: CHAPTER FOUR LIVING IN FREEDOM
Page 82 and 83: • Sweetheart died in 1835. • Ha
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Page 86 and 87: completely implausible to think tha
Page 88 and 89: FISH Afterward Jesus appeared again
Page 90 and 91: PAUSE AND PONDER If you are current
Page 92 and 93: Bible, he also speaks specifically
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Page 100 and 101: Peter clearly took Jesus’ advice
Page 102 and 103: FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Are you strug
Page 104 and 105: I’ve always been a bit of a dream
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Page 110 and 111: 1. A TRANSFORMED MOTIVATION Saul’
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Page 122 and 123: PATHWAY So far we’ve established
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Page 126 and 127: just that we can meet with the rise
Page 128 and 129: CONCLUSION FULLY ALIVE, FOR THE RES
Page 130 and 131: utilise the prayer of invitation th
Page 132 and 133: Even if you are convinced in the re
Page 134 and 135: his death under Pilate and his gath
Page 136 and 137: APPENDIX B: HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT
Page 138 and 139: to the fact he was about to suffer
Page 140 and 141: TOMB As we look at the accounts of
Page 142 and 143: • To groups of men and groups of
Page 144 and 145: them by others. The apostles died f
Page 146 and 147: ENDNOTES INTRODUCTION: FULLY ALIVE
Page 148 and 149: The book is also the basis for a sm
Page 150 and 151: Demands a Verdict (Nashville, Tenne
Page 152 and 153: FURTHER ALIVE RESOURCES Now you hav
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