The thrill of being young, beautiful, exciting and energetic is one of the most desired things in this world. Although creams, lotions, exercise machines and extreme sports are the gods to which millions turn to for help, the blessed inheritance of God’s dearly loved people includes youthful vigour, beauty and joy forever. These are some of the eternal joys and pleasures in the presence of God. This vibrant “youngness” however, is by far not the sum of eternal glory; there is vastly more in the mind of the infinite God behind His twinkling eye.

In my previous blog I spoke about the dear sister in Christ who is now with the Lord. Her body remained in the bed at the old-age-home, while her spirit, being absent from the body was instantly present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6). She is presently revelling in the presence of the Lord in spirit form.[1] Christ’s redemption doesn’t simply concern the spirit of man, but his physical body too! Although a believer who dies in this world before the return of Christ is received with great joy into the presence of God in spirit form, at the return of Christ to this world, his physical body will be raised to life, completely overhauled and given back to that believer (Romans 8:23-24). Instead of being weighed down with an old body again, this new glorified body will be the body in which the believer will take pleasure throughout an eternity of unspeakable delight.

As God considers the world He is about to form, what is foremost on His mind is the display of His glory in the people He has predestined, called, justified, and glorified (Romans 8:30). He can virtually hear the voices of redeemed saints singing with overwhelmed abandon in His presence for ever and ever; filled with the energy to worship vastly beyond their earthbound capacities. The beautiful intention in the mind of God was one of kindness beyond measure. To form this world as an environment in which His people will live, to permit them to fall into sin, giving Him the opportunity to display His glorious character in glorifying them. And when God speaks of glorifying a saint, the boundaries of His designs have not yet been staked out. When the infinitely glorious God glorifies, one must expect a breathtakingly glorious final result. And it is this mystery that remains, largely hidden, as a beautiful, wonderful intention in the mind of God. Don’t you long to know the thoughts of God toward you, His child? We will consider the glimpses of what He has revealed and leave what remains as a source of longing until we are actually glorified.

One of the things that excites me for a start is complete victory over death. The process of death, slow decay in everything, dragging every form of life in this world toward an unpleasant end, inaugurated in Adam, will be smashed out of existence forever for the believer. The leeching gravity of death will no longer drag God’s people down. Gone forever, drowned in the thunderous eternal praise of the saints to God.