In response to a comment I posted from my previous post, a friend wrote to me some meaningful words that spoke to an explanation I left out from my thoughts:
"Not to argue against your thought, but to broaden your perspective - God created us with body and soul, and He recreates His elect, body and soul. Even the damned will suffer eternal torment in body and soul. Of course I agree that temproal suffering is nothing compared with the punishment or rewards that will follow for eternity."
Yes, the body and the soul are important and God loves both aspects of our beings. He created us to have both. Yet, when we have an indestructible soul that inhabits a body of death God must use what will be shaken (this body and our world) to reveal His unshakable kingdom. I responded by writing:
"Suffering for the Christian leads to perseverance and hope that Christ will come again to take our pain away and give us new life. I was only trying to imply that these bodies are temporary, but our souls are eternal. God uses the temporary and its passing to encourage a longing to be with Him forever in peace.
"For instance, Moses called for bread (Manna) from Heaven and brought water from a rock in the ground to provide food and water to alleviate his people's suffering in the flesh. They ate and drank, but were not satisfied. Christ calls Himself the "bread from Heaven" and the "water of life" that, when taken just one time, cause us to never hunger or thirst again.
Though we will die, God does provide for our physical needs, but in order to point to His spiritual blessings that never pass away."
If you read this, do you have any thoughts you would like to comment upon?
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