The unconverted man hates the idea of bodily resurrection, for it means that the same body in which he has lived his Christless life, is to be reunited to his lost soul, to be brought before the bar of God. Accordingly there is a determined, relentless effort on the part of the enemy today to rob souls of the simple truth of the resurrection of the physical body. Even children of God have sometimes very hazy ideas about what kind of a body they will have in resurrection. But the simple truth for us to lay hold of is this: we shall have for eternity this very same body in which we have lived down here. God is not going to give us a newly created body, for, if He did, it would not be resurrection at all, for resurrection is the raising up again of that which existed before. It is true, the Christian’s body will be changed into the fashion of the body of Christ, (blessed be God) but it will be the same body renewed.
On the other hand, the wicked will not have their bodies renewed like unto His body of glory, but will be raised again in their bodies to be cast alive into the lake of fire, there to suffer the doom of the eternally lost.
Yes, Europe’s present holocaust of war has probably sent into corruption the bodies of three million men. But God does not forget, and everyone of those poor soldiers will yet stand bodily in God’s presence. O, may we not pray, in the light of these solemn truths, that the Lord’s warning might be heeded by these myriads of armed men; “Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do, but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.” (Luke 12:4, 54And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. (Luke 12:4‑5).)