One of the final things we can have the opportunity to decide before we leave this life is what will happen to our bodies. Especially toward the end of life, our bodies may not be something we a very happy with. We remember when we were young and possibly even attractive and athletic. Usually at the end we are neither. That doesn’t make our bodies an item to just throw away.
I would encourage you to think more of your body than to see it as a rental that you are turning in. You exist as a body, soul, and spirit. The physical body is a part of you. You are not just a spirit that inhabits a body. It is true that for a while you will be your spirit and its intersection with a heavenly body. The heavenly body will be a part of you. God doesn’t give up easily, however. He created your earthly body and He plans to reclaim it.
The Bible speaks of the resurrection of your earthly body. This will not simply be a revivification. It won’t really be a remodel. The resurrected earthly body is a new model. The unanswered question is how necessary are the remains of the first earthly body to the second.? There is no direct answer to this in the Bible. The only example of a resurrected body is Jesus’. His resurrection clearly did something with the remains put in the tomb. What exactly we do not know.
Does God need intact remains to give us a resurrected body? I seriously doubt it. If He did then something would have been said. There are many situations where you won’t have intact remains: fires, industrial accidents, eaten, dissolved in acid, thorough decay. I doubt that God even requires DNA. You will have an updated genome. For that matter, I doubt that your body will resurrect where the old one was planted. So don’t worry too much about your neighbors in the cemetery.
So may you be cremated? Yes, it won’t ruin God’s plans for you. You may wish to make a statement with your body, however. Even if it is more costly. Since our reasons for cremation or burial are diverse, any statement you may wish to make won’t have impact unless it is spoken or written as well. The statement can be that you expect the resurrection of the body. The statement can also be that you are not a wandering spirit but a spirit, soul, and body. Whatever your plans, beware of unintended statements.
Scattering of ashes may say to somebody that you believed that we die and are gone. Even burial in a decomposable casket could say I believe in my second life that I will be a tree. You can be cremated, scattered, or buried in an ecological casket; just say to the mourners what you believed and make it clear in some way. Perhaps this is within a written statement, a video made by you, a sermon or eulogy by somebody you spoke with about this, the use of a liturgy that speaks of the resurrection of the the dead.
We have lived here in somewhat dangerous and troubling conditions. But we have lived here with a purpose. Our purpose throughout life was to be a witness that will encourage other Christians or reach out the non-Christians. One of your final witnesses is your funeral/memorial service. Why not make the most of it. Those who will attend are likely the most important people to you on Earth. Think of ways to speak to them once more if only in the details of the handling of your earthly remains.
Continue Reading:
Is It Acceptable to Be Cremated?
Check out my other blog at Giving Christ. This blog deals with a much more general list of biblical topics. Use the search box to find topics of interest to you.
Discover more from afterdeathsite
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
