For the Sake of the Gospel #21
Eternal Life: Part Four

During this month of November, in which we remember the faithful departed, I have focused my columns on our hope for eternal life. Thus far, we have seen that the Christian hope for eternal life is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that just as God raised Jesus from the dead, so God will raise from the dead those who have believed in Christ.
Our hope for the resurrection means that it is not merely our soul that will be saved; it is the whole of us, body as well as soul that will be saved. At the resurrection of the dead, we will be changed and transformed by the power of God’s Spirit. Thus we will enjoy the same resurrection life that Jesus already enjoys. We will enjoy a resurrection body; that is, a body that can no longer die because it has been changed and transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.
But what will happen to the rest of creation? Saint Paul provides an interesting answer to this question in his great letter to the Romans. Speaking about the future salvation of those who are in Christ, the Apostle writes:
I consider that the sufferings of the present time as not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God … the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom 8:18-21)
What Paul writes in this passage can be summarized in this way: the resurrection of the dead will result in the renewal of creation. It is not merely humanity that will be saved at the resurrection of the dead; it is the whole of creation that will be saved as well.
Most of us think of salvation in terms of “saving our souls.” There is nothing wrong with that. We should be concerned about “saving our souls.” But St. Paul presents us with a much more dynamic view of salvation. It is not merely our souls that will be saved when we are raised from the dead; it is the whole of us that will be saved. And when we are, the created world in which we live will be saved as well.
So what does this mean? It means that God’s plan of salvation is greater than we imagine. God intends to renew the whole of creation by raising us from the dead. At that moment, the world in which we live will be changed and transformed so that it conforms to God’s original plan. At that moment we will be living in a “new creation,” a creation transformed by God’s grace.
Our hope for eternal life includes, but it is much more than, the salvation of our soul. Our hope for eternal life is nothing less than the transformation of ourselves and the whole of creation according to God’s plan. Eternal life is not an escape from this world, then, but entrance into God’s new creation. This is what we hope for. This is why we believe in eternal life. This is why our work and involvement in this world is so important. For in the new creation, nothing that is good will be lost. All that is good will be transformed according to the pattern of God’s plan.
Father Matera