Shorter Catechism Q. 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
Commentary: One benefit that believers will receive at the resurrection is that they will be “raised up in glory.” Since believers will be raised up then it will be their own body that will be resurrected, and not some other body. The very concept of resurrection presupposes this. If we were given a different body, then it wouldn’t be a resurrection but a new creation. Paul says that the Spirit will give life to our mortal body and that we wait for the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 1:11, 23).
Although it will be our body that we will receive at the resurrection, it will be “raised up in glory.” It will be glorious, spiritual, immortal and incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:35-49). Indeed, it will be like Christ’s resurrected body. Paul proclaimed that Jesus will “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil. 3:21).”
Another benefit that believers receive at the resurrection is that they “shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment.” We have been justified, and we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ right now (Rom. 5:1). We don’t have to wait for the resurrection for these things. These things, however, will be openly declared and acknowledged on the day of Judgment. God, as judge, will publicly acquit us. That which we know and experience by faith will be known and experienced by sight.
Still another benefit that believers receive is that we will be “made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.” Negatively, this means that we will never again have any physical problems, or mental problems, or spiritual problems, or relationship problems, or political problems, or indeed any other kind of problem (Rev. 21:4). Positively, it means that we will perfectly love one another. We will never again hurt one another, and we will always be good to everyone. And everyone else will do the same. Furthermore, we will perfectly love God with all our heart. We will never again sin against our God, and we will walk with him and enjoy him forever.