Greetings from Fort Collins, the most populous city in northern Colorado! Known for its vibrant historic district, our city is a beacon of culture and adventure, nestled against the foothills of the Rockies. With a lively youthful energy, thanks to Colorado State University, our town is alive with history, music, and a love for the great outdoors. Yet, beyond the bustling breweries and charming Old Town streets, our church stands as a place of refuge, healing, and redemption. Today, I write to you about a message deeply embedded in our faith—the power of healing and the assurance of resurrection.

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We stand at the heart of redemption, the very foundation of Christianity, where healing is not an afterthought but a central part of God’s plan. Healing was embedded in Jesus’ ministry—woven into His words and actions. If healing were of little importance to God, why then did Jesus spend so much of His time ministering to the sick? He healed from morning until night, with crowds traveling from all the surrounding towns to receive His touch.

Everything Jesus said and did was a direct reflection of God’s will. Since God never changes, His will for healing remains the same today. Your physical body matters to Him—not just your spirit, not just your soul, but the very body in which you live. 1 Corinthians 6:11 reminds us, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified…” Too often, people mistakenly identify themselves as sinners even after salvation. But Paul’s words are clear: You were a sinner. Now, you are washed and justified in the name of Jesus Christ.

Just as one instance of flying does not make a person a pilot, one mistake does not redefine your identity in Christ. Before salvation, sin was your nature, but not now. That old life is washed away, and you are a new creation.

Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 6:12, stating, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient.” While many things may be permissible, not all things benefit us. The passage reminds us that our physical bodies are temporary, yet significant. “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” God created our bodies for a higher purpose, not merely to satisfy desires.

People argue, “Why did God give me these urges?” The enemy distorts natural desires, tempting individuals to believe that fulfilling them is essential for happiness. But Paul warns that allowing our desires to rule over us leads to destruction. The truth is, we are not slaves to our bodies. Our bodies belong to the Lord.

For those who are single, it is a lie to believe that intimacy is essential for fulfillment. Feeding lustful desires only makes them stronger, but starving them weakens their hold. On the other hand, within marriage, intimacy is a sacred and essential part of the covenant. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 commands husbands and wives not to deprive each other.

The body is not an afterthought in God’s plan of redemption. Just as Christ was raised, so too will our bodies be raised. This reality shapes how we live today. We belong to Christ, and our bodies are members of His holy design.

Paul continues his message in 1 Corinthians 15, emphasizing the resurrection. The Gospel we stand upon proclaims that Christ died, was buried, and rose again. His resurrection is the bedrock of our faith, and without it, there is no Christianity. Some in Paul’s time, and many today, argue that there is no resurrection, but Paul refutes this, declaring that over five hundred people saw the risen Christ.

Skeptics today attempt to explain away the resurrection, claiming Jesus was merely a man, that His body was stolen, or even that He married and left behind descendants. But these are baseless claims. If Jesus’ bones were still in a tomb, our faith would be meaningless. But the truth is, He is risen, and His body is glorified.

Some believers struggle with their physical form, wishing for a completely new body in heaven. But Scripture teaches that the glorified body we receive will not be entirely different—it will be transformed, but it is still the same body, just as Jesus’ body was after His resurrection.

After He rose, He appeared to His disciples, ate with them, and encouraged them to touch Him. “A spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have,” He said in Luke 24:39. The same transformation that occurred in Jesus’ body will happen to ours. Our bodies will no longer age, weaken, or be subject to disease.

An account of a man who experienced temporary death illustrates this truth. While clinically dead, he found himself running with strength and speed unlike ever before. But when revived, he awoke to the limitations of his earthly body. His testimony affirms that our resurrection bodies will be perfected and powerful beyond imagination.

Christ’s bodily resurrection affirms the importance of our physical being. He paid for our redemption—spirit, soul, and body. Paul, addressing the Corinthians, challenged their cultural norms that dismissed the body as unimportant. He asked, “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15). This refutes the false notion that only the spirit matters and that bodily sins are inconsequential.

Believers must reject modern skepticism that denies Christ’s resurrection. This is not a matter to be “open-minded” about. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is a lie. But He did rise, and His empty tomb stands as proof of our hope.

The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Philippians 3:21 declares that He will change our bodies to be like His glorious body. This is not myth or imagination—it is the very heart of the Gospel.

Jesus Christ, alive in His glorified body, sits at the right hand of God. He is coming again, and we too shall be transformed. This is our great hope, our assurance, and our future reality.

May we walk in this truth, knowing that our bodies are part of God’s redemptive plan. Let Fort Collins be a place where healing and redemption are not just preached, but lived out daily. Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you.

In Christ, Arabella