Sæktu forritiðSeeing Disabilities Through God's Eyes: A 5-Day Devotional With Sandra PeoplesSýnishorn
God's promise of heavenly wholeness
The final piece to building our theology of disability is looking at God's promise to all of us. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:49 (ESV), “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” Being made in the image of God is mysterious to us now, and so is understanding exactly what our eternities will look like in heaven. We do know there will be an end to the suffering we experience here on earth—both the functional and social aspects of disability will pass away. Revelation 21:4 (ESV) says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This healing in heaven is more than people with disabilities looking, acting, feeling, moving, communicating, and thinking more like people without disabilities. It's that all of us will be more like Christ. As 1 Corinthians 15:51 (ESV) says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Our reproach will be taken away (Isaiah 25:8, ESV). We will spend eternity without hindrances to our fellowship with each other or the worship of God. Anything about us now that holds us back from fellowship and worship will be no more. That promise makes me long for heaven, where I will be able to have a conversation with my son for the first time and where we will praise God side by side.
In all we can imagine about heaven, especially as those who have disabilities or love people with disabilities, Joni Eareckson Tada helps us to focus on what's most important:
When I was first injured, I only viewed heaven as a place where I could get back what I had lost. I would receive hands that worked and feet that walked and even danced. For me, it wasn't "the Day of Christ," it would be "the Day of Joni." My attitude changed as I studied the Scriptures. I realized that heaven was mainly focused on Jesus, not me ... I also began to understand that every fringe benefit of heaven—whether receiving my new body, a new home, new friends, whatever—really centered around the culmination of Christ's purposes and his kingdom. (Pearls of a Great Price, April 13).
As we look at all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, we can trust in God's plan, purpose, provision, place, and promise for those with disabilities. This foundation will set us up for how we include those who are affected by disabilities and the families in our churches.
Application question: How has your theology of disability deepened as you've studied the Scriptures included in this week's devotional series?
To read more about how your church, family, and friendships can build a deep theology of disability, read Accessible Church by Sandra Peoples by following this link: https://www.crossway.org/books/accessible-church-tpb/
About this Plan
Disability is a theme from Genesis through Revelation. Through this devotion, we'll look at passages that form our theology of disability. Knowing what the Bible says about disability helps us know how to think about disabilities and how to treat people with disabilities (including ourselves if we are diagnosed with a disability). Let's make sure that theology has a firm foundation that will hold up when we are ministering to people with disabilities and their families. To do that, we're going to look at God's plan, God's purpose, God's provision, God's place, and God's promise in disability.
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