How Will We Look?

Q

I asked my girlfriend’s father, who is a pastor, about whether our sinful acts and good works on earth would impact the way we would look in Heaven with our glorified bodies. He replied rather strongly that our acts will have an effect on the way we will look. I don’t know of anything in the Bible that supports or rebukes this, other than the Bible talks about rewards and perhaps “enhanced” appearances are part of these rewards?

A

There are two passages of Scripture that argue against us knowing how we will look in Heaven. Comparing our resurrection body to a plant, Paul said we can’t tell what the plant will look like from the seed we sow because the seed and the plant don’t look anything alike. Then he said, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual (or supernatural) body” (1 Cor. 15:42-44).

Also John said, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Your girlfriend’s father was offering an opinion, which is his prerogative, but I don’t think He was quoting Scripture.