I Believe In The Resurrection Of The Body For The Purpose Of Life (1 Corinthians 15:12-20, 1 Corinthians 15:42-49, Revelation 21:1-8)
Rev. William L. Barron, April 28, 2024Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
There is indeed a resurrection of the dead. We must confess this. We must believe that the resurrection is of Christ and of us. Our faith is not in vain. It is best to be with Jesus in heaven. Jesus is the first fruit. The resurrection of the body will change the world into a New World. What kind of body will be resurrected? The seed and the plant are different. The seed or the dead body grows into a new tree, which is a new spiritual life. The seed experiences dishonor as a result of sin. Justification occurs in salvation. Sanctification involves the transformation of the believer into Christ's image. Glorification is the acceptance of the believer into heaven. The body is sown in weakness and raised in honor. The body and the soul are reunited in the Day of the Lord. The old body is changed into one fit for heaven. The different covenant administrations reveal more and more of the truth. Jeremiah foretold a new covenant, but not a different covenant, actually a fulfillment of the old covenant. Men look for a utopia which they can never attain. For the believer, there is a utopia which is God's utopia where there will be no tears, death, mourning, pain, and other difficulties. The church, the bride of Christ, will be together forever. All the negatives are gone: tears, death, mourning, crying, pain. Ten Commandments are written in a negative sense. The qualifications for the office of elder are written in a negative sense. In the resurrection, all these negatives are taken away. Our focus is always on the Lord and his people. Emmanuel means God is with us, and in salvation, we are with God forever. We must give thanks to God for how we live now and how we live forever with Him.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
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| « I Believe in God: The Holy Spirit | None | A Prayer for Enlightenment » |
1 Corinthians 15:12–20 (Listen)
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:42–49 (Listen)
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
(ESV)
Revelation 21:1–8 (Listen)
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 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.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
(ESV)