1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 “Brothers
and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in
death, so that you do not
grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who
have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are
still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not
precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet
call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one
another with these words.”
What comforting
words for our small group Bible study group this week! Our lesson on “Life,
Death and Life after Death” explained that a comprehensive study of the whole
of Holy Scripture indicates that within every human body is a soul, the spirit
of man, which lives on after the body dies. The question is, where does the
soul of the child of God go beyond the door of this mortal life? If death involves the separation of soul from
body, what happens to the soul, the spirit of man, after the body dies? 1 Corinthians
15:20-22 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of
the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all
will be made alive.” But, if we bear the image of Jesus, do we have the
same natural body in heaven? What is the resurrection of the body still
to came?
1 Corinthians 15:42-47 “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 body. If
there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The
first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not
come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the
dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.”
Contrary to
the blind atheistic secular humanist implications of no resurrection based upon
believing that everything ends for an individual with the tomb, the coffin, and
the ashes, what is the reality of the true salvation and resurrection in
Christ? Immortality in heaven with our Lord.
2
Corinthians 5:1-8 “For we know that if the
earthly tent we live in is destroyed,
we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed
instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are
clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this
tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to
be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal
may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has
fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always
confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from
the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say,
and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
The lesson concludes that, this side of heaven,
death is hard because the separation seems so permanent. A loved one is gone.
No more talking, seeing or touching. Our lives are changed, and its difficult
to adjust to the gaping hole that person’s absence has created. But, though out
of reach, that person still exists; death is not the end. They are with the
Lord; not a disembodied, unrecognizable spirit, but the person who lived once
in a mortal body, now in an immortal, spiritual body. We who truly trust in
Jesus Christ don’t grieve over death as others who have no hope. Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to
live is Christ and to die is gain.” And so we eagerly wait the redemption
of our bodies beyond the door. A resurrection is coming. Mortal will put on
immortality. Death will be swallowed up in victory. You and I will live forever
and ever with our loving Creator God.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54
I declare to you,
brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
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