1 COR. 15:45-58 “Having Born The
Image Of The Earthly, We Shall Bear The Image Of The Heavenly”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study we continued to ponder the bodily resurrection
of Christ and the resultant assurance of the bodily resurrection for believers
when Christ returns
1.1.1. Paul gave further arguments
for the fact that if Christ was bodily raised from the dead then all believers
in Christ are likewise assured that they will also be bodily resurrected
1.1.2. We looked at the glory of
the resurrected bodies that we will be given and the hope that generates for us
1.1.3. We saw that having that hope
of being gloriously resurrected in Christ causes us to want to be like the Lord
in holiness
1.1.4. We saw that with each of us
the only hope that we have for having a whole body is if Christ comes and
resurrects our bodies, for each of us are fighting a losing battle with time
and aging, and of course gravity
1.1.5. We saw that because we know
that Christ has been raised from the dead and thus we shall also be raised up
with Him, we will will be motivated to perfect godliness in Christ knowing that
everything that we do in this life will have eternal consequences of privilege
and rewards, and, this hope will also help us to be able to endure and be
obedient through any suffering or difficulty that we may have to do through
1.2. In our study today, we are going to finish up chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians where we have looked at Paul’s exposition to the church of the essential Christian doctrines, especially of the resurrection of Christ. We have seen that Paul wrote this chapter primarily because he had found out that some in the church did not believe that there was going to be a resurrection of the dead. Today, we are going to concentrate again upon how the hope that we have as Christians of being resurrected to glory when Christ returns for His church causes us to be transformed in our character to be like Jesus. We are going to see how this hope actually gives us perseverance to stay focused upon and abound in doing the things that the Lord would have us to be doing in our Christian walk
1.2.1. I want to just emphasize
something first before we continue, and that is that the fact of the
resurrection of Christ really brings down all the philosophies and wisdom of
men, for if Christ be raised from the dead and rules as Lord over all, then all
of the wisdom of man is meaningless.
James S. Hewett once wrote, “About
1930, the Communist leader Bukharin journeyed from
1.2.2. In our last study, I mentioned
that there was one thing that I want to point
out as we considered the resurrection of Christ and our inter-related
resurrection in Christ as believers, and that is that when we speak of Christ’s
resurrection we are speaking of a bodily resurrection. Christ didn’t just have His spirit live on,
and He didn’t just get dissolved into the great oneness, so to speak, as some
might teach in these days. One of the
major cults, The Jehovah Witnesses, believes that Christ returned to earth in,
I believe, 1917, but only His presence came, not Him in body. However, the scriptures reveal clearly that
Christ was bodily raised from the dead, and so shall we believers in Christ
also be bodily raised from the dead when Christ returns for us
1.2.2.1.In Luke 24:36-43, we read
that in one of the appearances that Jesus made to His disciples immediately
after His resurrection that He told them and then proved to them by eating some
fish that He was not just a spirit but had been raised bodily, “36 And while
they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst.37 But they
were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.38 And
He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts?39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for
a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”40 [And when He
had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.]41 And while they still
could not believe it for joy and were marveling, He said to them, “Have you
anything here to eat?”42 And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;43 and He
took it and ate it before them.”
1.2.3. In the body that Jesus had
after being resurrected but before ascending up to heaven, He looked similar to
what He had looked like before (as we see from the fact that some of His
disciples had to be told by Him that it was indeed He), however in that body He
could also appear and disappear at will.
The body that He had though does not appear to be the body that we see
of the resurrected Christ in other parts of scripture, such as the first
chapter of the book of Revelation:
1.2.3.1.In Matt. 17:1-8, we have a
prefiguring of Christ’s resurrection where we read that before Jesus was
crucified He took His disciples up to a mountain so that He might be
transfigured momentarily before them into the glory that He would have in His
resurrected body, “1 And six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James
and John his brother, and *brought them up to a high mountain by themselves.2
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His
garments became as white as light.3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to
them, talking with Him.4 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is
good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one
for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 While he was still speaking,
behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud,
saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”6
And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much
afraid.7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not
be afraid.”8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself
alone.”
1.2.3.2.In Rev. 1:11-18, we see a
picture of the resurrected Jesus after His ascension to heaven, “11 saying,
“Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus
and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia
and to Laodicea.”12 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;13 and in the middle of the
lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and
girded across His breast with a golden girdle.14 And His head and His hair were
white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire;15 and
His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a
furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.16 And in His right
hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword;
and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.17 And when I saw Him, I
fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do
not be afraid; I am the first and the last,18 and the living One; and I was
dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of
Hades.”
1.2.3.2.1.This vision of the glorious
resurrected Jesus I believe more accurately describes the resurrected body that
believers will have when Christ returns for His church, not the pre-ascension
body that looked and functioned for the most part like a normal human body yet
resembled Him before His going to Calvary to a certain degree
1.2.3.3.By the way, this vision of
Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 is very similar to the vision that Daniel had in
chapter 7 of His book when he saw the Ancient of Days
2.
VS 15:45-48 - “45-48
45 So
also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The
last Adam became a life-giving
spirit. 46 However,
the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first
man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are
earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.” - Paul
compares the first Adam and the Second Adam (Jesus Christ) in the things that
they have done
2.1.
Paul demonstrates the superiority of Christ to Adam.
2.1.1. Adam was the first man created
by God and became a ‘living soul’, however Christ has become ‘a life-giving
spirit’.
2.1.2. In verse 46, Paul states the
obvious, that Adam came before Christ.
However, if the first Adam would have been sufficient for the human
race, then there would have been no need for a second Adam.
2.2.
In verses 47-48 Paul uses the comparison between the fleshly Adam and
the spiritual Adam to make an exhortation to the Corinthians to be heavenly
minded (spiritual), and not earthly minded (fleshly), since they shall spend
eternity in heaven with God and His creations.
2.3.
As ‘star differs from star in glory’ (vs 41), the glory which
Christians receive when resurrected will vary, based upon their rewards from
their labors for Christ in this life.
2.4.
We Christians ought to live heavenly lives, with our minds set
constantly upon that heavenly reward that the Lord shall give us when He
appears and transforms our bodies into their resurrected counterparts. We shouldn’t get too involved or concerned
about the things of this life, or live for the things that are temporal and
soon to pass away for eternity.
2.5.
We Christians would be wise to labor as much as we can for the Lord
since we will be rewarded and recompensed for all that we have done for
Him.
2.5.1. On the day of the judgment
of rewards for Christians, I believe all Christians will look back upon this
life and wish that we had actually done more for the Lord.
2.5.2. I have also heard more than
one Christian voice to me that as he or she got older in age that they began to
realize more and more the wisdom of storing up treasures in heaven rather than
upon the earth.
3.
VS 15:49 - “49 And just as we have borne the image
of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that they have
presently been formed after the first Adam (the man of flesh), but that as
believers in Christ they will be formed after the second Adam, Jesus Christ
(the spiritual man)
3.1.
Paul reiterates what he has been telling the Corinthians, that they
shall not only have an earthly body, but also a heavenly or spiritual body when
they are resurrected.
3.2.
However, in saying that we believers will be in the image of the second
Adam, having been in this life formed after the first Adam, Paul is also
implying that when our bodies are transformed when Christ returns for the
church that we will be holy as the Lord is holy. Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves in
this life for that transformation by growing in godliness and righteous living
before the Lord!
3.2.1. I wonder what will happen
when some who claim to be Christians if they were get to heaven, when in the
here and now they are not following the Lord closely, not obeying Him and His
voice as they should, not taking the time daily to spend time worshipping the
Lord, and not making fellowship with the church a priority in their life?
3.2.1.1.What a shock heaven would be
to their system!
3.2.1.2.How out of place they would
be in the presence of God where the Lord is constantly being worshipped, and
where they are not the center of their own world.
3.2.1.3.How will they get used to
hanging out with people who have lived long lives centered completely around
the Lord and His leading for them?
3.2.1.4.Who do they think that they
will want to hang around with in heaven?
4.
VS 15:50 - “50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit
the imperishable.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that no one is
going to enter God’s kingdom in their present body which is indwelt by sin and
fraught with weakness due to generations of sinful living
4.1.
Paul tells the Corinthians that no one will ever go to heaven to be in
God’s presence in their earthly, natural body.
4.2.
People of ‘Flesh and blood’ such as this earthly body possesses cannot
go to be in heaven when Christ returns.
4.2.1. You might ask at this point,
“But wait didn’t Jesus appear to His disciples and show them that His body was
made of flesh and blood and then He ascended to heaven in that body?” The answer is, “No. Jesus showed His disciples that His body was
made of flesh and bone, not blood.
Besides, I believe that at His ascension His body was transformed to a
more glorious body before He got to heaven.”
4.3.
Paul writes here that the ‘perishable does not inherit the
imperishable.’
4.3.1. First of all, let me define
here what ‘perishable’ really means in this verse. Strong’s Greek Dictionary has the following
entry for this word translated ‘perishable’ here: The Greek word ‘phthora’ is
variously translated in the King James translation as “corruption, to
perish, destroy.”
4.3.1.1.The word means:
4.3.1.1.1.corruption, destruction, perishing
4.3.1.1.1.1.that which is subject to corruption, what is
perishable
4.3.1.1.1.2.in the Christian sense, eternal misery in hell
4.3.1.1.2.in the NT, in an ethical sense, corruption i.e. moral
decay
4.3.2. According to Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary, our English word ‘perishable’ is defined as: “ liable to perish : liable to spoil or decay
<such perishable products as fruit, vegetables, butter, and eggs.>”
4.3.3. When resurrected believer’s
bodies are transformed by God, they can and never will decay, lose their
original power, strength, glory, etc.
4.3.4. Heaven shall only be
inhabited by those who shall have bodies that will never perish, or die.
5.
VS 15:51-53 - “51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the
imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians that everyone of God’s people will be transformed to have
resurrected bodies when the last trumpet sounds
5.1.
Paul tells the Corinthians in these verses what the sequence of events
shall be when Christ comes again for His church.
5.1.1. He tells them that some
believers shall be alive when He comes for the church saying, ‘we shall not all
sleep.’
5.1.2. The resurrection however is
for both those believers alive on the earth when Christ returns for His church
as well as those who have died and gone already to be with the Lord, for he
says, ‘we shall all be changed.’
5.1.3. The amount of time that it
will take for a believer to be resurrected to the new body will be the amount
of time for a twinkle in a person’s eye to occur. A twinkle is a reflection of light, so when
Christ returns it shall happen suddenly, at the speed of light, or 196,000
miles per second.
5.1.4. He tells them that there
will be a trumpet that will be blown when the dead are resurrected, the ‘last
trumpet’. We have seen already that
scripture teaches that there are all kinds of trumpets that will blow during
the end times events. This trumpet is
the ‘last trumpet’ for believers which will occur at the rapture of the church
(1 Thess 4:16), but I do not think that it is the last of all of the trumpets
that scripture mentions. This is a
trumpet to announce the arrival of the king to His subjects. The church will be in heaven after the
rapture of the church and the further trumpets that will sound will be trumpets
that signal God’s judgment, followed by the last great trumpet that will sound
when the elect who became God’s people during the 7 Year Tribulation are
rounded up by the angles from the four corners of the earth (Matt. 24:31).
5.1.4.1.We read about the events of
the Rapture of the church in 1 Thess. 4:15-17: “15 For this we say to you by the word
of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord,
shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.17 Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
5.1.5. Paul says that when the
trumpet sounds, all believers present on the earth and in heaven will at that
time be changed into their resurrection bodies, and thus they shall pass from
being mortal creatures to being immortal creatures whose body will never decay
or deteriorate, grow old, grow less in power, etc., ‘this perishable must put
on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality.’
5.2.
Christ is going to come for His church at an hour when she does not
know it, and it will happen at the speed of light (the twinkling of an eye),
therefore we Christians ought to be about our Father’s business and not be
caught up living for the things of this world.
6.
VS 15:54-57 - “54 But when this perishable will have
put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then
will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in
victory. 55 "O
death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting
of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Paul tells the Corinthians that when
believers in Christ are resurrected that death will be ‘swallowed up in
victory’
6.1.
In wrapping up his discussion concerning the bodily resurrection of
believers, Paul tells them that the end result of gaining immortality will be
that ‘death is swallowed up in victory’, since at the moment of being
resurrected to glory all Christians will have full and complete victory over
death and never die again.
6.2.
Paul tells them that death stings because of sin, or in other words,
people will die and suffer death because of their sin.
6.2.1. In Rom. 6:23, we read
about the fact that the wages of sin (or what you receive as a result of
sinning) is death, “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
6.3.
Then, Paul tells the Corinthians that the ‘power of sin is the law’
since the law reveals what sin is and convicts of sin.
6.3.1. Paul wrote to the Romans in Rom.
7:7-8 that there is nothing wrong with the law, for it reveals what true
righteousness is, however because of the sin that dwelt within him the law
actually caused him to desire everything that was wrong, and therefore he could
not as a Jew get victory over the sin of coveting that which God did not desire
for his life and was sinful, “7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin?
May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except
through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not
said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the
commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin
is dead.”
6.3.2. Paul wrote in Gal. 3:24:,
that the law was our tutor to lead us to Christ as it showed us that we could not
keep the law and since not being able to be justified before God based upon our
own righteousness, man is to realize his need for the mercy and grace of God in
order to come to God and be accepted by Him and saved, “24 Therefore the
Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by
faith.”
6.3.3. The problem with the law of
God is that though it reveals us what is right and wrong, it does not give us
the power to live righteously.
6.4.
Paul tells the Corinthians finally that they should give thanks to God
because He gives them victory over the law, sin, and death through Jesus
Christ.
6.5.
We Christians can always walk in victory in Christ, victory over sin
and the Devil because through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as believer’s
in Christ we can now walk in a way that pleases God and get out of all of the
bondages of sin we had previously.
6.6.
We Christians ought to be light bearers, telling the lost people of
this world that there is a cure for the disease of sin which they are going to
die from if they do not give their lives to Christ. We ought to be those who are constantly
showing the path that leads to life eternal.
7.
VS 15:58 - “58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians that as a result of the hope of the resurrection of the dead
which they possess that they ought to persevere and abound in their serving the
Lord
7.1.
With the final rap up of his teaching and exhortation concerning the
resurrection of Jesus as well as the resurrection of believers, Paul gives the
Corinthians some practical exhortations to help them through the difficult
and dangerous days that may lie ahead of them as disciples of Jesus:
7.1.1. In light of the fact that
believers have the assurance of a future resurrection to eternal life through
Jesus Christ, Paul tells the Corinthians that they ought to work on being ‘steadfast’
in clinging to Christ, to the truths of the gospel, and to service for Him.
7.1.1.1.In Acts 20:22-24, as
Paul was saying what he knew was going to be his last “good bye” to the
Ephesian church he spoke about how he would not allow anything in his life move
him from completing the things that the Lord had called him to, even severe
persecution, “22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto
Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the
Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide
me. 24 But none of these things move me,
neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with
joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the
gospel of the grace of God.”
7.1.1.2.Peter wrote in 1 Peter
5:10 about how that if we have to go through suffering in our Christian
walk, that it will only last for awhile, and after it is has been used by God
and run it’s course God will establish, strengthen, and perfect us, “10 And
after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called
you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen
and establish you.”
7.1.2. In light of the fact that
believers have the assurance of a future resurrection to eternal life through
Jesus Christ, Paul tells the Corinthians that they ought to be ‘immovable’
in clinging to Christ, to the truths of the gospel, and to service for Him.
7.1.2.1.In Heb. 6:19, Paul
wrote about how the sure and steadfast hope that we have in Christ is an
anchor to our soul which keeps us from drifting away from Christ and from
fulfilling the things that Christ has called us to fulfill, “19 This hope
we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which
enters within the veil.”
7.1.3. In light of the fact that
believers have the assurance of a future resurrection to eternal life through
Jesus Christ, Paul tells the Corinthians that they ought to be ‘always
abounding in the work of the Lord’.
7.1.3.1.That is, they ought to be doing
exceeding abundantly the work of the Lord because of the assurance of resurrection
which they possess.
7.1.3.2.If we have assurance that
the smallest work done for Christ will receive a reward, and that we shall be
soon resurrected to glory in Christ, then rather than be caught up in worldly
pursuits we should be caught up with serving Christ in every way that we can!
7.1.4. Paul tells the Corinthians
that the reason why they should be doing these things is that they know that
their ‘toil is not in vain in the
Lord’.
7.1.4.1.God will reward us properly
for every good work we perform for Him, and as 1 Corinthians chapter 3 teaches,
we will one day give account for all of the things that we have done in the
body since receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior.
7.1.4.2.The Greek word used for ‘toil’
here includes all of the difficulties and persecutions which we may face in
our service for Christ.
7.2.
Because we Christians have that assurance that Christ is coming for us
and is going to resurrect our bodies to eternal life, then we ought to have our
minds and our hearts set upon the things of the Lord. We ought to be steadfast and immovable and we
ought to be constantly ‘abounding’ in labors working for and serving the Lord.
7.3.
Everything that we do for the Lord in this life counts. Jesus said in Mark 9:41 that everyone who even
gave one of His servants even a single cup of water would not lose their reward
in heaven!