What will Your New Heavenly Body look like?
Paul began 1 Corinthians 15 recounting The Gospel, received, believed and saving if they stand on it. He goes on show why the Resurrection of Christ is foundation to the Christian faith. It hangs upon HIS RESURRECTION. IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION PAUL SAYS THE Preaching of The Gospel is useless, Christians faith is useless if Christ is not raised from the dead. Worse still, they are FALSE WITNESSES Against God! They are Liars!
THE CONSEQUENCES IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION!
- – CHRIST IS NOT RAISED; v 13 -“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;”
- – PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IS IN VAIN;- v 14 “…and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain,”
- – CHRISTIAN’S FAITH IS IN VAIN; – v 14 – “… your faith also is vain.”
- – CHRISTIANS ARE FALSE WITNESS’S – THEY ARE LIARS; v 15 – “…Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
- – CHRISTIAN’S FAITH IS WORTHLESS; – v 17 “… and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;”
- – CHRISTIAN’S ARE STILL IN THEIR SIN; v 17 “…you are still in your sins. “
- – DEATH IS THE END AND THE CHRISTIAN PERISHES; – v 18 “…“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
8. – CHRISTIAN’S ARE TO BE PITIED; – v 19 “…“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
“But Christ…” has been raise from the dead and we who are His through repentance towards God and faith in Him will raise us also to be “with Him” He has promised and the resurrection proves He keeps His promise.
WE WILL have new bodies fit for our new realm, heaven. We will have incorruptible, glorious, powerful and Spiritual bodies-{ Read 1 Cor 15:40-45}. We will be fitted with a spiritual body for that new realm of Heaven where we will be with Him forever and ever.
Our bodies will be “transformed.”{Phil 3;20-21}.
There is a continuity, continual existence between our present bodies and our new one. “it is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body.” -{ 1 Cor 15:42}.
“If God meant to start all over with no continuity between the body I have now and the one I will have, why would Paul say ‘the dead will be raised’? Why would he not say, ‘the dead will not be raised (since they are decomposed and their molecules are scattered into plants and animals for a thousand miles) and so God will start from scratch’? He did not say that, because it is not true” – (John Piper, Future Grace, 372).
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.”-{1 Cor 15:51-52}.
What Way Will Our Bodies Be Transformed?
Note two things, “the dead will be raised”- which speaks of a continuance of the body, and also “we shall be changed.”- to imperishable and immortal! We will be changed from a body that is “… perishable, dishonorable, weak, natural to one that is imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual!” Such is the transforming work of God that will take place. What hope for the follower of Christ awaits them. What a future to look forward to. What a God we have that does this and will do this for you! Such is the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! -{ 1 Cor 15:42-44}
Paul does not say GOD will create a new body but that our present body will be transformed, not begin all over again from scratch. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”-{Phil 3;20-21}
Also The LORD Jesus speaks about bodies coming out of the tombs “An hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” – {John 5;28-29}.
Our “transformed” bodies will know no disease, decay, stress, weakness or death like these present bodies but will be equipped by Him for that new spiritual realm with Him.
We will know each other just as Jesus was known when He was resurrected. We will know each other just as Moses and Elijah appeared on the mount of transfiguration.
“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”“-{Matthew 17:1-4}.
Peter recognized Moses and Elijah through they were from a different century! We too will know Him and be known. Jesus was recognizable when He appeared after His Resurrection in the room the disciples had locked themselves away in. “As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” – (Luke 24:36)
He appeared to them again, this time when Thomas was there and He spoke to them. “The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side;” -{John 20:26-29}.
He appeared in His Glorified Body, He spoke to them, they recognized Him… He would walk and talk with the two despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus. -{Luke 24:13-43}.
We will be recognizable, our new resurrected body will be fitted not like these present earthly bodies that succumb to illness, age, weakness and decay, but will be fitted for Heaven, where there will be no decay, no sin, no death.
“We know when we see Him we will be like HIM.” -{ 1 John 3:2-3}.
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies SO THAT they will be like His glorious body.”-{Phil 3;20-21}. “SO THAT…” gives the outcome of His transforming our bodies, which is, “… they will be like His Glorious body!”
How will this happen? “…by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control,..”
He who saves us, sustains us, will also raise us up and change us to have a body like His, and He will do this By His Power! Power to save, Power to sustain, Power to raise us. Power to transform our bodies to be like His! Praise Him!
Our bodies will be spiritual, not earthly with all it’s defects, decay, limitations but liberated, fitted for the Spiritual realm which is Heaven in these new bodies which God has prepared for us to live with Him forever and ever!
PRESENT DAY APPLICATION FOR YOU;
What difference should it make in the present? Our Future look and hope should motivate us to serve Him now!
Verse 58: Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.