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Trusting What We Know

Trusting What We Know

Words of Faith 8-4-17

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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1 Corinthians 15

   [35] But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" [36] How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. [37] When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. [38] But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. [39] All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. [40] There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. [41] The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

   [42] So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised 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] So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. [46] The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. [47] The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. [48] As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. [49] And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

 

       The biggest difficulty for many in believing in the resurrection of the dead is simply its incomprehensibility. This was true in the time of Paul but is probably even more true today. How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?

       Paul did not consider these to be the sorts of questions that a wise person would ask. His reply "How foolish!" means literally "how senseless or thoughtless". Belief in the Resurrection was like belief in seedtime and harvest. Neither could be completely understood but both were real. As a plant which sprouted from a seed was directly linked to it but remarkably different from it, so too was the relationship of a natural and a resurrected body.

         The variety in Creation reflects the will of the Maker. The differences in the animate creation-- men, animals, birds, fish-- and inanimate creation-- sun, moon, stars-- give expression to the splendor of God and bring Him praise. "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens" (Ps. 148:13). The differences in splendor between the earthly bodies and the heavenly bodies are like the differences between a natural and a spiritual body.

         An earthly natural body is fallen and so is temporal, imperfect, and weak. A heavenly spiritual body will be eternal, perfect, and powerful. Like a seed sown in the earth and the plant which proceeds from it, there is continuity but a gloriously evident difference.

         Adam shows us nature of the earthly natural body. Adam gave his nature to all who followed him. The last Adam, Christ, shows us the heavenly spiritual body which those who belong to Him will likewise assume at His coming from heaven. The full harvest will be just like the firstfruits. First the seed must die and then the spiritual body will emerge.

           If we want to see what our eventual form will be like, we have only to look at the resurrected Jesus. We trust what we know. We will have bodies but they will be glorified. We will be recognizable but we will be different.

           The Revelation tells us that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Rev. 21:4-5) There will be no more disease, pain, illness for disfigurement. We, who are part of the New Creation in the Spirit right now (2 Cor. 5:17) will then be part of the New Creation in glory.

           We don't understand fully the "how" of resurrection or even what that will look like but one day we will. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Cor. 13:12).

 

           Lord, I don't understand all about the resurrection, but I trust that You are the firstfruits and I am confident in the quality and wonder of Your glorious resurrection presence.   I want to know You Christ and the power of Your resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in Your sufferings, becoming like You life, death and in resurrection. In Jesus' Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2007, 2017

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)      

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.