MY TRANSFORMATION BY THE RESURRECTION
1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58
INTRODUCTION: I am sure that most, if not all of us have seen the caterpillar spin his cocoon and after a period of time emerges as a butterfly. In these concluding verses on the resurrection, Paul is talking about our future change, our transformation. Our metamorphoses. So, today, I would like to look at the changes we will go through at the time of the resurrection.
1. The human body changes at the resurrection because it is physical stuff
a. Man in his present state ¡V flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
b. We are made out of physical stuff
c. We are made to exist in a physical world
d. We cannot inherit heaven in our present state
i. Sinners by nature
ii. Sinners by action
iii. Our physical nature and the frailty of it is a testimony to our sinfulness.
2. The human body changes at the resurrection because it decays
a. Physical stuff is temporal by default
i. Everything we have will grow old, weak and ultimately useless
ii. Our physical stuff will not be able to exist for the eternity that spiritual things exist for
b. Heaven is a spiritual place, meant for spiritual beings
i. Spiritual beings are entirely focused on God
ii. Spiritual beings do not need rest
3. The resurrection of the human body is something NEW!
a. Being new means to have been previously unknown in Scripture.
i. The salvation plan of Christ was a mystery
ii. The kingdom of God was a mystery
iii. The Resurrection was a mystery
iv. The events yet to unfold in the book of Revelation were a mystery
b. The mystery of the resurrection is that it will happen
i. Affects both living and dead
ii. Both living and dead are expected at the time of the resurrection
1. God expects that there will always be a witness for him until the resurrection
2. Christians will always be there to proclaim the truth in every age
4. Our Change at the resurrection will be fast
a. The least conceivable time in the mind of man ¡V the blink of an eye
b. An amount of time so small that it cannot be divided ¡V ¡§flash¡¨ ¡V meaning atom or smallest indivisible amount
5. Our change at the resurrection will be an exchange
a. Old Body for a new body
b. We get into our new body
c. New bodies do not wear out and new bodies do not die
6. Our resurrection is the ultimate defeat over death
a. Death devoured every person
b. Now the resurrection consumes death
i. Victorious over what has separated God from man for all history
ii. Death victory was in ¡§stinging¡¨ us to a godless eternity
7. our resurrection is a continuing evidence that:
a. Christ fulfilled the whole law by not sinning
b. Christ fulfilled the law by paying our penalty
i. All the law could ever do was show us our sinfulness before God
ii. Law empowered death separate us from God
c. Jesus did what the law could never do ¡V give us a spiritual victory
Paul reminds us (in light of our upcoming change)
„Ï This change is exclusively for believers
„Ï Believers have a sure reason to stand firm
„Ï Believers are to abound in the work of the Lord
„Ï Believers have a rewards awaiting them in eternity
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