It Starts Small

The fact that we/believers will be raised again and death is not the end should have a huge impact on our lives. We must look at things with an eternal perspective.

The overall message of these verses from 29-34 are clear. Death is no the end for us. One day, all true believers will be raised again. This is not just a doctrinal point, but has massive implications for our life. Paul says if it is not true that we might as well just eat, drink, and be merry. If death is the end for us, then we should enjoy this life to the max. We should care only for ourselves. Our temporary pleasures would be our focus. Nothing else holds any meaning.

BUT, if the dead are raised, then death is not the end. This life has great meaning. What we do has a huge effect on what will happen to us and others after we die. Every action takes on great significance. What specifics does Paul mention?

Our baptism/salvation itself is deeply meaningful. If the dead are not raised, then salvation and hence baptism would have no meaning. There would be no eternal life. This verse is quite difficult to understand. Firstly, it in no way means that we can be baptized for someone else before or after their death. Salvation and baptism is a personal decision and cannot be done by proxy.

Also, we can be saved only by our own faith and not by our own works. If I can’t save myself through my own works, then I certainly cannot save another person by my works. This is especially true for a dead person. So what does it mean?

I won’t be dogmatic on it, but I think the word “for” is integral. This word can also be properly translated because of, which would make much more sense.

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

In other words, we are baptized/saved because of the testimony, preaching, and witness of believers who have died before us. If they are not raised then why should we believe them and be saved and baptized? We should only believe their word if they are raised now. They must be experiencing eternal life and heaven for themselves.

Persecutions are not to be avoided. If the dead are not raised we should avoid persecutions at all cost, including compromising and giving up our faith. BUT, if they are raised then persecutions are worthy. They are only a short term trouble that pales when looking at things through an eternal perspective.

²⁹ For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

Philippians 1:29

We should be self-sacrificing and unselfish. If the dead are not raised, we have every reason to care only for ourselves. Since they are raised, we should care for others and die to ourselves.

We should be warriors for God. If the dead are not raised, fighting for the things of God is not necessary because they lack meaning. However, because the dead are raised, the things of God are worth fighting for. We must not compromise. We must not just follow the easy ways of the world. We must go the narrow way.

We should be careful who we spend time with (more on that later).

We must be alert and we must kill the sin in our lives. Judgment is coming after death when good deeds will be rewarded. We must live life righteously now. We know that we will see God face to face. We have to give an answer for what we do in our lives now.

On a side note, we will discuss peer pressure.

The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20

The Bible clearly shows that the people we spend time with influence who we are. We need to all make the effort to form godly relationships and avoid worldly ones. Notice also that this bad company was in the Corinthian church. They were bad because they doubted the word of the Lord. They influenced people’s actions by spreading false doctrine. Bad company doesn’t only include drunkards and murderers. It can even include people in the church who can have a negative influence on us.

Does this mean we need to leave the world? How can we balance our desire to win the world for Christ to the need to avoid bad company?

Practice deep fellowship only with other true believers who will strengthen our spiritual walk. That means we form our closest relationships with other believers. Have witnessing relationships to those who are not believers.

We have a glorious hope that one day we will have a glorious body. There will be no more death, no more pain, no more sickness, and no more sin! Some fools asked insincere and mocking questions that they thought were very clever. Paul calls them fools. It is not wise to doubt God’s word. He created Adam from the dust of the ground. He also made Eve from Adam’s rib. Surely he can create a new glorified body from our old ones.

The parable of the seed and sowing is just an example of God’s plan for our bodies. It is an example from nature with some similarities showing that sometimes something must die before it grows even better. Another example might be a caterpillar. It is ugly and enters a cocoon and comes out beautiful and able to fly. How? God’s creative genius. Our bodies which are to be are far different from those which exist now. We can’t comprehend it.

In the world there are all kinds of different objects, each with its glory and its own purpose. The moon is different from the sun. A bird is different from a beast, etc. Our new body will be vastly different from the one we have now. It will be heavenly, but the one we have now is earthly. Two different worlds, two vastly different bodies.

Paul gives one final evidence of the resurrection of the dead. This is from Adam and Christ. The natural is first and then the spiritual. Adam was first and then Christ. Adam brought death into the world, and was the representative of natural man. Christ brought life and is the representative of spiritual man. Adam finally died. Christ also died, but Christ raised from the dead. Christ is the first-fruits of the resurrection. Right now we bear the image of Adam, the earthly one. After our bodies are resurrected we will bear the image of Christ, the spiritual one.

This doctrine once again is really important. It affects our future hope and our current life’s meaning. Besides that, it gives us answers to one of life’s most important questions. It helps us to understand the fate of those who have died. We can also comfort the family members of believers who have passed on.

 The rapture. Jesus will rapture believers. We will all have an eternal, imperishable body. The rapture is coming, and death is not the end. We must abound in our work for the Lord. Do not approach the Christian life half-heartedly. Give praise to Christ, our victory.

⁵⁰ What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 

1 Corinthians 15:50

In verse 50, Paul gives yet another reason why the resurrection and changing of our bodies is necessary. The one we have now is lacking. It is sin-filled, unholy, and unfit for heaven. What’s the solution?

⁵¹ Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will 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 incorruptible, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Our bodies will be changed in a moment, the twinkling of an eye.

I encourage you to set aside time today to read 1 Thess 4.

Paul continues describing the end of death for us. I’ve heard many people talk about how they hate wars and fighting. Doctors get so tired of seeing people die week after week. The world is filled with death everywhere. Roughly 155,000 people die every day. 57 million per year. Over 6 thousand per hour. I’m sure we all know people who have died. Right now this is a sad fact of life. It is destined for man to die once. But, the good news is that this will not go on forever.

¹⁴ Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14

There will be an end for death, for each of us as individuals and for the whole world. This is a temporary situation brought about by Adam’s sin and sin reigning in the world. But sin too will pass away. One day there will be no more death or wars or pain or destruction.

For us, even if we die, this itself is a victory. It doesn’t sting, because death will take us home to be with the Lord. Sin brought evil into the world. On the surface, it appears as an evil thing. Yet, God turns it into good for those who love Him. Death for us is the beginning. The beginning of a life with Christ.

So if you look around and see all the death, don’t be discouraged. Know that one day it will be gone. Know that you yourself if you place your trust in Christ can have victory even in the midst of death. And finally, share the good news with everyone you can. This way they can also have the final victory over death. Christ gives the victory. Science and doctors try every way. People now sometimes pay huge sums to freeze their bodies. They hope that one day science will find a cure for their death. The only cure is Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore. This word is filled with meaning because it tells us there is an application for us. It tells us, beacuse of this…this. All of this doctrine is not just to fill our head with data. It affects how we live. We have to change our lives based on this information. We have to take action with this information. What do we have to do? Stand firm and work as hard as we possibly can for the Lord. None of it is in vain because Christ has risen and so will we.

¹⁴ For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.

Hebrews 3:14

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