2012-12-07
Good Morning God’s Treasures,
Last week we saw that Christ chose, of His own free will, to obey the Father. He humbled Himself in faithful obedience and went to the cross, taking the sins of the world with Him. We saw, in HE 2: 9-10, that Christ was perfected through His suffering, tasting death in hell and then being raised to eternal glory. Through this amazing and unparalleled sacrificial act, Christ destroyed the devil’s power over death. HE 9: 14 -15, “How much more will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the Mediator of a new covenant [Covenant of Grace], that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a Ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant [the Covenant of the Law].” And now, we will look at these questions found in 1 COR 15: 35, “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’”
We find a description of how different Christ’s sacrifice really was in RO 5: 16: “Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin [Adam’s] and brought condemnation, but the gift [of Christ’s Atonement] followed many trespasses and brought justification.” This is elaborated upon in (19), “For just as through the disobedience of one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One Man [Christ] the many will be made righteous.” Having dealt with the spiritual differences of the results Christ’s sacrifice, we can now look at the other ones, the ones that help to answer the question about the kind of body we can anticipate at the time of our glorification as those “many brothers” who will follow our Lord [RO 8: 29]. 1 COR 15: 42-44, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”
Some people at the time of the rapture will already be in a resting place awaiting their future. They are Biblically referred to as “asleep.” Those who died in faith are in Paradise with Jesus, awaiting the time of the Last Judgment, the judgment of the just, and then, will go on to heaven-the eternal life of bliss and fellowship with God that has been promised to the saints. Those who serially rejected faith in Jesus are in Hades, also awaiting the Last Judgment- for them the Judgment of the condemned- and will go on to Hell-the “lake of fire,” the conscious and eternal torment from which there is no escape. The question of what happens at the time of the rapture, how we are raised is answered in Scripture. 1 COR 15: 52-54, “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true, ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” If one question remains, it would be: what about those who are still living at the time of the rapture?
That question gets answered in 1 THESS 4: 14-17, “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” We are given this reconnaissance for an important reason found in (18). “Therefore encourage each other with these words.” It is by God’s word that we know that we are not called to an empty, sinful way of life. Instead, the love of Christ, His grace, and our faith in Him opens the way to great encouragement, even through we must suffer our challenges, trials, and losses for awhile. 1 PET 1: 18-19, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, A Lamb without blemish or defect.” Our very perfect and sinless Lord has willingly given His physical life on the cross, endured unmatched suffering and humiliation, so that with our faith in Him, we can be redeemed from the devil’s pit, the lake of fire, in favor of a life of blissful fellowship with Him and the Father forever.
PRAYER: O heavenly Father, we appeal to You to see our heads bowed in reverence and awe of You. We come to You as imperfect and wanting, but completely aware of our need for Your blessing, direction, and intervention in our lives. Without You, we are worthless and useless. JN 15: 5, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are aware that we come to You at any hour of the day, any day of the year-and You are always there. What a great and faithful God You are! In the study of Your word and the prayers we offer up, You remind us to remember the great sacrifice Your Son, Jesus Christ, has made for us. Your plans and actions have been nothing short of remarkable. 1 PET 1: 20-21, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him and so your faith and hope are in God.” Yes, Father, it was before the creation of the world that He was assigned to be our Redeemer, the Savior Who sacrificed His life on the cross, so that those who will repent, listen, and believe in Him will be eternally forgiven, justified in Your eyes, and called to a heavenly eternal life of bliss! For how much more can we ask than salvation and peace with You? We offer You our praise and thanks in His name. It seems so little to offer for so much given! Father, our arms are raised in utter thanks and in pledge of eternally faithful obedience to You. You are the One and only God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God Who calls us to return to Your side and serve You as Your friends [RO 5: 9-11] forever. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Christ’s confidence in the word of the Father is solid. He was obedient in going to be challenged for 40 days in the wilderness. The temptation He faced directly from the devil was like nothing we’ve ever experienced, and yet He hung in there with faithful dedication to what He had been taught. This will be part of the subjects taken up in next week’s devotion. In the meanwhile. Christ’s choices were made on a solid ethical ground, one with clarity that comes from devotion to the Father’s teaching. In going into all the details about His choices being driven by love, how can we not consider examining our own choices, the degree of our own devotion and love for the Lord? It’s important for us to prayerfully consider these things. We, as Christians and Messianic Jews have a lot to lose from falling away. Our society’s wellbeing, not to mention that of our very families, depends on our heart attitude and actions. Seeking out the Lord is one of the most important things we can do. JER 29: 11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” We find ourselves pulled off course by getting caught up in our everyday lives, but God knows we need to make time for Him, just as David and Jonathan did. Our Lord certainly makes time for each of us! PS 5: 3, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” My dear friend, Vicki, always signs her Caring Bridge entries, “Looking Up.” This is one lady who does that. She’s a good example for the rest of us, because I’ve never known anyone with as many challenges to face as she has had. God is setting her apart for something special in heaven, I believe. And, He may well be doing that for each of us too. The Lord renews and refreshes our lives through His word and the encouragement He gives. PHIL 4: 13 is worth committing to memory. “I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.” Remember the love He has for each of us. Remember His sacrifices for us. Remember His hand is always outstretched to each of us who endures in our faithful obedience to Him! Praise and thanks be to our Lord forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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