The last two weeks we have been studying the topic of hope. The Comfort In The Hope Of His Coming, A heavenly Perspective of Hope. In both articles we stated that a Christian’s hope is not the same as our secular culture defines it; “A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.” This hope is based on things that are subject to change depending on many factors and or conditions. Worldly hope is finite or limited and not absolute.
Hayford’s Bible handbook tells us the following concerning a Christian’s Biblical hope. “Hope, not in the sense of an optimistic outlook or wishful thinking without any foundation, but in the sense of confident expectation based on solid certainty. Biblical hope rests on God’s promises, particularly those pertaining to Christ’s return.”
We also saw that the Christians in the city of Thessalonica were ignorant of the facts concerning those Christians who had died and it was the apostle Paul’s desire that they did not “grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In addition, it was Paul’s intention that these believers in Christ also “encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). All what Paul told them in these six verses were to give them hope and this hope, the imminent fact of what they were waiting for, was to be an encouragement for each other based on the truth of what they believed “…that Jesus died and rose again…” 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
The apostle Paul was not the first to mention the future facts that gives us as believers in Christ Jesus hope and encouragement. Jesus, in John 14:1-6 tells us the following, 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going. 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
How many times have we been to wakes and funerals or part of conversations where we have heard those who are Christians, including the minister, who are misinformed and confused, who express doubt and opinions about death, heaven and how to get to heaven that are not Biblical?
Concerning Jesus being the only way to get to heaven (John 14:6), Warren Wiersbe says the following. “Jesus does not simply teach the way or point the way, He is the way. In fact, “the Way” was one of the early names for the Christian faith (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22). Our Lord’s statement “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me,” wipes away any other proposed way to heaven good works, religious ceremonies, costly gifts, etc. There is only one way, and that way is Jesus Christ.”
Paul had much more to say concerning our hope and encouragement in addition to what he told the Thessalonian believers. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15:1-2 Paul gives us the basis, the fact in a Christian’s life of which all that he is going to say stands on. “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” What is the gospel that we believed? What is this gospel that tells us of our salvation in Christ Jesus, on which we should be standing, “firmly” or decisively on? “3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”1 Corinthians 15:3-4. What Paul told the Corinthians here is a more detailed version of what he told the Thessalonians, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again…”, 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
1 Corinthians 15:50-55, is another explanation of the rapture also giving us a more thorough account of this event than 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. But why is the explanation of the rapture important for Christians to know? As with what Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians concerning the rapture, should give every believer in Christ Jesus hope and encouragement, also what Paul tells in 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 should do the same.
In the New International Version of the Bible chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians has three main divisions all relating to the topic of resurrection. The Resurrection of Christ, verses 1-11; The Resurrection of the Dead in Christ, verses 12-34; The Resurrection Body of Believers Who are still Alive, verses 36-58. But more specifically 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 is concerning the rapture of the church, those Christians who are alive when Christ returns to take us to heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:50-55, 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 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. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 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.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
There is a difference between what Paul tells the Corinthians from what he told the Thessalonians about the dead in Christ and the living in Christ being raised “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The difference is Paul goes into detail concerning resurrection bodies or “spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44) they are to receive, this fact also should give every Christian hope and encouragement. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42). “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 15:50). “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54.
What will this “imperishable” or immortal body be like? The Spirit filled life study Bible briefly tells us the following. “…our resurrected bodies will be like Christ’s. Although we cannot know fully the nature of a spiritual body, Christ’s resurrection body reveals something of what kind of bodies resurrected believers will have. During the 40 days of post resurrection appearances, Jesus could pass for an ordinary man. He still had nail prints and He ate food yet He also could materialize at will and pass through locked doors (see John 20; Luke 24).”
Pastor John
