“Our Future Body: What’s it Like?”
(1 Corinthians 15:35-49)
Series: Chaos & Correction (1 Corinthians)
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
•Take your Bibles and open to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15 (page 776; YouVersion).
If you are visiting with us we are preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians and are presently in chapter 15, which is a wonderful place in the Bible to read about the doctrine of the resurrection and about the future state of the Christian.
In chapter 15 the Apostle Paul is addressing a problem he mentions in verse 12. In verse 12 he asks, “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” And this is the problem among some in the Corinthian church. There were some who believed that Christ’s body rose from the dead, but they did not believe that the Christian’s body would rise from the dead.
So Paul teaches that the two resurrections go together, they are tied to teach other, they go hand in glove. He argues that if the Christian’s body does not one day rise from the grave, then one cannot even say that Christ’s body rose from the grave. So he corrects them in verse 20 and says, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
We noted before that the term “firstfruits” means the first of many to come. The farmer enjoyed the first gleanings of the harvest—the firstfruits—bringing them as an offering to the temple. The firstfruits were a promise of more to come, a yield in similar nature and composition.
So Paul says Christ “has become the firstfruits from the dead…the firstfruits of those who have died.” Christ’s resurrection body is prototypical of the Christian’s resurrection body. The Christian’s body will be similar to the Lord’s resurrection body.
And that’s about as far as we have gotten in our study of what this future resurrection body will be like. We know it will be like the resurrection body of our Lord’s, but as of yet, Paul has not described the body in terms of its nature, composition, and makeup. And this is where we are today in our study.
From verse 35 and following, Paul describes what the Christian’s future resurrection body will be like. You note that in verse 35, “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?’” So Paul answers those questions by giving illustrations from the natural world of creation and by using analogies from disciplines such as botany and astronomy. In so doing, Paul explains how the Christian’s future resurrection body will be very different from the Christian’s present earthly body. Listen for this teaching as we read the first part of the text.
•Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
•Pray.
Introduction:
From an unknown writer comes these words:
There is a preacher of the old school, but he speaks about as boldly as ever today. He’s not very popular, even though the world is his parish, and he travels to every part of the globe, and he speaks in every language. He visits the poor. He visits the rich. He preaches to people of every religion, and he preaches to many of no religion. And the subject of his sermon is always the same. It never changes. He is an eloquent preacher, and he is able to stir emotions in hearts that are not emotional. He is able to bring tears to eyes that seldom weep. His arguments are beyond refutation. There is no heart that remains untouched and unmoved by the force of his appeals. This preacher shatters life. This preacher disturbs the status quo. Most people hate him. Everybody listens to him. His name is—death. Every tombstone is his pulpit. Every newspaper prints his text. And one day you will be the subject of his sermon, and he will stand at your graveside and preach to others—(used by John MacArthur in introduction to sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:54-58).
Death is an unavoidable fact of life. Rational people understand that they will, one day, die. And even if one is not a Christian, he or she believes inherently in some kind of afterlife. There are those, of course, who say that do not believe in an afterlife, but they really do. Paul teaches in Romans 1 and 2 that God has revealed Himself to all mankind, revealing Himself in both creation and conscience. We see the evidence of God in creation and we sense the evidence of God in our conscience. And rather than turning to God—because of our sin—we naturally rebel against Him, turning from Him and suppressing the truth about Him, pushing Him down and away from our conscience, trying to avoid Him rather than submit to Him.
So the atheist and agnostic are aware of God, but choose to deny Him by suppressing the truth about Him revealed in His creation and in our conscience. All people believe inherently in some kind of afterlife. The writer of Ecclesiastes says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that “God has placed eternity in our hearts.” God has placed this sense of eternity within mankind. There is a sense within every man and woman that death is not the end and that the soul goes on in some sense after life. And the Bible teaches that indeed, the soul does live on. The soul of every person lives on either in heaven or in hell.
The Bible teaches two kinds of resurrections, for Christians a resurrection to glorification and for non-Christians a resurrection to condemnation. In John 5:29, for example, Jesus teaches about the “resurrection of condemnation” faced by the non-Christian.
The Corinthian Christians were like Kentuckian Christians. There were many within the church at Corinth who wanted to know more about their future resurrection body. They wanted to know, “Exactly how will the dead be raised? And with what body will they rise from the dead? What will it look like?” You see those very questions in verse 35:
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
See, they’re just like many of us. Man has not changed. We have similar questions. Verse 35, “How are the dead raise up? And with what body do they come?” Our future body, what’s it like?
Paul answers first by teaching that we can learn about the Christian’s future body from the natural world of creation. So here’s the first point of our study this morning, number one:
I. We may Learn from Creation (36-41)
In verses 36 and following Paul teaches that we can turn to the observable world around us and learn a bit about the future resurrection body. Verse 36:
36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
Paul is like, “Look, there is evidence of resurrection in something as simple as what we may learn by sowing a seed.” Verse 37:
37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
We understand this, don’t we? If ever planted anything by seed, you get this. You take a small seed of some kind and you plant it in the ground, cover it up with soil, water it and in time it grows. But what does it grow into? A larger seed? No, it grows into what it shall be, a small sunflower seed grows into a sunflower plant, a tiny kernel of corn grows into a tall stock of corn.
But you plant that seed and you may think to yourself, “There is nothing in this seed that really looks as if that seed will one day rise and change into something glorious, but it will.” The same is true of the Christian’s body laid to rest in a cemetery. That body is buried, a funeral is conducted, and that body is lowered down into the earth, and there is nothing about the process that really looks as if that body will one day rise and change into something glorious, but it will.
There is molecular continuity between the seed and the plant and there is also continuity between the Christian’s earthly body and his resurrection body. I mean there is a continuity of essence, yet the result is very different.
And God does this! Verse 38 again, “But God gives it a body as He pleases.” Just as a seed produces a harvest not so much because it was given the right mixture of sunlight, soil, and water, but ultimately because God does it. “God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.”
There is yet more to learn about the Christian’s future body from the natural world of creation. Verse 39:
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
Paul is using the term “flesh” here to describe the outer covering of human beings and animals. Each person and each animal has a flesh unique to its own kind. This does not require a PhD in anthropology or biology to understand. Your skin is much like the skin of another human being. It may feel dry or even “scaly” at times but you don’t have scales like a fish! Verse 39, “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.”
So there will be both continuity from this earthly body to the future body and there will be similarity of the two. Our future body will be like the present body in many ways even though it will be different. Why? Because “there is one kind of flesh of men” just as there is one “flesh of animals.”
Unlike Darwinian evolutionary theory, the fossil record supports the biblical fact of creation which teaches that all kinds of species remain the same kind of species. There may be a variety of dogs but there is no evidence of a dog’s becoming a cat or something like that. “There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals” and so forth.
Of course, Paul’s main concern here is the Christian’s future resurrection body. There is continuity of the body from present form to future form and while there is a great difference between the two, there is also a great similarity of the two. Verse 40:
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There are celestial bodies, these are bodies “in heaven” and there are “terrestrial bodies,” bodies “on earth.” And Paul is merely teaching that there are differences between them and differences among them. “The glory of the celestial heavenly body is one kind of glory” and “the glory of the terrestrial earthly body is another kind of glory.”
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
Stars emit different amounts of brightness yet each star remains its own star. So stars are similar to one another but also different from one another.
And again Paul’s point is that there is both continuity in essence and similarity in form regarding the Christian’s present earthly body and his future resurrection body.
So, when we ask what will our future body be like, we may learn from creation. Secondly, when we ask about the nature of the future resurrection body, number two:
II. We can Look Forward to Perfection (42-44)
Unlike the Christian’s present body, a body subject to disease, decay, and death, the Christian’s future body is a body of perfection. Verse 42:
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
Other translations have the words “perishable” and “imperishable” here. The NIV, for example has, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable.”
Most of us are familiar with that term “perishable.” We refer to grocery items like fruits and vegetables as perishables because they have a self life, an expiration date. The human body is perishable. The human body has a “shelf life,” an “expiration date.” The only difference is that most of us do not know our precise “expiration date.” We know that we will die, but we don’t know when we will die—but we will indeed die.
People speak wrongly when they speak of death as a natural process. Death is not natural. Death is unnatural. Death is the horrible consequence of sin. Geneses 1 and 2 God created and called His creation good. He then created man and woman and called His creation very good. Genesis 3 sin enters into creation so that good and very good becomes bad. We live in this state until the bad becomes not just good again, but perfect.
But we are in this present perishable state. This is why we have sickness, disease, and death. The Ebola virus is the latest virus of interest to humankind. Ebola has now claimed some 4,500 lives. The Ebola virus is not natural. It is the horrible consequence of a fallen world, a world that began to tip and tilt and then spin off-balance since Genesis 3. Our bodies will be subject to dreadful diseases and viruses until Christ returns.
The body will one day be imperishable, but it is presently perishable. Verse 43:
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
We need not elaborate here on the many ways the body is presently “dishonorable” or “broken” and falling apart. Paul’s point is that we may look forward to a perfect body, a body that will never again break down.
Sophocles said, “Youth’s beauty fades, and manhood’s glory fades.” And it is true. But one day we will have perfect bodies and will dwell in a land where we’ll never grow old. Do you know that old Gospel chorus?
Never grow old, never grow old,
In a land where we’ll never grow old;
In the meantime, we are like items with a shelf life. We have an expiration date. And over the years our bodies testify to the aging process and, try as we may to diet, to exercise, or even undergo cosmetic surgeries, we grow old. But imagine one day, having a body that is perfect, physically healthy and attractive in every way!
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
“Spiritual” here means heavenly and eternal. Christians presently have a natural or earthly body and one day will have a spiritual, a heavenly and eternal body. But again, it will be similar to the earthly body and yet different, as well.
Your future body will not be that of an angel. Christians who die do not become angels. “All flesh is not the same flesh.” There are “celestial bodies” and there are “earthly bodies.” There is nothing in Scripture that suggests Christians will one day have wings or have to “earn their wings” or some other such nonsense.
Christians may learn from creation. Christians can look forward to perfection. Thirdly:
III. We will be Fitted for Glorification (45-50)
Our future resurrection bodies make possible our entrance into the final state of the new heaven and new earth. That’s the pinnacle of truth Paul reaches as he writes from verse 45 and builds to verse 50. In fact, just jump ahead to verse 50 and you read, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”
In other words, something has to change in us and to us in order to “fit us” for heaven. God changes us internally though the power of the Gospel and fits us externally for the kingdom of God. You can’t enter into the kingdom of God as “flesh and blood,” as a mere mortal. You have to be changed first internally, you’ve got to be born again.
It’s like Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Jesus says to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus thinks Jesus is speaking of physical birth, of “flesh and blood.” He asks Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb?” And Jesus goes on to teach that He is not talking about physical things, but spiritual things.
So here Paul says “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” Something has to change in us to “fit us” for heaven. God changes us internally through the power of the Gospel and fits us externally that we may enter into the kingdom of God. Verse 45:
45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
The first man is Adam, whose name means man. Adam is the representative of all mankind. All man is created in Adam. The last Adam—the last “Man” in God’s plan of redemption is Christ. Man is created in Adam and man is recreated in Christ. That’s what Paul is teaching here when he says in verse 45, “The first man Adam became a living being” and “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” He is saying that man is created in Adam and recreated in Christ. Note the order in verse 46:
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
Paul continues to contrast the two “Adams,” the two men. Verse 47, “The first man was of the earth, made of dust,”—that’s Adam, a reference to Genesis 2:7—“the second Adam (or Man) is the Lord from heaven,” and that of course is Jesus Christ. Verse 48:
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
At birth all mankind identifies with “the man of dust,” with Adam. And at re-birth, mankind identifies with “the heavenly Man,” with Christ. We have noted previously: every one of us in this room is identified with either Adam or Christ. Each of us is either “in Adam” or “in Christ.” Verse 49:
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
Every human being in all of existence past, present, and future, “bears the image of the man of dust.” We are a “chip off the old block.” We bear a striking resemblance to our first father, Adam. But those of us who are “born again,” re-birthed from above, “bear the image of the heavenly Man.” We identify with Christ. As each day passes and we grow in progressive sanctification, we look more and more like Jesus.
Remember, this is God’s overarching plan for Christians. Romans 8:28-29:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
God’s master plan for Christians is their being conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God is at work in your life to make you more and more Christlike. Ultimately this is why “all things” happen to you, Christian. This is good news. You may question why, but God knows why. God knows what He’s doing in your life. “All things work together for good to those who love God,” because God is working in our lives that we may “be conformed to the image of His Son.”
See what this teaching about the Christian’s future has to do with the Christian’s present?
Theology matters. What we think theologically affects our behavior in day to day living. So what we believe about the future affects our behavior in the present.
Given our knowledge of the doctrine of the resurrection, how will we live in the present?
Do you remind yourself daily of your future resurrection and glorification? Don’t you think it might make a difference when you get sick or when you’re beat up, or when you’re body seems to be falling apart. You sit in that barren, cold waiting room in the doctor’s office, waiting for what seems an eternity before finally the doctor comes in and hangs that X-Ray up there for you to see as she explains the bad news.
Or you get the phone call that the lab report is complete and that you need to come right away to the doctor’s office. What we think about the future affects the way we live in the present.
Why spend thousands of dollars on one’s body if that same body is the body of an unsaved person? Why pray for the physical healing of a person without ever once considering the need for spiritual healing in that person?
Given the certainty of their future resurrection, do you think Christians are more likely to be bolder in the present? More likely to live a life that makes a difference for eternity? What does it matter if we “die early” as the world says? We are guaranteed a future inheritance that will not fade away—and that includes the certainty of a new body.
So one commentator (Craig Blomberg) notes:
Christians ought to fear less. They may grieve the loss of loved ones and have a certain anxiety related to the unknown factors surrounding their own death, but neither reaction ought to be “like the rest of men who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Funerals for Christians ought to be first of all celebrations of their “home-going.” While preserving a culturally appropriate solemnity, a spirit of joy and a message of hope should nevertheless pervade such ceremonies, which may even include a tasteful evangelistic address to unbelievers present. And the hope of resurrection should encourage those of us who remain alive to persevere in a “long obedience in the same direction” (v. 58).
There is a future resurrection for both the Christian and the non-Christian, for both saved and lost:
The Christian identifies with Christ; the non-Christian identifies with Adam.
The Christian is raised to glorification; the non-christian is raised to condemnation.
The Christian is raised to the final state of heaven; the non-Christian is raised to the final state of hell.
So who are you and where are you going?
•Stand for prayer.
…Good people don’t go to heaven when they die. Saved people go to heaven when they die.
…The only assurance ever we have that our departed loved one is “in a better place,” is whether that loved one was saved. And the only way one is saved is by confession of sin, repentance from sin, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Gospel. If that has happened, our lives will change and we will be involved actively in a Bible-believing church and we will bear the fruit of the Spirit. In no sense is anyone in heaven just because they were a good father, or mother, or husband, or wife, or brother, or sister, or son, or daughter.
Are you having discussions in your home and among your family about Jesus Christ? Do you talk of Jesus? Talk about Christ among your family, at the dinner table, on the way to work or school, or in the living room.
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