From Dust to Glory

0:53What will we be like? In my experience, that's a question that's asked far less often, but answered no less unhelpfully. Thankfully, the Apostle Paul didn't leave us guessing as to what believers will be like in heaven. And that must be because God saw fit to reveal that truth to us in his word. It makes sense when you think about it, because it's hard to imagine eagerly anticipating and living for something that you can't even begin to imagine.

1:27In 1 Corinthians 15, we have learned. That Christ has been raised, and we will be also. And in today's text, Paul is going to show us that although we will return to dust, we'll also rise to glory with Christ. If we take a look at our text today, beginning in verse 35, we see that Paul asks a pair of seemingly hypothetical questions about the resurrection of the dead. But because Paul responds, you foolish person, in verse 36, it seems very clear that these questions are not hypothetical at all, but real objections raised by some in Corinth who doubted, or maybe even denied, the resurrection of the dead.

2:15The questions don't come across as genuine. In fact, they remind us of the hypothetical questions that the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, asked Jesus about the woman who ended up marrying seven brothers after each one of them died in succession. They asked Jesus, in the resurrection, of the seven, whose wife will she be, since they all had her as a wife? Take a look at Jesus' response in Matthew chapter 22.

2:50But Jesus answered them, You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection, They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God? I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.

3:21Jesus was direct with the resurrection-denying Sadducees. He told them in no uncertain terms, you're wrong. And why were they wrong? Jesus said it was because they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God. Man, what a rebuke. Keep in mind that the Sadducees were important religious leaders. Many of them were priests. And yet, Jesus tells these important religious leaders that they're wrong because they don't know their Bibles and they don't know the power of God.

4:00And if you're a religious leader who doesn't know God's word or God's power, not really sure where that leaves you, what do you know then? So these questions are almost certainly real questions asked by real people in Corinth who really doubted the resurrection, just like the Sadducees did. And if Paul's response, calling them fools, seems a bit harsh, well then you just have to go back and read the first 34 verses. In this chapter. Because as Paul says, if there is no resurrection, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not even been raised, then we are still in our sins. There is no hope for us. We're to be pitied more than all people.

4:48If you lose the resurrection, whether Christ's or ours, you have, in a very real sense, lost the essence of Christianity. Having said that, if these questions are being asked with pure motives, with a genuine desire to understand how human bodies could physically rise from the dead, there's nothing wrong with that. That's no different than Mary asking, How can these things be since I am a virgin when the angel Gabriel appeared to her? Paul is glad to explain not just to the doubters, but to any believer who has genuine questions about the resurrection.

5:32So in verse 36, Paul explains how these things can be. Let's take a look now at what he says. Verse 36. What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as He has chosen, and to each kind of Seed its own body. Paul begins by pointing to seeds and plants. He notes that what you sow, the seed, doesn't look anything like what comes from it, the plant.

6:16The plant comes from the seed. It's not an entirely different entity, of course, but it looks nothing like the seed. The seed's body, so to speak, is entirely different from the plant's body that comes from it. And in order for the plant to grow, the seed has to be buried. It has to die. The seed, in some sense, has to cease to exist so that the plant which emerges from it can exist. Every type of seed is different, just like every type of plant that emerges from the seed is different. But all plants are the same in the sense that all come from seeds that were buried and died so that the plants could emerge.

7:05Back in the fall, we planted some bulbs in our flower bed that are just now starting to grow. And I'll tell you what, bulbs are not attractive. They're like nasty onions. And that's really saying something because onions are nasty. But just take a look at what emerges from the bulb after they've spent the winter buried underground. Just beautiful. What Paul is teaching is that our earthly bodies are like seeds or bulbs. They're all the same in essence, but each one is unique and different from every other one. And when we bloom, that is, when we rise from the dead, our earthly bodies will be transformed just like those tulips were transformed from bulbs.

8:00In verse 39, now, Paul moves on to teach us another truth about our resurrection bodies by noting that not all flesh is the same. He notes that human bodies don't look like animals, which don't look like birds, which don't look like fish. His point seems to be that each kind of earthly body, human, animal, bird, fish, they were all created uniquely for their own environments on the earth. So think of animals. God has designed them with fur to protect them from the elements, with teeth and claws to hunt and defend themselves and dig, or strong limbs for climbing, like the noble tree kangaroo.

8:49He definitely doesn't look like someone's lunch. Think of birds. God has designed them with wings and feathers for flying. And claws for hunting, and instincts to guide them to warmer weather in the winter. Think of fish. God has designed them with gills to breathe underwater, fins and tails to swim, and oily scales to help them glide through the water. And then there are human beings with bodies uniquely designed to function in our natural habitat as well.

9:29Here's the point: God gave each of his creatures, humans, animals, birds, fish, bodies that were specifically designed to function in a certain environment. But in the resurrection, we are all going to a new environment, specifically to the new heavens and the new earth that are described in Revelation. And to thrive there in that environment, we need a new body that is suited to that environment, the resurrection body that God promises to give to each of us. A body that is, in essence, the same as every other body there, but a body that will be unique in its own special way, just like the plants and the flowers of the earth. This is what Paul is teaching in verse 40. Take a look there.

10:25He says there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. And that shouldn't surprise us, because when we look up into what we sometimes refer to as the heavens, what do we see? We see celestial bodies that look different from one another in their glory. The glory of the sun is different than the glory of the moon, which is beautiful in its own way, but very different from the sun.

11:02And the glory of the sun, our star, is very different in size and color and brilliance from all of the other stars in glory. So shall it be in the resurrection. That's what Paul is saying. Every believer is outfitted with a new body perfectly suited to life in the new heavens and the new earth, similar to every other resurrected body and yet beautiful and unique and glorious in its own way. Friends, everything in this world is pointing us to spiritual truths about the world to come. David in Psalm 19 said, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

11:53That is also true of the planet that God created specifically for us to inhabit and enjoy. And the plants and the Animals that he placed here. Everything is telling the truth about God and about the future when Jesus will return to restore and renew all things. And it is evident from everything that we see around us and under us and above us that the resurrection is true as well. We have much to look forward to, and that's why Paul is going to spend the last verses in this section, verses 42 through 49, going into greater detail about what our resurrection bodies are going to be like. Let's take a look now at verse 42.

12:42Paul says, so it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. In these verses, Paul is helping us to understand the difference between our earthly bodies and our heavenly bodies. Although we know there are going to be similarities from the descriptions of Jesus' resurrected body. And the way that people responded to him after he was raised from the dead, there are also some big important differences as well. And it's these differences that Paul is highlighting, and he does so by going back to language that he used in his illustration about seeds and plants. He's using the language of what is sown and what is raised. The first thing that he says here in verse 42 is that what is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable.

14:05Now, this word perishable means to rot or to decay, which I know is kind of gross, but it's an accurate description of what happens to our bodies over time. They grow old, they wear out, sometimes due to accidents, sometimes due to illness, sometimes due to the ways that we abuse them. But nevertheless, our bodies grow old and wear out. And so, even if our bodies right now are young and healthy, we know that they will not remain that way forever. They're going to perish.

14:41But when we are raised, we will be raised imperishable, which is to say our bodies are never going to rot, they're never going to decay, they're never going to grow old or wear out ever again. And that word imperishable is often used in Scripture in connection with eternal life. Take a look at Romans chapter 2. He will render to each one according to his works. To those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

15:25That word translated immortality is the same Greek word that's translated imperishable in 1 Corinthians 15. To have an imperishable body is to have an immortal body. It's to have one that will live forever. So our bodies are sown perishable, but they are raised imperishable. Second, Paul notes that our earthly bodies are sown in dishonor, but they are raised in glory. Now, Paul's not saying that our earthly bodies are dishonorable in the sense that there's something inherently wrong with them, as though what God created is not good.

16:10Take a look at what Tom Schriner wrote. The body is not intrinsically evil, but it is dishonorable due to its corruptibility and weakness. However, the resurrection body will be glorious and will not suffer from frailty. Look at what Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 3. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.

16:53So our earthly bodies are sown in dishonor, but they are raised in glory. Third, Paul says that our human bodies are sown in weakness, but raised in power. These earthly bodies are subject to all kinds of weaknesses. They get sick, tired, injured. Even the brightest human minds get exhausted and worn out, and our minds can only comprehend just a small fraction of this universe and everything about it. But our resurrection bodies will not be characterized by weakness, they'll be characterized by strength. Look what Wayne Greedham wrote: Our resurrection bodies will not only be free from disease and aging, they will also be given fullness of strength and power. Not infinite power like God, of course, but nonetheless, full and complete human power. And strength, the strength that God intended human beings to have in their bodies when He created them.

18:08So our earthly bodies are sown in weakness, but they're raised in power. Fourth and finally, Paul writes: It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Now, this statement could be confusing because we might understand Paul to be saying that we are sown physical bodies, but we are raised in non-physical bodies. In other words, the resurrection is just a spiritual one of our souls or our spirits only.

18:50But of course, that understanding would completely negate everything that Paul has written in the first 43 verses of this chapter. He has been arguing all along that the dead really are raised, beginning with Christ as the first fruits. It's another important and necessary reminder to always read the text in its context. That's critical for our Bible study, but it's critical for any text that we read. Because if we miss the context, we are very likely to miss the author's intended meaning. Listen again to Wayne Grudem.

19:30He writes, A more clear paraphrase of the verse would be: It is sown a natural body subject to the characteristics and desires of this age and governed by its own sinful will, but it is raised a spiritual body completely subject to the will of the Holy Spirit and responsive to the Holy Spirit's guidance. Such a body is not at all non-physical, but it is a physical body raised to the degree of perfection for which God originally intended it.

20:08When Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually right away, but it would be hundreds of years before their physical deaths. See, the physical and the spiritual were always intended by God to be united, but because of our sin, they were torn apart. So in the resurrection, God is putting back together what the fall ripped apart. So we're born physically alive, but spiritually dead. And in the resurrection, we will be spiritually alive and more physically alive than we've ever been before.

20:51That's why Paul transitions in verse 45 to discuss the difference between Adam, our first father, and Jesus, whom Scripture. Calls the last Adam. In this verse, verse 45, we see that the first Adam became what? A living being. And how exactly did he become a living being? Well, take a look at Genesis chapter 2, verse 7. Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. and the man became a living creature.

21:33Now this is really important because many first century Greeks believed that human souls were eternal and that they had always existed. And what they did was they simply inhabited human bodies for a time, much like a hermit crab would inhabit a seashell for a period of time. But Adam's soul didn't exist eternally. Only God has existed for eternity. And notice that God didn't create Adam's soul and then build a body for it to live in. No, God created a body out of the dust of the ground and then filled it with the breath of life.

22:15As Paul writes in verse 46, but it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual. But because of his sin, Adam's spirit died. Even though his physical body would live for hundreds more years. That's why he and we needed Christ, because he is the last Adam, the one who came down from heaven and became a life-giving spirit through his sinless life of obedience, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead.

22:56So just as Adam was made from the dust of the earth, so are we in our natural earthly bodies. And just as Christ now lives and reigns in his resurrected body, so also will all of those who are of heaven through faith in him. We have borne the image of the first Adam made after his image and likeness, even as he was made after the image and likeness of God. And when Christ returns in glory, Paul writes, We shall also bear the image of the man of heaven in our new resurrection bodies.

23:37Look at Warren Wearsby's summary. The point Paul was making was simply this: the resurrection body completes the work of redemption and gives to us the image of the Savior. We are made in the image of God as far as personality is concerned, but in the image of Adam as far as the body is concerned. Concerned. One day we shall bear the image of the Savior when we share in His glory. Friends, today we've spent time thinking about the bodies that we'll enjoy for eternity. And this subject appeals to many of us simply because we're curious, and that's fine. God doesn't satisfy every one of our curiosities in His Word, but when He does, it's for a very good reason.

24:32But of course, the reason that this subject is so appealing to many of us isn't primarily because we're curious, it's because we're longing for our resurrection bodies. I think about my friend who recently underwent surgery for kidney cancer, only to be told that it had already spread to his lungs. I think about another friend who recently underwent her fourth knee surgery, and a family member of mine who had to have surgery just recently for a detached retina.

25:10I think about parents who have children who are born with cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome, or physical limitations of various kinds. I think about people who live with depression or anxiety or migraines or the inability. To get a good night's sleep, I think about every one of us whose bodies hurt and ache for the simple reason that we are getting older and our bodies are wearing out. You see, for many people, this passage doesn't serve to answer some hypothetical questions about what happens to us who believe in Christ when we die. No, this passage offers real and lasting hope to those of us who are more aware every single day that we are not going to live forever.

26:09The believer in Jesus Christ can face illness and weakness, the wearing out of the body, even death itself, with great hope because we know that we are going to be raised with bodies that are imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. But if you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, that is, if you have not turned from your sin and placed your faith in Him, His life, His death, and His resurrection, if you're not yet a believer in Jesus, then you do not have this imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual body to look forward to.

26:58You also will be raised from the Dead. You also will live forever. But you will be living forever under the righteous wrath of God for your sin in a real place called hell. Listen again to Warren Wearsby. God rejects the first birth, the natural, and says, You must be born again. He rejected Cain and chose Abel. He rejected Abraham's firstborn, Ishmael, and chose Isaac, the secondborn. He rejected Esau and chose Jacob. If we depend on our first birth, we shall be condemned forever.

27:47But if we experience the new birth, we shall be blessed forever. My friends, if you desire eternal life in that perfect resurrection body, then you must be born again. Don't delay a moment longer. Confess your sins to God. Cry out to Him for salvation and place your hope fully and completely, not on your religious works or performance, but on the perfect performance of Jesus Christ the Savior. And if you do that, what a wonderful future awaits you and awaits all of us who hope in Jesus Christ, the firstborn from among the dead.

28:45We are returning to dust, but we will also rise to new life with Christ. Let's pray. Father, we acknowledge that we have studied little of this subject. Not just about heaven in general, but about our resurrection bodies in particular. And because we've studied so little of your word and what it reveals about these things, we have to confess that we know very little about what is to come. And it has been said that we can't love that which we don't know.

29:39So, God, my prayer is that you would help us to know what your word has revealed, not just about heaven, but about the resurrection and our resurrection bodies. So that no matter what we face in this life, in terms of illness and weakness, in terms of Frailty in terms of trials and tribulations and persecutions, that we can face all of those things with great hope because we know that once this brief life is over, we who trust in Christ will be raised forever and given a new body that is imperishable and glorious and powerful and spiritual.

30:35God, we pray that we would long for that day, and we pray that we would live our lives in light of the resurrection of the dead that you promised to all who trust in your Son. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.