Join us as we tackle the profound theology behind the transformation from mortality to immortality. With references to biblical declarations such as ‘death being swallowed up in victory’, we explore the transition from natural to spiritual existence through Christ’s resurrection. This episode also delves into the significance of becoming immortal beings and the eternal joy that awaits in the Kingdom of God.
So Paul then talks about being glorified. My goodness, what is this? Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called, and whom he called, these he also justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified. We looked at predestination the other day and the day or so before that. Don’t let this make you afraid, but rather let it encourage you enormously, because God, it means that God set his sights on this whole planet to restore it. For all, according to Romans 9 through 11, are predestined, or God has determined their destiny before ever he created the world. He did not create a, well, yes, he did create a world without sin, but he knew that he would be redeeming a world of sin. And that did not faze him. He determined he would do it. He would not hold back simply because man had fallen. but rather he would operate his grace through their failures and show through the whole universe and to Satan and all the angels and to all human beings that grace is so powerful it can even operate through evil to bring good. So then, moreover, whom he predestined, these he also glorified. Whom he called, these he also justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. Now, have you thought about how difficult it must be for God to explain to us something that we have never experienced? I mean, he’s telling us, I’m going to glorify you. But we haven’t a clue, really, what in the world that is all about. We do know a little bit when we saw Jesus glorified, you remember, that his garments shone like wool and his face like the sun, and the disciples were absolutely dumbfounded. They didn’t even know what to say and blurted out silly words. It’s amazing.
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But we do have some hints of it by what it is not. There will be no more death.
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There will be no more sickness. Your body will not naturally decay over time. It will not naturally weaken over time. In fact, it will grow stronger over time. Paul says in, let’s see, where is it? 1 Corinthians 15, isn’t it? He reminds us, But this corruptible must put on incorruption. Now our bodies, from the day we are born, corrupt. Young people, children, can’t even, can’t at all comprehend this, and young people are so arrogant that they just dismiss it, not realizing that their bodies are slowly winding down, even when they are young people. But that’s the truth, and we’ve got to admit it or acknowledge it, because this corruptible, that’s the corrupt body, the body that breaks down into death, must put on incorruption, that is, a body that will not break down into death. And this mortal, that is, the body that is mortal, subject to death, must put on immortality, which means that death is going to be swallowed up in victory. That’s what Paul says a little later, actually, but let me remind you of Isaiah chapter 25, where God says that he’s going to take everything of this world and remove all its death from the whole planet. He describes death like a blanket covering all nations, and he will remove that blanket, that covering that is over all mankind. He will destroy death forever. If you haven’t read that verse, it’s time you did. It’s so incredibly encouraging, Isaiah chapter 25. And then he says, So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.
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Christ gained a victory over death.
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Christ rose as an immortal being, subject to death no longer, death having no power over him. That’s what Paul said earlier, you remember. That is how we will be. And the thought of eternal life is just astonishing, isn’t it? I mean, Methuselah lived, what, 900 and odd, 930 years, was it? I mean, just to contemplate that is utterly astounding and out of this world. We live to 80 or 90 these years and think it’s wonderful. Well, that’s piddling by comparison, isn’t it, with Methuselah and others? But we’re going to live for eternity. Time, it seems, is not going to exist. We shall simply be forever in constant joy and activity that is so creative and beautiful. But I want you to notice something else. 1 Corinthians 15 is quite astonishing. He says in verse 45, And so it is written, the first man Adam became a living being, the last Adam became a living, a life-giving spirit. Now, who’s the first Adam? Well, of course, that’s Adam and Adam and Eve, Genesis chapter 1 and 2 and 3. But who is this second Adam, this last Adam?
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He is Christ. And what is he?
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He’s a life-giving spirit. Now, we are tempted to think that people who are spirits or beings who are spirits don’t have a body, but that’s not the case. What he says here is, however, the spiritual is not first, but the natural and afterwards the spiritual. This, of course, is a massive mystery right there, although I do think we can explore it somewhat. We don’t have time in this broadcast, but it is clear, at least, that God chose to allow the fall. so that he could redeem humanity and reveal his grace through that redemption, so that mankind would have an intimate knowledge of God’s love and care and grace. So God starts off with the natural, even though it was first created not natural, but it became natural pretty quick once Adam and Eve sinned. The first man was of the earth. What does that mean? Well, Adam was created of spirit, the breath of God, and the dust of the ground, right? God breathed into what he had molded from the earth, and it became a living soul. Well, that’s what he means here when he says the first man was of the earth, made of dust. But look at what it says about the second man, referring to Christ. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
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He’s a man, he’s human, but he’s the Lord from heaven.
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And 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. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. My goodness, what mystery is this talking about? Paul must have got this from Jesus when he ascended to heaven and Jesus explained things to him. But apparently, we are going to be immortal beings, and that immortality is not going to be the same as when Adam had his immortality. He was made from spirit and dust. But we are to be made of heavenly substance. And that apparently is what it means to be glorified, like Christ. My goodness, I wish I could understand it, but I can’t. But there’s something massive here. Now this I say, brethren, verse 50 of 1 Corinthians 15, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Now you can take that in two ways. Fallen flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, only redeemed flesh and blood, or the flesh and blood of the man of Adam made of the dust will not exist anymore, and we shall be of a heavenly substance which will not be flesh and blood. We don’t have to go into tremendous doctrinal positions on this kind of stuff or information because we can’t understand it. There are people who have taken a very strong position on these things, and they don’t have to. It’s not necessary. This is not a major truth. But it is a wonderful encouragement to all of us if we put our minds to it. that this, well, he says, look, he says in the latter part of verse 15, nor does corruption inherit incorruption, so that may give us a clue to what he means in the earlier part of the verse. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. So my guess is that when he’s referring to flesh and blood, he’s referring to fallen flesh and blood. But does that mean then that we still, in the kingdom of God, have to eat and depend upon nature to survive? We eat of the tree of life, certainly. The tree of life is perhaps symbolic, I think. of the endless dependence upon God in whom is our righteousness and strength. We will draw from his power and mercy the water flowing from the city of God. That’s the life, the giving of life. We’re constantly dependent upon God. But he says, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. Now he’s talking about us who are alive and may die before the coming of Jesus Christ. But he says, we shall not all sleep, not all die, but we shall all be changed at the coming of Christ. If some of us live through to the coming of Christ, we shall be changed 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 shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades’ grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see what is coming? We are going to be delivered from death. We are already delivered from the judgment of death and the power of death, because if we should die, we will rise again in Christ’s resurrection. But how beautiful to know that the day will come when death is finished, immortality will arrive, and we are glorified in a way that we cannot comprehend, but we will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father. Dwell on this for a while and realize what a marvelous destiny you have. Thank you for listening today. Colin Cook here. You’ve been here listening to the program, my program, How It Happens. You can hear this program on the radio 10 o’clock in the evening, repeated at 4 in the morning in the Colorado and surrounding states areas. on KLTT AM670. But the good news is you can hear this program throughout the world at any time on your smartphone or other remote device. Simply download a free app, soundcloud.com or podbean.com and key in how it happens with Colin Cook and, by the way, Spotify and Apple and those others, and you can then hear it any time of the day or night. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
Join us as we tackle the profound theology behind the transformation from mortality to immortality. With references to biblical declarations such as ‘death being swallowed up in victory’, we explore the transition from natural to spiritual existence through Christ’s resurrection. This episode also delves into the significance of becoming immortal beings and the eternal joy that awaits in the Kingdom of God.
