Weekly Devotional 6-1-15 Unlike a Caterpillar

Weekly Devotional 6-1-15 Unlike a Caterpillar

1 Corinthians 15:35-50 ( NKJV ) says, “35But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?’ 36Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39All 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. 40There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41There 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. 42So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48As 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. 49And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.’”

Like the caterpillar we shall be changed. But unlike the caterpillar, once changed we shall not suffer death again. The body of the Christian, like the caterpillar, will be changed. The similarity ends with the change. The caterpillar dies and is transformed into a beautiful butterfly, but will die again. The Christian dies and is resurrected with a glorified body, never to die again. What a wonder! This, however, is only true of one who is in right standing with Holy God. These are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; and 20:12).

Alternatively, there is another death that those who have not been made righteous will endure. This death will not be the same as their previous death. We read of this in Revelation 20:11-15, “11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

This won’t be a resurrection to glorification, but a resurrection to damnation. Where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:24-28). None of this is necessary. This sentence can be escaped as John 3:16-21 and 36 informs us. “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” …. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Believe God and trust in His Son Jesus Christ and you will be part of those who will be resurrected to glorification and escape the terrible eternal sentence of damnation.

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man

www.gbchurch.us.

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