We Also Will Be Raised

The Bible tells us that we are both physical beings and spiritual. In Genesis God first forms the body out of the earth and then breathes into the body the breath of life. Only then does Adam become a living being. The body and the spirit are both important.

What comes after our bodies die? There are a number of ideas about that. For some death means the end, when a person dies they simply cease to exist. Others believe that our spirits may hang around for awhile before moving on to some spirit world. Still others believe that after death the spirit comes back again, reincarnated in another body.

Christianity teaches that there is life after death. We receive spiritual life when we commit ourselves to Jesus as His disciples. Paul says in Eph. 2:6 that God raised us up with Christ, speaking about our spiritual lives. When the body dies those who are spiritually alive go to be with Christ, and then receive a new body at the general resurrection at the Second Coming. We have the hope of eternal life because of what God has done in Christ, and this life consists of both spiritual and physical life. Paul speaks of this in our reading for today.

1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV84

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

God raised the Lord

Eternal life also is not only a spiritual existence. Jesus’ resurrection indicates there is an eternal physical life as well.

This is the foundation of our faith, that Jesus not only died for our sin but was raised. It was a bodily resurrection.

God will raise us

Just as His was a bodily resurrection so ours will be also.

Romans 8:11 NIV84

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Through His Spirit

It was the power of the Holy Spirit which resurrected Jesus

That same power works in the lives of believers and will raise us up

An imperishable body

No more sickness, no more pain

No more sorrow, no more death

Like Christ’s body

Philippians 3:21 NIV84

who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

At the return of Christ

We don’t know when this will be, but we do know that He will come again

What it all means

Our bodies are important

God created us as physical and spiritual beings, and He is just as concerned with our physical well-being as with our spiritual.

We need not fear

Death has been conquered

Jesus awaits us

A child of God who was seriously ill and lacked assurance of salvation said to his physician, “Doctor, although I’m a Christian, I’m afraid to die. Exactly what happens to us in the hour of death?” The surgeon, who was also a believer, thought for a moment and then replied, “I’m afraid I can’t give you an exact answer to that question!” As he walked across the room to leave, he desperately wished he could say something comforting. Pausing briefly before opening the door, he heard the sound of scratching and whining on the other side. Suddenly he realized that he had left his car window open and his little dog had jumped out. With the patient’s permission he let in his pet poodle who leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. In a flash the doctor’s mind was awakened to a scriptural truth he had never before put into words. Turning to the sick man, he said, “Did you see how my dog acted? He’s never been in this room before. He had no idea what was inside; yet when I opened the door, he sprang in without fear, for he knew his master was here! As Christians we have not been told about the glories that await us on the other side of death. But one thing we do know; our Master is there, and that is enough!

We have hope

The celebration of Easter, therefore, is an affirmation of hope – that death is not an ending but a transition. That all who believe in Jesus will spend eternity with Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NIV84

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

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