What Will Our Resurrected Body Be Like? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, good to have everybody with us again today, and we're going to pick right up where we left off. I know you're probably getting tired of hearing 1 Corinthians 15, but it is just such a loaded chapter and as I said in our last program, I think we're not going to hurry through it, and we're going to just keep picking it apart little by little. Again for all of you joining us on television, we're just an informal Bible study. We have folks from all kinds of various denominations studying with us, and all we try to get folks to do is to just begin to read and enjoy and study your Bible. It's still the greatest book ever written, and once you learn how to separate out as a lot of folks are finding out, when you separate what God does with Israel and what He does for us Gentiles, then this book just becomes so understandable and not all that difficult. Again we always like to remind our audience that all the past programs are available on video, audio, and also in the printed page in the form of these little booklets. And if you're interested in any of that material, you can call us or write to us. Alright, those of you in the studio are already turned to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, and we're going to go right back to where we left off in verse 35. Now remember this whole chapter is dealing with resurrection, and remember too that I've been stressing that practically no other religion on the planet has resurrection as the very basis of their beliefs. This is what's unique to Christianity, that at the very core of everything we believe and everything that the Bible teaches is based on this doctrine of resurrection. That this life does not end at the grave, there is a life for eternity, and the only way we can enjoy that eternal existence even as believers is to experience a Biblical resurrection. And again I have to stress over and over, the word resurrection does not refer to someone who has died and has been brought back to life, such as the widow's son and Lazarus in Christ's earthly ministry. They were not resurrected, they were just simply called back from the dead and they died again. But resurrection began with the Lord Jesus Himself, He was the first to ever be resurrected, and that means that He died and He arose from the dead, never again to die, and it was for all eternity. And as we're going to see then in these succeeding verses, that this is the same eternal life that we experience the moment we have believed the Gospel. Verse 35. Now I'm going to leave out the word man, it's italicized and so it's been added by the translators. But some will say, how are the dead raised up? Now you know it was just almost amazing as I was contemplating all this for this particular program, I had a call from a gentleman, I think he was up in Canada if I remember right, and he watches on the satellite, and if he didn't ask the very same question. Well when resurrection happens, what are we going to be like? Are we just going to be invisible spirit beings? Are we going to be like angels? Well you see he wasn't alone, and I'm not faulting him at all, but even Paul was having this constantly bombarded, well how if we're going to be resurrected, how are we going to exist? What's it going to be like? And so that's what he says. Some would say, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Are we going to be in some sort of a spiritual, angelic type existence? No. We are going to be eternally existing in a body. Now it's not going to be the same flesh and blood body that this is, but it's going to be on the same order, and the best illustration I can always give of our resurrected body is the Lord Jesus in His 40 days after His resurrection. And to base that on Scripture, come ahead with me a little bit now to Philippians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, where this same Apostle Paul, and as I stressed in one of the earlier programs in this chapter, this is the only place where you get a real detailed explanation of resurrection. Now the Old Testament saints believed in it. We know they did. Job used the expression, "...I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the latter days shall stand upon the earth, and in my flesh I shall see God." When David lost the child from Bathsheba as a result of the adultery, he wept for 7 days, but finally he came to the realization that he couldn't bring that child back, but what would he do? He would go to him. And so that was another reference that he understood that there was resurrection. I think when you take Abraham as he was ready to offer Isaac, Abraham had no doubt that Isaac would go back home with him. But Abraham understood that if God would have permitted him to take his life, He would have resurrected him, and he would have brought him back to life. So even Abraham had that concept. But now as Paul enlarges on all of the questions that people have concerning resurrection, he just lays it out so clearly. I just love these two verses in Philippians chapter 3, verses 20-21. And it's so simple, there's no gobbledygook here whatsoever. For our conversation, or our citizenship, is in Heaven. Now you want to remember Colossians says we've already been translated into the Kingdom of Heaven. And from whence, from that same Heaven where the Lord is now waiting, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, this one that's prone to sin and death and disease, He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. Do you see how plain that is? So all we really have to take time to study is those 40 days after His resurrection, and before His ascension from the Mount of Olives, and we're going to do that in just a moment. But before we leave Paul's reference to all of this, let's stop back at Ephesians, and come back to Ephesians chapter 1, and another couple of verses that I just love to teach because so many hearts have been opened by my simple reading of the verses. I haven't had to comment on them, nothing, just as I've read them. People say, all of a sudden I saw something that I never saw before, and so I do like to Ephesians 1, verses 13 -14. In whom you also trusted, placed your faith. After that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. See that's the core of eternal life, is believing the gospel. In whom also, that is again in Christ, after that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest, or the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. Now if you analyze that verse a minute, the first thing you should ask yourself is, well I thought I was already redeemed. Well we are, but what part of us is not yet redeemed? This body. The body is still here in the flesh, it's still prone to the same pain and accidents and sin as the unbeliever. So what is the down payment going to assure? That even this body, this physical body, of which the soul and spirit are now apart, but at death of course will have to be separated. But don't forget about the body and say, well all God's concerned about is the soul and spirit. No, even for eternity we have to be a complete entity. And I just explained this to someone the other day again, search the Scriptures, does any human being have any function as a complete entity, unless he is body, soul and spirit. No way. All three of them are going to have to be brought back together before we can spend eternity in the presence of Christ. So the soul and spirit have already been redeemed if we are a believer, absolutely. But the body is still unredeemed, it's still in the flesh, it's still under the curse. But the very presence of the Holy Spirit in our life as a believer is God's down payment that He's going to complete the whole transaction. He's not just going to redeem the soul and spirit, He's going to redeem body, soul and spirit together. Now in the light of that, let's come back to Romans chapter 8, and I think very few people who read their Bibles understand what these verses are really talking about. In Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse 18, and this is sort of a review of course from when we were in the Book of Romans, but that's been quite a while ago. So let's look at it again. Beginning at verse 18 in Romans chapter 8, Romans 8. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons or the children or the born ones of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, that is the curse, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. In other words, the moment the curse fell, God promised a Redeemer, didn't He? Genesis 3 verse 15 follows the curse. This is all in reference to that. Then verse 21. Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, which is the curse again, all of the creation is going to be delivered from the curse into the glorious liberty of whom? The children of God. In other words, all of creation is going to come under our rule and reign as we are joint heirs with Christ. But I'm not stopping there. We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together now under the curse, and not only they, not the creation in general, but we also who have the first fruit of the Spirit, are saved, our soul and spirit are redeemed, and even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for something still more. We haven't got it all yet. We've got a lot when we have salvation, and we've got the new birth, but we still don't have it all. And what is it? The adoption, that is to say, the redemption of our body, and then that will complete it. And that's exactly what he's referring to in Ephesians 1, that as a believer, and our soul and spirit has already been redeemed, yet that in itself is a down payment that God will complete the transaction, and also then redeem and give us a new body. Now then I said the best way to get a glimpse of that new body is to take a look at Christ in His resurrection experience, those 40 days between His coming out of the tomb and when He ascended there in Acts chapter 1. Let's come back to Luke chapter 24, verse 36, and we're going to take our time. I'm not going to rush through this, because like I said all along, this whole concept of resurrection is the very bulwark of our faith, that not only did Christ die for us, but He arose victoriously over sin, and death, and Satan, and hell, and all the rest of it, and He is able to impart unto us then this blessed hope of resurrection. Now then verse 36 of Luke 24, and the ten, if I'm not mistaken, one of the fellows is missing, and so the ten are meeting, and as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Now I think it follows, why did He have to say peace? Well, when all of a sudden He appeared in front of them, right without benefit of a door or a window, they naturally being very human, were all shook up, probably half scared to death, and so He had to settle them down with the word as He alone can use it, Peace be unto you. And we could put all kinds of connotations on that. Don't be worried, settle down, and now then verse 37. But even with those words of comfort they were terrified and affrighted, and they supposed that they had seen a spirit or a ghost. Verse 38. And He said unto them, Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Now stop there a moment. Could the Lord Jesus look right through their thinking? Sure He could. And He was seeing all those thoughts of consternation, and of fear, and of doubt, and He said, What's the matter with you fellows? Now you want to remember, even though they had been in His company for three years, remember we use that verse so often in Luke 18, that He told them, We're going to go down to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is going to be scourged, He's going to be beaten, He's going to be spit on, and He's going to be crucified, and the third day He'll rise again from the dead. Do you remember what the next verse said? And they, the twelve at that time, understood how much. None of those things, why? It was hidden from them, providentially, sovereignly. Now the same way here. They should have known, we think, but on the other hand let's not blame them, because God has providentially hidden a lot of these things from these men, until the time that He has ordained that they understand. Now verse 39, reading on in Luke 24, and He says, "...behold my hands and my feet," and He showed them to Him. Now listen, a ghost doesn't have hands and feet. He's not standing there fluttering in some kind of a mist. He is standing there visibly, and physically, right in front of them, and He says, "...here's my hands, feel them, see the nail prints, check my feet, it's me." Verse 40, "...and when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet, and while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have you any food?" Now this is going to be the proof positive. Up until now they still can't believe that it's really the same Jesus that they had known a few days before. Now we were talking about it last evening. Why was all this so unbelievable to these people in this first day after His resurrection? Well I think number one, Isaiah tells us that as He hung on the cross, well it doesn't say it in so many words, but it's implied, Isaiah tells us that as He suffered that death of the cross, He was more disfigured than any human being had ever been before. And take that into consideration when these people just can't believe what they're seeing. Their last view of Christ on the cross was something that didn't even appear human. He was so disfigured, He was so marred, and yet here He stands before them now, seemingly whole with the exception, of course, of the wounds. Alright, now then for further proof, He said, "...do you have any food?" Verse 42, "...and so they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and a piece of honeycomb. And He took it, and what did He do with it? He ate it!" That's what the Book says. And He ate it, in full view of these 10 disciples, to prove to them now that He was a visible resurrected Person, and that He had all the physical attributes of even being able to eat. Then verse 44, "...and He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me." Now verse 45, here is the secret of Biblical understanding even today. What did He do? He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. And then it all fell in place, that yes, the Son of God must come in the flesh, He must suffer, He must die, He must shed His blood as the supreme sacrifice for men's sin, and He must be raised from the dead. Now they understood it all, and the whole picture came together. Now I want you to come back up to verse 39 where He says, "...Now behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself, handle me, and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as ye see me have." Now come all the way back to Genesis, and I hope we can hold this together in your thinking so I don't confuse it. But come back with me to Genesis chapter 9, where Noah of course has just come off the ark after the horrors of the flood, and now God gives some new instructions. Now they are going to be permitted to kill of living things, and eat the meat thereof, but along with it He's going to put some stipulations. So in Genesis 9 beginning at verse 3, and God of course is conversing with Noah, and He says, "...and every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you, even as the green herb," which of course was mandated back in Genesis 1, "...even as the green herb have I given you all things but flesh, meat, with the life thereof which is the blood." Now don't lose that, that which is the life, which is the blood, you shall not eat. And there's the secret, for everything living under this economy, the life is in the blood. Whether it's the animal kingdom, or the birds, or humans, the blood is the actual source of life that keeps that creature functioning. Now let's come back to I Corinthians 15, and hopefully we can bring all this together before the program is over. I Corinthians 15. Verse 50. Now you want to remember Jesus said back there in Luke 24, "...touch me, handle me, and see that I am flesh and bones." Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Now put those two things in your computer. Over here in His resurrection appearance, Jesus said, "...handle me, look at me, you see me physically in flesh and bone." What does He leave out? The blood. Now you come into I Corinthians 15, and you can see why He had to be only flesh and bone in His resurrected body, because you see, flesh and blood as we are now, cannot go into eternity. And even the Lord Himself could not go into eternity with blood. And so that was shed, His blood was shed, His resurrected body is devoid of blood. It is flesh and bone. Now remember what Philippians said, that when we are brought into the eternal state, we're going to have a body fashioned after His glorious body, so it will be a body of what? Flesh and bone, not flesh and blood. And that's going to make all the difference in the world. Now we'll probably hit this a little bit in a later program, but now jump up quickly if you will in this chapter 15 to verse 45, and this will give us another thought. Now if we're going to go into eternity with flesh and bone, and no blood, and yet Genesis tells us that life is in the blood, well what is going to be the source of life then in that eternal body, in that resurrected body? Well let's look at verse 45, and so it is written, "...the first man, Adam," back there in Genesis, "...was made, or created, a living soul. God breathed into his nostrils, and he received the breath of life. But the last Adam, who is Christ, he, leave out the was made, a life giving, or a quickening spirit." Now there's the secret. When we see that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom, but only flesh and bone, then what has to be that life giving substance that will keep that eternal body functioning? The Spirit. And it will be the Spirit of God Himself. Now even now of course we are indwelt by the presence of the Holy Spirit, but not to the degree that it will be in our eternal state. When we come into the eternal state of flesh and bone, then the Spirit will actually take over the role that the blood now has. Life is in the blood in this physical existence, and in the eternal existence life is going to be in the Spirit. Do you see the difference? And so this is all the teachings that come out of this 1 Corinthians 15, and that's why I've been amazed as I've been looking at this more and more over the last several weeks. Here this is the very letter that was written to carnal believers. Remember that in our early studies in 1 Corinthians? This was the most carnal of all the congregations that Paul dealt with, and he said, I can't give you strong meat because you're yet babes, you're carnal, and I have to feed you with milk. And yet in this same letter he comes out with the profound, deep doctrines of our whole Christian experience, and that is resurrection. Now maybe you can figure out how this all works, but I haven't been able to yet. How can he come answering the questions of carnal people, and then all of a sudden as I've said before, he likes to shift gears on us, and then all of a sudden he comes into this chapter and we get such profound doctrines concerning our eternal state, and concerning the resurrection from the dead. And we're not through yet, we're going to have at least one more program in this chapter. But I hope that it's sinking in, not only for you here in the studio, but for our television audience, that at the very core of our whole Christian belief is this power of resurrection. First in our salvation, as Ephesians 2 verse 1 puts it so plainly, "...we who were dead in trespasses and sins, he has made us alive spiritually in this life." Well what was it? We were in so many words raised from a dead spiritual existence, to an existence that is filled with the Spirit of God. We have that new divine nature, we have all of these things that salvation brings working on our behalf, and all of this was unknown until we get to these writings of the Apostle Paul. And so when you mull these things over, our eternal state, remember that the heart of it all is the resurrection. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time, for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.